Category Archives: Coeliac

Gluten Free Starbucks

Coeliac,

One of the problems when you have coeliac disease is that you hear rumours that something you thought was safe might not be. Sometimes these turn out to be true (Smarties), other times not.

I had heard that some of the Frappuccinos in Starbucks might be a problem. and a Google search for Gluten Free Starbucks brought pages from the US suggesting no to skinny syrups, hot chocolate and the strawberry and cream fraps. But you learn that what’s safe in one country might not be in another, so I asked them myself. Surely the Choc Chip Cookie Frap would be a no-go, how about anything else?

Well below is the response I got:

Dear Ryan,

Thank you for contacting Starbucks.

I can confirm that none of our hand crafted beverages currently available in our stores are made with ingredients that contain wheat or gluten.

We also have a selection of food items which are made from ingredients free of wheat and gluten to enjoy with your beverage.

Currently this includes:

  • Gluten Free Ham Cheese and Coleslaw Roll
  • Fairtrade Chocolate Brownie (please request a wrapped product)
  • Chocolate Hazelnut Loaf Cake (please request a wrapped product)
  • Fruit Salad
  • Creamy Natural Yogurt
  • Very Berry Compote (condiment for yogurt)
  • Maple and Honey Sauce (condiment for yogurt)
  • Fairtrade banana
  • Two varieties of Fruit & Nut Bars
  • Nut Mix
  • Roasted Almonds
  • Sea Salt Potato Chips
  • Fairtrade Chocolate bars – Dark and Milk

Please ask the barista in store if you are unable to locate these items.

We appreciate your interest in our product range and look forward to welcoming you into your local store.

Thank you for taking the time to contact us and we look forward to welcoming you back to your local store soon.

Sincerely,

Frank D

So all hand-crafted drinks (as of today, might change in the future) are ok. That means I can continue to waste my money on Peppermint Lattes and Caramel Fraps.

Don’t worry, it’s not that I don’t want to eat your cake

Coeliac

Photo from Flickr, by Hudson, The @diskoponySo you’ve offered me cake, and rather surprisingly I’ve turned you down. I know, odd isn’t it. Ryan never turns down cake. So it can only mean one thing, your cake is bad.
Well, no. What it means is that my body is bad.
I’m not on a diet, I have no need to lose weight, instead I have Coeliac disease.
Every time I eat gluten my body reacts and damages my gut. So unless a cure is found, for life I can no longer eat gluten. If you have ever watched The Great British Bake Off, it’s the stuff which makes cakes and bread sticky (and tasty).

Which means unless it’s been specially made, no:
Cake;
Biscuits;
Bread;
Rolls;
Beer;
Weetabix;
Shredded Wheat;
Pasta;
Pie
and three months ago these were a very large part of my diet.

Fortunately fresh meat, veg and fruit are fine, as well as chocolate without biscuit.
Unfortunately the wheat substitutes are expensive. £2 a (half) loaf of bread.
At the moment the government and local health authority allow me to get gluten free products on prescription, hopefully this will continue, as it helps keep the costs down.

So if you do offer me anything don’t feel embarrassed that I turn it down, or spend a couple of minutes reading the back of a packet, it’s not you, it’s me.