Heaven in a Box: Gluten Free Brownies from Borough 22 Bakehouse

My love of a chocolate brownies is well known. So when we received an email from the lovely Ryan at Borough 22 Bakehouse, telling us he reckoned he had the best gluten free brownies in London, well, we just had to try them out!

Borough 22 Bakehouse specialises in making baked goods without allergens. So all their products can be dairy, egg, gluten, wheat and soya free, and are suitable for vegetarians and vegans.

Ryan’s business came about in a bid to make a treat for his multi-allergen wife (sorry ladies) and dairy intolerant kids that didn’t involve every pot pan and mixing bowl in the house. And his treats were all so amazing the business took off. And some. Now Ryan can be found hand delivering gorgeous boxes of gluten free goodies all over London.

gluten free brownies and doughnuts

Borough 22 Bakehouse gluten free goodies

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A Box of Gluten Free Goodies from Crate of Nothing

photo of our Crate of Nothing gluten free box

Crate of Nothing box of gluten free goodies

Got a GF friend and not sure what to buy them for their birthday? Fed up with the bland selection of gluten free foods in your local grocery store? Cheesed off with the weather and want to treat yourself, just because? Yes, to any of the above? Then you need a Crate of Nothing.

So what’s the deal? Well, every month, on the first of the month, the good chaps at Crate of Nothing send a box of handpicked gluten free goodies from artisan bakers and chefs right to your door, for a mere £20 including delivery. Or you can buy a one off box for £22.50. What’s more there’s a gluten free/dairy free option too. Read the rest of this entry »

Multiple food allergies? You’ll Knead allergy free baking

As you know, we always like to find new and local gluten free brands, here at the Gluten Free Blog. So, last week, when we stumbled across Knead Bakery, a new allergy friendly baking company in London we were all rather excited.

Knead Bakery's gluten free, dairy free sugar cane free goodies

Knead Bakery's gluten free, dairy free sugar cane free goodies

Knead Bakery, it turns out, is run by the talented and lovely Sim Smith, who’s a former journalist and long time allergy sufferer.

Determined to prove that a diet void of gluten, dairy and cane sugar needn’t be a diet void of tasty treats, she’s set up Knead Bakery, which has launched with six scrumptious products, including chocolate chip cookies, ginger cookies, mini blueberry muffins, mini lemon and poppy seed muffins, carrot cake and double chocolate brownies, all of which are free from gluten, dairy, cane sugar and additives and preservatives.

And we were fortunate to get a first look last week when Sim dropped into the office with a bag of goodies for us to try.

So we started with the muffins. They were light and fresh, with a bouncy texture and sweet without being sickly. The combination of sweet lemon and the almost peppery poppy seeds was divine. And the blueberries in the blueberry muffins were fresh, plump and juicy like they’d been picked that morning.

Next up were the cookies. You know how so many gluten free cookies and biscuits leave that taste of sugary nothingness in your mouth? Not these. The chocolate chip cookies were incredibly chocolaty and chewy. And the ginger cookies. Well, they were really zingy and mouth-watering. I love ginger cookies with a cup of herbal tea. And these take some beating.

The double chocolate brownie tasted ‘just like a normal chocolate brownie’ said Phil, a non gluten-freer. And it did. Moist and with a lovely consistency, I was left with dark chocolaty taste in my mouth and the feeling I’d eaten something really substantial. ‘Hmmm…perfect with a coffee’ said Miles.

Blueberry mini muffins and lemon and poppy seed mini muffins

Blueberry mini muffins and lemon and poppy seed mini muffins. That's my hand!

So then we tucked into the carrot cake. Now, Knead Bakery sells this by the slice and also as a whole cake. And I would encourage you, for any celebratory gathering whatsoever, to buy an entire cake. In fact, just by a whole carrot cake for yourself. I won’t tell. Because rarely have I eaten cake that has given me goose bumps. And this carrot cake did. Laced with fresh lemon curd and topped with a soya yogurt frosting, the combination of flavours is exquisite.

What we love about Knead are the quality ingredients Sim uses. So the chocolate chip cookies and the chocolate brownies taste of rich, dark chocolate. The lemon curd tastes super lemony. And you can really taste the vanilla, ginger and cinnamon in the products.

Gluten free, dairy free and sugar free carrot cake

Gluten free, dairy free and sugar free carrot cake

Knead offers a personalised baking service. So if you need an allergy free cake for a special occasion such as a wedding or birthday give Sim a call. She also does gluten free, dairy free and sugar free goodie bags and gift bags which are ideal for corporate events, fashion shoes and even kids’ parties.

The online store will be available soon. In the meantime you can order from Knead by emailing info@kneadbakery.co.uk or calling Sim on 07920 102 284. Mini muffins and cookies are just £3.40 a bag. The chocolate brownie is £2.99 and the carrot cake is £3.99 for a substantial slice (but just get the whole cake!).

For more information visit Knead Bakery, London.

Gluten free goodies at The Real Food Market

Last weekend we visited the Real Food Market at London’s Southbank Centre.

The market consists of about 40 stalls selling quality, fresh produce and ingredients including cheeses; fresh pastas and sauces; chutneys and pickles; middle eastern delicacies; and artisan breads, cakes and pastries.

We enjoyed a glass of freshly pressed apple juice and a sip (or two) of organic brandy before I went on the hunt for gluten free goodies. And I came across the Arancici Brothers, who make delicious vegetarian and gluten free Arancini risotto balls, which look a bit like falafel, and are packed full of fresh herbs, cheeses, onion, garlic and a hint of citrus.

Arancini Brothers gluten free balls

The guys were serving them hot with a salad, in a chilli or garlic wrap, or just on their own with a little pickle on the side. And let me tell you, they were absolutely delicious. Very tasty. And very filling. Try and get your hands on some of these. They’re perfect for packed lunches and picnics.

You can find the Arancini Brothers at these markets.

We also chatted with the lovely Caroline of Sugargrain who makes gluten free cakes as well as award-winning confectionary such as elderflower marshmallows. Some of her cakes are dairy free, fat free and made without sugar; so there really is something for everyone.

Caroline of Sugargrain gluten free cakes

Of course, I had to try a chocolate nut brownie – for research purposes, you understand – and it was definitely one of my favourite chocolate brownies ever (and I’ve eaten lots). It was so moist it was almost creamy, and very chocolatey without being too sweet or sickly. Scrummy.

You can find Sugargrain at these markets and you can also follow Caroline on Twitter @sugargrain.

The Real Food Market at the Southbank takes place on the first weekend of every month. Dates are August 6th – 8th, September 3rd – 5th, November 5th – 7th and December 3rd – 5th. If you’re in the London, and you love food, it’s worth a visit.