Being pro-active for the cause

[Alison77]

I've decided to be pro-active with this gluten free thing. This morning I requested from Witrose that Waitrose stock Warburtons G-F Bread and also their delicious fruit loaf. Does anyone else feel like screaming when you have to hunt through not only the Free From range of supermarket shelves but also the bread aisles - because sometimes you get the G-F bread there! Its the fact that theres SO much bread with Gluten, you think they could sign the Gluten Free areas too! Sometimes I look at the Free From range and think drat..theres none left, and just on off chance check the bread aisles and yes its in there instead... grr..However, Pro-Active is the future for me.

[Hidden]

Good for you Alison, it's like taking responsibility and realising that we as individuals can make a difference.

[sassyl]

I think Waitrose will respond. A while a go I took a Waitrose Customer Service woman to the cereal aisle to show her all the cereal they stocked that I couldn't eat. Then I showed her the space where they used to stock the Doves Farm cereal flakes.

A week later the Doves Farm was back!

I do this all the time now! Except in Morrison's, their computer says 'no'.

[Alison77 in reply to sassyl]

Love this - it so made me smile - well done Sassy!

[Alison77 in reply to sassyl]

Another thought, we shall have to see how to deal with Morrison's computer..wonder how we organise a mass petition on this site? Morrisons do do gluten free here in Scotland but each branch seems to hide away their bread in two places just to give you the fun of searching

[Jacks]

Apparently it's a choice from Wharburtons to have their bread put with ordinary fresh bread as it is a 'fresh' .(rather than long-life) product. Bought some once and ironically it's horrible greyness doesn't look anything like ordinary bread.

[Alison77 in reply to Jacks]

I guess they know what they are thinking but what about letting the customers know I tend to buy the brown, then you dont notice the colour so much

[FionaGFG Administrator]

Note - some brands want to be in with the fresh 'normal items' as the free from aisle is often like a ghost town. It is often given to new inexperienced buyers and new mgrs in supermarkets and not looked after. Whereas integrating GF items into normal aisles raises brand awareness, enables the items to reach new customers and show there is mainstream demand and ensures they are rotated. Pros and cons all around. Always email HQ & the brands to make your point of view known - whichever it is- they do listen.

[Alison77]

Actually I'd prefer it to be in with the normal items, because we are "normal" people. Just looking at the pale faded boxes of GF stuff is depressing. I almost feel sorry for myself having to shop in amongst this high priced, sugar heavy, weight heavy stuff. However, I am empowered to do my bit to highlight whats wrong in the supermarkets. In fairness, at least they do attempt to cater, I must go in again and ask our local bakers if they do GF, I know they don't but they should dont you think?

[Alison77]

On the upside, if you can be gluten free and be no.1 in the world in my beloved sport tennis - like Djokovic

www1.skysports.com/tennis/n...

its very encouraging for the rest of us yes?

[Lynxcat]

I wonder if all of the major supermarket chains tried getting together and producing free-from foods under one label brand would helpt to reduce prices and also give a wider choice of gluten free products might be a way forward. They could then supply these one label in all of their supermarkets whilst offering other smaller supermarkets, corner shops and other grocery outlets a chance of stocking the same products whether that might be a way forward.

It would be so nice to be able to go to the corner shop and purchase any gluten free things at all.

The other thing that is a concern is what about the old and frail coeliacs? It's all very well saying well they can get all of this on prescription but who lives that near to a pharmacy? I know that I don't, do you?

[tmoxon]

We live in the countryside with the nearest supermarkets about 6 miles away, these comprise of a Costcutter, small Tesco and Lidl. The food they have is limited and I find if I want to purchase things like favourite gluten free sausages etc I need to make special journeys to larger supermarkets which are a considerable distance from us. Sometimes I cant find all products in one supermarket so have to go to different ones which takes time and money. There isnt anything worse than travelling miles to find that the items are out of stock. We have a doctors surgery in our villiage which acts as a pharmacy so all of my foods on prescription can be collected within two days. I am hoping that the prescriptions do not stop, if they do not only will it be costly but it will also be far more hassle for me.