GF options in airports

[GFBC]

Hi all I like to go away for long weekends but this means I have to go through an airport. I'm constantly frustrated by the serious lack of gluten free food on offer. I would like to launch an awareness raising project regarding this. Also regarding food I have several delicious dishes but don't have any idea where to go with them with a view to selling them in airports. Any ideas?

[Goffarcob]

What about motorway service stations, apart from M+S very poor choice.

[GFBC in reply to Goffarcob]

Absolutely yes another area with very little or no choice. When I roll out my products service stations will be targeted also

[Narwhal10]

Great idea,

There is a very serious lack of awareness and it includes hospitals. I get so excited when I stop in a city centre for a drink and find they are coeliac/celiac approved.

I was rushed into hospital, a couple of years ago and spoke directly to the caterer. They were as good as gold. The nurse was extremely busy and did not have any idea that I suffer from this illness.

I had also been admitted to hospital 5 years ago, they did not even bother to investigate my repeated projectile vomiting.

🐳

[GFBC in reply to Narwhal10]

Yes hospitals are also very unaware and have very limited choices for GF diets. But where do I start to get the products out there???

[Narwhal10 in reply to GFBC]

Hi,

Sorry, I have been wracking my brain of a way forward. Like Researchfan said Dragon’s Den or seeing as you can name Boots and WHSmith write to their Chief Executive. It is a serious autoimmune malabsorption illness and many sufferers. Please would they consider catering for us. 🤷‍♀️

[GFBC in reply to Narwhal10]

Thanks for your help and support

[Researchfan]

I agree, gluten free and allergy friendly options would be great in airports and services. You can find some depending on location (UK and abroad).

Hospitals again vary by location. 🧐

Maybe start by applying to go on BBC’s ‘Dragon Den’ ?

[tmoxon]

Good idea, I travelled from Leeds Bradford in May this year and found nothing, I did think I would get a Boots meal deal but they didn't have one ordinary sandwich, the fridge was bare and this was at 12 noon, it was terrible.

[GFBC in reply to tmoxon]

That's exactly my point. I fly out of Dublin regularly and there are no GF sandwiches in boots or WH Smith. Any ideas on where I could start my campaign??

[tmoxon in reply to GFBC]

Maybe worth writing to CUK about it. They might be able to write to the airports. Its disappointing that an Irish airport isn't catering for us, I had read Ireland was very good for gluten free. By the time I came back from a fortnight in Kos, I was really sick and tired of asking in the hotel every day what I could and couldn't eat, got glutened with a bit of bacon hiding on a grilled tomato with cheese, i did wonder whether travelling was worth it 😀

[Hidden in reply to tmoxon]

CUK are a UK-based charity and do not cover Republic of Ireland. Ireland has its own coeliac charity as it is an entirely separate country from the UK.

[Hidden in reply to GFBC]

Start with your failing coeliac representative charity - coeliac.ie - and ask them why a big international urban hub airport is so dire for people with coeliac and what are they doing about it? If south american cartels can ship up to Cork with supplies of white powder, then surely they can at least make the effort to provide a few GF sandwiches at an international airport. Also contact the Airport manager and the airport Board of directors and ask to attend one of their meetings to raise the issue in person. Dublin airport also has parent owner body (en.wikipedia.org/wiki/DAA_(... - given then some welly on the matter also.

[CATRYNA49]

Our being Celiac is our problem not everyone else's problem. When I travel, I take my own snack foods and when I dine out there are always a variety of salads available and meat with vegetable..

[Hidden in reply to CATRYNA49]

Would you say that to someone who needs a wheelchair ramp, or a nut allergy sufferer surrounded by people eating nuts on a plane?

[CATRYNA49 in reply to Hidden]

We can take positive action with our circumstances, not so much with someone wheelchair bound or someone who has a life threatening allergy. And, to answer your question, no, I would not say that to someone in those circumstances. Your analogy is flawed.

[Hidden]

Some airports do have a 'safe' food outlet, but it means purchasing a sit down meal, which is pricey in airports. The named chains are best, but the in-house catering outlets are terrible. If you just want a quick snack/sandwich, no chance. Boots use to do GF sandwiches when GF was the fad before plant-based, but it really is a case of bring your own. An awareness campaign would be great, but surely this is the job of Coeliac Ireland. I'm not sure what they are doing generally, but at least gained 'disability' status (which it fits criteria for) things would be vastly better.