Update on ice cream cones – very disappointed with Sainsbury’s

[Feedingmyintolerantchild]

If you have been following my recent blog posts, you will know that I have been searching for the Barkat gluten free, dairy free ice cream cones. I approached the Barkat stand at the Allergy Show several weeks ago and they assured me they would be back on the shelves in Sainsbury’s very soon.

I have visited three stores regularly in recent times and not seen them once. I know they are available online but the high delivery charges have put me off placing an order. It puts the cost per cone at well over £1! So last night, I decided I should just buy them from Sainsbury’s online, to save driving all the way to the store and run the risk of another wasted journey.

Sainsbury’s has always been the leading ‘free from’ supermarket in my opinion. They seem to have a much broader range of free from products in store and carry products and brands I have not seen anywhere else. So I was very disappointed to see that the online range was actually much, much smaller. Almost no confectionery and no ‘pitta’ breads or pizza bases – some of our favourites. But they did have the ice cream cones, so I ordered those and a few other bits that I was running low on e.g. soya milk and yoghurts, bread and breakfast cereal.

The delivery was prompt. Early in fact, the driver called and asked if it was convenient to deliver early. He was smartly dressed and extremely polite, so I was impressed – it was my first ever online shop with Sainsbury’s. But then he handed me the dreaded ‘substitutions’ page – no ice cream cones!!!!!!!!!!! So disappointing. I am just glad I hadn’t told Zac that I would be getting him some today.

So now the hunt continues. I don’t feel particularly inclined to order with Sainsbury’s again, as there is no way I can be sure that they will bring them.

So I think I will have to contact the manufacturers direct and find out what the problem is. Have Sainsbury’s decided to stop selling them? Although if that were true wouldn’t they have stopped showing them as available online? I doubt they have simply sold out. We are not exactly in the middle of a heatwave are we? If anyone has any ideas, please let me know.

[Hidden]

Hi, have you tried your local health food shop thats where i get mine from?

paula

[Hidden]

Hi, I've come to the conclusion that Sainsburys stock a product once and then don't restock but still make out that they offer that range.....it happens with so much stuff...the tiger tiger brand no longer there, ice cream cones....no longer there....GF baking powder...not there..AWT stock cubes and sauces......the list goes on. I've also noticed very little pasta etc so am very glad that I can still get my basics on prescription.....Oh, and the bread is often out of date too! Rant over lol

[ianwoowoo]

Don't forget that your online shop is still picked at a local store by someone pretending to be you and then delivered. So if you can't find them there then the chances are they won't either. I think your idea of speaking to the manufacturer to find another retailer may be the best idea, you never know there may be one you weren't aware of close to home.... Good luck, I'm sure we'd all like to know the outcome.

[1stgls]

Hope you get it sorted soon Summer is on its way!

[Hemlington1]

Why doesn't any of these comments surprise me, it is often the case that you buy something from a supermarket be it Tesco, Asda, Sainsbury's and then they don't stock again for ages. When I approach any of them the usual stock answer is 'Well we don't sell enough of that product therefore we don't re-stock' my answer to that is usually ' If you stocked them more regularly I and others would be able to depend on you having them and I would come back for more' Sounds sensible but when dealing with supermarkets you have to try other ways of reasoning...if you find it let me know. My rant over now.

[alifhp]

Why not try some of the larger manufacturers like Glutafin, Dietary Specialities, Ener-g. Dr Schar do about 3 or 4 flavours of wafer which could be used to put ice cream in a bit like a sandwich rather than a cone. In my mind the supermarkets make enough money out of us without charging extortionate prices for delivery etc. At least with the speciality manufacturers you know they produce their goods with Coeliacs and the likes in mind, whereas the supermarkets are just jumping on the bandwagon. Good luck with your search, keep us all posted X

[alifhp]

Just found a site for you for cones: Simply Free - Barket 12 x cones £1.99. However they only do free delivery on orders over £40 but when you look at the site, they have a fabulous range. If the cones have a good sell by date you could buy a whole load for over the summer time (if we ever get one). Enjoy. Ali x

[Feedingmyintolerantchild in reply to alifhp]

Excellent. Thanks so much. Great tip. Much appreciated. Nicola x

[DebsPink]

I saw some in Sainsbury's in Wilton Road (near Victoria, London) today. They have a huge GF range in there.

[Feedingmyintolerantchild]

Thanks for the tip. My husband works in London. I might ask if he will do a detour on his way home! Much appreciated.

[sassyl]

They used to stock them in Waitrose, but I would check that is still current as my nearest one is 60 miles away!

[Feedingmyintolerantchild]

Thanks for the tip. I will keep looking. We have a Waitrose near to here but they seem to be stocking less and less free from foods at the moment and their dairy free offering has all but disappeared. Plenty of GF though. x

[heatherp]

Hi there - well I found this post interesting as it's been a challenge put to me from my 8 year old coeliac son! It's the one thing we haven't been able to find, and with summer ever hopefully approaching have been looking everywhere. We have recently had a new Sainsburys store open near us (Ely), and I have been in there looking for cones, but hadn't seen any. I have made a few enquiries - there is a range done by Eskal, but whereever I ask, they say they don't have enough demand.

Anyway, looked at Sainsburys online, and noticed that I could order the cones through them! I ordered for my first Sainsburys delivery in about 8 years, to be delivered this evening! I was all prepared for the same experience as you as I know they don't have the cones in store so didn't see how they could deliver them. But hey presto - they arrived an hour early, and with no substitutes! So now we have the cones, but guess what, no ice cream! Was so sure the cones wouldn't arrive I hadn't purchased the ice cream, but will head out tomorrow to get some so we can test the cones! Will feed back once tasted! So maybe keep trying and your Sainsburys will deliver eventually!

[Feedingmyintolerantchild in reply to heatherp]

Thanks for the comment. Sorry to hear your son has this horrid condition, but hopefully in the months and years to come we can do some work to make it easier to get our children what they need. I am glad you managed to get some cones this evening. I am happy to say I found some today in the Milton Keynes Sainsbury's store. I blogged about it earlier feedingmyintolerantchild.com

Good luck with your ice cream hunt tomorrow and fingers crossed for a sunny day! Take care.