Eating Out for Breakfast!

[zoombie]

I emailed Costa Coffee regarding having a toastie with my breakfast just as my daughter did! The following is their reply:

"Thank you for your e-mail regarding our food selection at Costa Coffee. I have passed your comments over to our Marketing Team so that they can take them into consideration when they review our product range. Thank you for taking the time to contact us with your valuable feedback and we look forward to welcoming you to Costa Coffee again soon."

I have asked if I could take my own toastie in a toastie bag and whether the staff would toast this in a toaster - will let you all know what they say!!

could we start a campaign to Costa Coffee to include a GF toastie in their range?

[Sappho]

That would be fantastic! I would certainly use them if I was visiting an area which had one. I went into Costa coffee in the UK and when I got to the front I asked about the ingredients in a particular special coffee and the girl serving it did not know. She told me to sit down and a few minutes later came over with the list of ingredients for me and a complimentary gluten free chocolate brownie. Now that is good service and customer relations.

[Hidden in reply to Sappho]

Hi Sapho, just a word of warning as you react to wheat deriv's, costa's gf chocolate brownies contain codex wheat.

Apparently it's codex wheat starch at under 200ppm but only 1% of the mix is codex wheat so it comes out tested at below 20ppm. I just wonder why they have to add 1%

But it is within codex limits before anyone panic's so it's down to sensitivity and choices.

[zoombie in reply to Hidden]

Hi Jerry - your reply has just answered a question regarding my DH! I had Costa gf mini-bakewells a few days ago, and had a nasty flare up of the DH - I thought it was chips - looks like it was the bakewells! ARGH!!! My list of foods is getting shorter by the day. At least I didnt react to their brownies!

[zoombie]

Hi Sappho - many thanks for your reply! Costa are very good with sweet gluten goodies so I hope they take on my suggestion - keep you posted! xx

[Mia1057]

My only worry would still be cross contamination from their toasters. I have been glutened too many times from cross contamination even when using toastie bags.

[zoombie in reply to Mia1057]

Cross contamination is a serious worry - I am now suffering from this in my workplace - will be suggesting this to Costa to keep a separate toaster! Also, the staff need educating in handling GF and non-GF foods!

[Hidden]

According to reports in the US Costa's are considering a savoury gf option since Starbucks introduced gf sandwiches in 2010 so if they are going to provide sandwiches they might go the whole mile and supply toast.

So I think your idea is a good one and that in the first instance they should be asked to provide sandwiches and if they are going to provide toasties have a separate dedicated gf toaster/ gf area.

We had a campaign on here to Kelloggs as they make and sell gf Rice Krispies (malt free) in the US and there was a good response from GFG members and even tho' Kelloggs gave a standard reply, it raised awareness of the need.

So I will support anything that improves the lot of fellow coeliac.

[Mia1057]

I agree with Jerry it would be great to have sandwiches and toast as long as it is a separate dedicated gf toaster and area.

[zoombie]

Pester Power methinks and as Starbucks go a GF range, Costa should too. Unfortunately here in the UK Starbucks coffee is sooooo awful I stopped using them!

Talking of Kelloggs, my dietician here in Yorkshire told me NOT to have Kelloggs cereals as they couldn't be guaranteed to GF!!

[Hidden in reply to zoombie]

Hya that's because ''ordinary'' rice krispies are coated with malt. Last summer they launched these in the US made with brown rice and no malt:

ricekrispies.com/en_US/prod...

So oif they can sell them in the US how about the rest of us?

[Falk1]

Regarding the comment re Kelloggs, my dietician advised me that if I have been eating them all along and have had no problems, it would be OK to carry on. I still eat Rice Krispies and Corn Flakes, the reason being that the process hasn't altered.

[Angelbelle]

I too wrote to Costa after vising our local, prompted by a member of staff. I had the same reply as you so perhaps if more gf folk wrote they might take interest and provide what we have to eat.

[zoombie in reply to Angelbelle]

Hi Angelbelle - it would be great if Costa does take our suggestion on board. I have a couple of little cafes I go to with friends and these places know I have CD and don't mind when I bring out my own biscuits!

[FionaGFG Administrator]

There is absolutely no way I would personally take gluten free food into a food venue and ask them to cook it for me (and no doubt charge me for it). I would have no faith that they are taking care and avoiding cross contamination. Instead I would urge them to create more naturally gluten free options for everyone. All that many of these fast food places are interested in is creating cake and pies for coeliacs and charging them treble for the price - loaded with salt, fat and sugar. It's a personal choice but that's not how I like to eat.