You’re gluten free – now where on earth do you buy food?

When I was first told to stop eating gluten, I did what I always do – I hit the internet for where and how to buy. Sadly, there was no one place which gave me good information.

This is one of the reasons I started blogging. Here are some excellent places I have found over the last couple of years. This is not by any means an exhaustive list, but I’ve found all of these places to have good service and good products.

Ceres Organics

Their products appear in lots of supermarkets now, but they also have an excellent website and their shop at 181 Ladies Mile, Ellerslie, Auckland has a wide range of cooking ingredients, muesli bars and the like. Mostly organic food, but also an extensive gluten-free section and marvellous labelling.

Gluten Free Grocer

Both online and at the top of Mt Eden Road, Auckland. Everything in store is gluten-free.

Gluten Free Store Ltd

Carrying an excellent selection of very high-quality flours and other gluten-free product. Online only.

Gluten Free Treets

Offering donuts, battered fish, mini hotdogs and chicken strips. You can order these from IE Produce, and they’re also stocked at Natural Organics and various other stockists.

Harvest Wholefoods

Located at 405 Richmond Road, Grey Lynn, Auckland. A HUGE selection of ‘raw’ ingredients – different types of flours etc as well as a food cabinet with some gluten-free produce. Most of the produce here is organic as well.

IE Produce

For almost all foods gluten free! Find them online.

Indian and Thai importers

There are a number of these. The two I have used most have been Mahadeos, 14 Virginia Avenue, Eden Terrace, Auckland and Thai Food Products, 849 New North Road, Mt Albert, Auckland. Cheap rice, rice flour, rice noodles and so on, as well as cheaper ground almonds, nuts and spices.

Lavender’s Green

All gluten-free, organic produce with a lemon theme. Lemon and lime curds and cordials, roasted lemon chutney and excellent fudge. They do farm gate sales, but if you’re not close to their location in the Wairarapa, find them online.

Pak n Save and New World

Both of these carry excellent selections of gluten-free food. The pizza bases are reasonable, they normally carry Bürgen, Vogel’s and Venerdi bread and at least one or two others, have biscuits and component parts. New World Victoria Park, Auckland in particular has an excellent range of breakfast cereals.

Scotts Brewing Co

New Zealand’s first gluten-free beer, as they proclaim themselves. Based out in West Auckland, they have both Ale and a very nice, citrusy Pale Ale, not dissimilar to a Summer Beer. The Pale Ale was lovely and is available at some supermarkets. See their website for stockists.

Shahji’s Royal Masala

Marua Road, Ellerslie, Auckland. Extensive range of gluten-free flour and other products and a very knowledgeable owner make this a very worthwhile visit. Or purchase online.

A lot of these places are online, but many of them have a shop as well, and the proprietors are almost always chatty, helpful and friendly and can make the newly diagnosed gluten-intolerant feel very welcome, and above all else, normal.

Lisa

For those wanting more information on coeliac disease, check out the NZ Coeliac Society website www.coeliac.org.nz.

This blog is the opinion and experiences of its author and should not be taken as medical or dietetic advice. Healthy Food Guide has not verified the content and cannot endorse any advice given. Healthy Food Guide recommends seeking professional health advice for specific complaints or symptoms.