Please also let the committee know of your ideas on how we can help improve life for people eating gluten free in West London.

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1 Welcome to the West London support group, which covers the London W1-W14 postcodes. These postcodes extend from central London in the West End W1 out to Hanwell W7 and in between, including suburbs like Paddington W9, Chiswick W4, Ealing W5, Hammersmith W6, Notting Hill W11, and Shepherd s Bush W12. This is a brand new voluntary group, and our main aim is to share information on local gluten free experiences eating out, supermarkets, travel and anything else that could help local coeliacs primarily through newsletters and social media. An important function of the group is to speak to all new members and help them find their way in their new gluten free world. We are slightly different to other Coeliac UK support groups, as this group is not designed to run events, but we may do so if there is demand for it. Newsletter 1, 2014 In this issue: Welcome Product Review: M&S Cakes Member card useful when travelling GF Radio Hospital closures The committee is made up of seven members with varying backgrounds, but all living around Chiswick, Hammersmith and Ealing, so feedback from members living in other areas will be essential to our success! Please get involved through social media or the committee with your experiences. Please also let the committee know of your ideas on how we can help improve life for people eating gluten free in West London. Regards Caroline Trubridge, Group Organiser Contact details: westlondon@coeliac.org.uk Facebook: West London Support Group Coeliac UK Webpage: Café Review: Château Dessert - Chiswick Gluten free baking classes Travel: Melbourne Recipe: Ginger & Cardamon Cake

2 Cakes like your Mum baked! Wow - these are really lovely cakes in the new range of "Made Without Wheat' at M & S. There are 3 varieties - Victoria Sponge, Carrot & Walnut, Coffee & Walnut. They cost 3.50 each but they are so good - especially the Coffee & Walnut. Not sure if they are stocked in all branches but they definitely are in Chiswick and Hammersmith. Get out of the lingerie department and indulge! Also two new loaves have recently appeared at M & S and they are just like real bread! One is called 'Sliced White Boule with Poppy Seeds' and the other is 'Brown Bloomer Slices'. Cat My Coeliac Society Membership card has proved very useful. Two years ago when I was in Australia I noticed on the door of a cafe that they gave a 10% discount to holders of a Coeliac Society card. My friends decided that it was definitely my round and so I managed to buy four coffees and gluten free cakes at a discount with my UK card. Last year I was travelling across America by rail on a three week journey and so I packed some vacuum pack Ilumi meals as an emergency supply. When we landed in New York I had to declare my food at customs and so I produced my Coeliac Society card to let them see that I had food allergies. They happily waved me on without confiscating any of my precious food. Travelling in America and Australia is relatively easy for a vegetarian who is gluten and lactose intolerant as all food is clearly labelled and in general there is always something available on a vegetarian restaurant menu. In America, in particular, the cities were geared up for coeliacs, but my food became a necessity when we reached the mid-west, where at first I managed to have my food pack heated for the required two and a half minutes in the microwave. However as we travelled further west, I discovered that I could eat the food cold straight from the pack without any harmful repercussions, which is always good to know. Avril

3 Have you heard of Gluten Free Radio? I wonder whether you have heard of The GFree Radio Show? The UK's first and only weekly show about everything GFree? I am writing as a fellow coeliac (and member of the North Surrey group) and as a broadcaster of 20 years. I decided to put those two experiences together to produce a magazine programme full of news, interviews, new products and latest research on living as a coeliac. The podcasts are free and really easy to hear: on your computer - go to and click on the 'Listen Now' picture on the top right hand corner on your mobile phone - go to which is compatible with iphone and Android on itunes - search for 'GFree Radio' on YouTube - search for 'GFree Radio'... and you can listen there-and-then, or download any episode to listen to later; perhaps while commuting or doing the ironing. with Bluetooth or a cheap connection lead you can even hear the Show through your car radio on the way to work, or through your kitchen radio as you do the washing up! The GFree Radio Show has been running since July 2013 and since then the episodes have been heard 6,000 times - so I'd hate for you and your members to be missing out! The GFree Radio Show is free, and all archive episodes are available to download or stream on phones or computers via itunes, YouTube and at and and you can keep up-to-date with what s in each show by following us on Peter Stewart - Presenter As many of us need regular clinic appointments, it is important we can get appointments as soon as possible. Our local hospital Charing Cross looks like it is going to be bulldozed and 3/4 of the land sold meaning that all GP referals will be to St Mary's in Paddington which already has notoriously long waiting times without another 22,000 patients joining the queue. Our Labour MP for Hammersmith is lobbying against this and has a petition at:

4 CHATEAU DESSERT Chiswick Château Dessert is a patisserie/bakery on Chiswick High Road producing high quality desserts, cakes and biscuits. Our committee recently had a meeting there to sample their gluten free offering. Pictured above are the chocolate slice and the passion fruit crème brûlée tart. You can see that the presentation is amazing and so was the taste! Cross contamination is obviously a concern as it is not a dedicated gluten free kitchen or shop. The owner explained that the central kitchen (not on site) is thoroughly cleaned after the normal baking and then a team of chefs prepare the gluten free cakes on the night shift. The staff handle all the cakes with clean gloves every time a customer is served. There are also plans in the future to make the central display area dedicated to the gluten free items to further prevent cross contamination. I feel they are taking all the appropriate steps (and seem a lot more switched on than other local bakeries) and I felt comfortable sampling the cakes. As always, please ask your own questions and satisfy yourself that you feel safe eating there. Château Dessert, 213 Chiswick High Road, W4 2DW Gluten free baking classes - Gluten free Baking & Living Caroline The thing I struggled with most after being diagnosed a coeliac was finding bread that actually tasted like bread! Nothing in the supermarkets was quite right, so I booked into a gluten free bread-baking course. It was held just off Ladbroke Grove, West London and run by a lady who is a nutritionist, and her husband, who is a coeliac. There were probably about eight of us on the course and I met some lovely people - it was good to share coeliac stories. We learnt how to bake a number of different breads, from French baguettes, brioche, seeded bread, and a traditional Irish soda bread. Lunch was provided to have with some of the delicious breads we had baked and it was a great day. I came home having learnt a lot and had a whole lot of bread to enjoy. Eileen Please see the advertisement on the back page for more information on these courses. If you make a booking, please let them know how you heard about them!

5 A postcard from Melbourne, Australia (photo reproduced with permission of Barry Trubridge) You may be thinking about visiting Melbourne over the UK winter perhaps to see The Ashes in December or The Australian Open in January. I am originally from Melbourne and you will find Australia very gluten free friendly. Many of the restaurants are independent (rather than chains) and have gluten free marked up on the menu. Melbourne has several 100% gluten free cafés and bakeries, although most of them are a tram ride from the city centre. The closest one to the city is called Safe House, which is 100% gluten free and also specialises in fructose free, vegetarian, and free from dairy, egg and nuts. It is in South Yarra, close to the shopping area of Chapel Street and the Prahran market, and is only a 15 minute tram ride from the city. You will also find some familiar chains, such as Nando s and McDonalds, but be aware that there can be differences in what is gluten free and don t assume things are the same! Further information is available on my blog and please feel free to contact me via the website if you would like more information on visiting Australia. Caroline

6 GINGER AND CARDAMON CAKE Preheat oven to 180 Grease and line an 8/9 inch tin 8 oz dark muscovado sugar 4 oz ground almonds 3 oz coarse polenta 8 oz unsalted butter 1 dessert spoon Chinese five spice 10 oz chopped stem ginger zest and juice of 1 lemon dash of water or ginger wine - or whisky 4 teaspoons cardamom seeds (seeds taken out of the pods) 6 eggs separated Method: Melt butter (microwave or hob) Mix in all the other ingredients, except the eggs Separate the eggs. Add yolks into the other ingredients and mix together (if mix is not wet, add more liquid - water, whisky or ginger wine). Whisk the egg whites until they form soft, but firm peaks. Add egg whites to other ingredients (fold them in carefully with a large metal spoon, making sure you fold in enough air). Pour into tin and oven bake for 45 minutes. When ready, it should be dark golden and slightly cracked across the surface (not wobbly). If dark but wobbly, turn the oven down to 140 and leave until firm. If pale and wobbly, leave at the same temperature for another 20 minutes. Leave to cool in tin before removing. YUM! Submitted by Eileen original source unknown. Every effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of information contained in this newsletter. Furthermore any articles, contributions or opinions contained herein are printed in good faith. However, Coeliac UK and The West London Coeliac Group can accept no responsibility for any errors or items this newsletter contains. Coeliac UK - A Registered Charity and Company Limited by Guarantee and Registered in England. Registered Charity Number Company Number

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