A miss is as good as a mile - Costa Coffee's new 'dairy free' wrap

Grr! So annoyed I have to find myself writing this post, when there is so much I want to tell you about our recent trip to Euro Disney.

Yesterday morning, I was extremely excited to see messages popping up on Twitter and Face Book, to the effect that Costa Coffee and had a new gluten free and dairy free option on their menu. And that in fact it was the kind of thing you might like to buy and eat for lunch on the go. 

YIPPEE!!!!

'Oh, how exciting!! How that could revolutionize my life,' I thought.

I've been a fan of theirs for a long time, because we like their mini Cherry Bakewells's and I've also enjoyed their Christmas Cake Slice (only available at Christmas) both of which are gluten free but actually appear to be dairy free also, and have never caused us any problems. They've been a particular boon, since Starbucks stopped making their gluten and dairy free Chocolate and Hazelnut loaf.

Costa even tweeted me directly about their new product.

Here it is!

SO, not one to waste any time, I popped along to a nearby Costa Coffee to see for myself.

I was excited to see that they had used Newburn Bakehouse's gluten free Seeded Wraps, as I know that these re also dairy and soya free. Despite their price, I buy them regularly as they taste great, stay moist-feeling and don't fall apart too easily like some others do.

They were indeed in stock. SO I picked one up and perused the ingredients lists to see if they were also egg and nut free etc. - not for our benefit, but for those who are.

And then I spotted this:

See that, 'May contain' statement??

And I was shocked! Another 'May contain traces of milk' on another product claiming to be dairy free.

So NOT suitable for those with the potential for a severe allergic reaction OR for someone (like 'Baby') who is and certainly has been extremely sensitive to the slightest traces.

To me the word 'free' denotes 'completely free' NOT 'somewhat free' OR 'almost dairy free.' It's extremely misleading and a HUGE disappointment to anyone who is completely dairy free and who happens to come across these kinds of statements - particularly if they are newly arrived to the dairy free lifestyle, through a recent diagnosis and is struggling to get to grips with it all.

As someone who is gluten free, I am aware that 'gluten free' is a legally protected statement. For a product to claim 'gluten free' status in the UK it must be tested and found to be below the officially recommended level of 20 ppm.  See the Food Gov information on this, here. This minimum standard helps me to select products that keep me safe.

Products that are made without gluten sometimes carry 'non gluten containing ingredients' or 'NCIG' on the label. In the same way, a food product that is NOT completely dairy free, could perhaps be best described as 'made without dairy' - it would be far more accurate and helpful. Perhaps even more helpful would be to state that a product is made 'without any milk or any milk by-products' - as so many people seem to think that eggs are also included under 'dairy' (it is in the US, but not the UK).

This week happens to be Food Allergy Awareness Week, and in this week of all weeks, for a product to be launched as 'dairy free' when it isn't, completely angers me. I'm still annoyed with The Coconut Collaborative (otherwise known as Bessant and Drury) for recently doing the same with their new coconut-based yoghurt.

I think it is high time that even though there are varying levels of sensitivity in the dairy free allergic world (see Michelle of 'Food Matters' recent blog post for elucidation on this point), a minimum standard is set that would protect the most vulnerable from companies making claims that can't be substantiated.

Also, Costa are presumably producing these wraps in a dedicated gluten free environment, in order to qualify for their gluten free status. They are no dairy ingredients in any of the products, that I can see, so I don't quite understand why they can't be completely dairy free also. 

I have tweeted Costa, yesterday, and this morning. Their representative is now apparently looking into it. I'll keep you updated if anything comes to light. 

On the picture above, you can see the words 'Costa Cares' (OK, it's upside down, but it's there), so... let's see if they do!!


Update:

Message from Costa Coffee Twitter account:

Just heard back and the product is free from dairy; the warning is standard due to cross contamination in-store.

Which is great news - in that we know there's no dairy in the product itself, but highlights precisely the problem that lie within blanket 'may contain' warnings...

If you don't know where the risk lies, how can you may an informed decision. *sighs*

And one has to wonder, if the wraps may come into possible contact with products containing dairy, might they not also run the risk of cross-contamination with gluten (or anything else for that matter)??? 

Oh the conundrums!!


Update 15th May, 2014:

Okay! So the message I got back from Costa was apparently wrong!

How did I find this out? By reading this post, by Kevin Gollop author of the blog 'Gluten Free by the Sea'.

Kevin was told:

“It is not possible to guarantee that the product is 100% dairy-free because it is pre-prepared in a third party factory, which also produces products with dairy in them. Therefore there is an extremely small chance of a trace of dairy being present.”

'Sorry!' I thought, 'Scuse me! That's not what I was told!' 

My concern was not merely for our situation, but also for other people who follow our blog, Face Book posts and Twitter feed. 

The statement in Kevin's post was confirmed later by 'Adam' via Twitter, in response to a tweet, by myself.

Sorry about this. We've now had confirmation and the statement given to Kevin is correct ^Adam

I'm extremely annoyed about this, because the original line they fed me was also the line that others were given (not just myself), and it was WRONG!! So I know the truth, and now you know the truth, but what about the others??

The reason this matters, should not need spelling out.But here we go:

If you suffer from an extreme sensitivity to milk you need to be given accurate information, in order to gauge the exact nature of risk involved. There's a whole world of difference between merely buying your prepackaged dairy free sandwiches in a coffee shop and actually facing a 'small risk' (but a risk nonetheless) of cross contamination occurring at the point where the sandwich is made. Obviously, if we all avoided buying dairy free food from premises also handling milk, we'd probably starve! However, buying a sandwich that's potentially been cross-contaminated at point of production is like playing Russian Roulette - one day your sandwich might be fine, the next (because someone neglects to follow procedure) you're not. 

Depending on the extent of your sensitivity to milk, you might not wish to take that risk.

I sincerely hope that Costa recognise the importance of this and take steps to ensure that this situation is not repeated.

This lunch time I'm eating my own wraps - made with Warbuton's wraps, which are completely dairy and gluten free. 

I know what's in them, 'cos I made them myself!

Lunch at Starbucks!!

Despite the warnings of snow, we had to go the other Saturday. It was somewhere we knew well, so we were fairly confident that we could get something to eat. But, following a tip-off on Twitter, that week, we headed to Starbucks.

Now there's been a lot of bad press about Starbucks recently, and I'm not saying I agree with the way they've been running their business in the UK, but I am a huge fan of their coffee (not to everyone's taste, I know) and, as of yet, they're the only cafe on the street that we visited that day, that sold a cake that was both gluten and dairy free.

My 'usual'

This time, though, we were not in search of cake, but something a little more substantial. 

I could have had their Ham Hock Box. I've had it before, and it's not bad, but half the salad contains Edamame beans, which are basically soya. As I can't eat soya, I don't see the point in spending the money on a box that I'm gonna fish half the contents out!

No, what I was after, was their Tuna Nicoise Roll - made with Genius gluten free bread. It turns out that it's also dairy free. It does, however, contain egg, mustard and fish. It also carries a warning about nuts. The bread roll doesn't actually contain any nuts, but it does contains seeds which may have been packaged in a facility handling nuts. And here it is:

My pre-packaged roll

I have to say, it didn't look all that big, and the contents weren't exactly oozing out the sides, but the roll did keep me going all afternoon... with the help of half a pack of ready salted crisps, that is!! The roll was a little dry and crumbly, but, funnily enough, still tasted quite nice. 

Baby's lunch consisted of a Bacon Butty. These are sold cold, in sealed packets, but Starbuck's staff can heat them up for you, if you like. We opted for Baby's to be heated, but, stupidly, I didn't check to see that they avoided cross-contamination in the grill. The Hub thinks they line it with something. You might want to err on the safe and side and check, just to be sure.

Baby's Bacon Butty

Baby washed her lunch down with water (she could have had juice) and I had my usual - black decaffeinated Americano. 

One mistake we didn't make today, though, was to offer Baby a soya milk Babyccino. No, we stay away from those now, having made that mistake in the past. I know they clean the frothing spout - but with the same cloth that they've been using all day (by the looks of it) which will of course have picked up milk proteins, along the way. I'm guessing that's how Baby ended up with a tummy ache and sore bum anyway. Baby can, however, have a cup of their soya milk (un-frothed) as that has never caused her a problem.

So, we came, we ate, and we didn't have any nasty consequences. Result!! Well done, Starbucks!! Come on the rest of you!! It's not that difficult, surely??

My dream lunch would be a gluten and dairy free BLT with a Kara hot chocolate. Anyone out there listening??

What would you like to see on the menu of our high street cafes??

P.S. A little note to all those dairy free peeps who'd like a bite of this - from time to time the menu changes slightly and the gluten free option reverts back to cheese and pickle, so just be warned!!

Update November 2013:
Starbucks have discontinued the chocolate and hazelnut loaf. I'm very disappointed. We also no longer let 'Baby' have the bacon butty - she began reacting, probably due to the fact that they use the same equipment to heat sandwiches etc. leading to cross-contamination. In fact, I now believe that 'Baby' is sensitive even to the tiny particles of steamed milk floating around in the air. If I nip in for a quick takeaway she's fine. If I linger, a tummy ache follows an hour or so later :(

Update June 2014:
The gluten free rolls are now discontinued. Starbucks have replaced these with 'Veggie Good Wraps'. They are not made with dairy, but may be unsuitable, due to the place where they're made. See packets for further details.

At present, It isn't possible for us to eat out at Starbucks. I gather their fruit bread is dairy free (without the butter), but I can't eat that and 'Baby' won't - shes' not a fan of dried fruit.

Update: 2016
Good news!! Starbucks now offer coconut milk as well as soya milk, as an alternative to cow's milk. However you'll have to pay extra for it! Also, be aware that if you're allergic to milk and are sensitive to traces, having a frothy drink would be tricky unless they can guarantee making it using a steam arm that is only used for dairy free drinks - an explanation of this can be found here. 

Other posts about Eating Out:

Eating Out - Mission Possible

Dinner with Leon

Eating Giraffe Food

Supping at Strada

Hanging out in the Roof Gardens of Babylon

Center Parcs Revisited

We're back! 

S'funny how I feel like a character from C.S.Lewis' 'The Lion, the Witch and the Wardrobe,' by saying that. Going to Center Parcs feels a little bit like stepping into another world - quite possibly Narnia, due to the forest location. 

This feeling (of being in another world) was heightened by the fact that our accommodation didn't have WiFi (this time). We had some mobile reception, but not enough to do much on the Internet, so it left us feeling a little bit 'cut off' from the outside world. There was the telly, but somehow it seemed wrong to be watching it - when we could be out and about, or relaxing with our friends.

Morning!

Of course we hadn't gone for long. Previous trips to Center Parcs left us gagging for more, so we opted to return for a slightly shorter weekend slot (term time again, which makes it cheaper). The other advantages (it being Autumn) was a distinct lack of  both mosquitoes and hayfever. When we last visited (in June) I was bitten by wee critters and the wildflower meadow was in full bloom. There was one afternoon, down by the lake, when both The Hub and I suffered terrible hayfever. 

Guests for breakfast.

This time there was definitely an Autumnal nip in the air, as we wandered the site. The fireplace (something we'd not considered using before) definitely came into its own. Thankfully, the chalets were warm, there was sunshine during the day and a subtropical swimming pool 'Paradise' to keep us warm.

There were still the ducks and other wild life clamouring to be fed, including, on the first night, this badger!

Poor quality pic, I'm afraid!

The badger was after the remains of some bread left out for the ducks and came right up to our patio door! Having not seen a badger up close and personal before, I was very excited and couldn't believe how unfazed it was by our presence. Unfortunately, in my excitement, I rushed to take a photo on my new phone, not realising that there was a flash. Of course, the flash went off and scared the poor badger away. It was never to return. Doh!

On previous occasions, we visited local supermarkets, before arriving, to make sure we had all our gluten free and dairy free provisions lined up. However, last time we visited about four* before we got all the things that we thought we needed, so this time, as we were only going for a weekend we decided to try and do without the added supermarket hop. 

We decided to buy as much as we could from the onsite supermarket (otherwise known as the 'Parcmarket'). We still made sure that we took certain essentials: Genius bread (the Parcmaket does stock gluten free bread, but not the one loaf that I can comfortably eat), our long life milks (the Parcmarket sells soya milk and lactofree, neither of which are any use to me), Bolognese sauce, Orgran dried pasta (made with rice), some Dove's gluten free flour, Marigold Bouillion (we use it instead of gravy), our favourite snacks and a few extra cooking utensils. Oh, and some dairy free chocolate of course - they don't sell any at Center Parcs and I couldn't go without! 

As for everything else, I knew we could get Vitalite dairy free margarine in the supermarket on site, and for just a few days, I thought I could forgo my recently found dairy free cheese and yoghurt, after all, I've managed without for quite a while now.

Our confidence in the Parcmarket was dented somewhat by the lack of gluten free sausages and burgers (last time we brought our own, in a cool box) but restored by tasty apples and minced beef and... finding these: 

The more it snows, tiddly pom!

a new limited edition of gluten and dairy free Pom Bear snowmen (for a full list of ingredients, see below**)! 

The flavour was apparently 'Pigs in Blankets'. To be honest, I didn't think they tasted like Pigs in Blankets. Baby didn't like them (too spicy) but I did! Of course not all flavours (of Pom Bears) are dairy free, so I had to double check, and triple check, just to make sure!

Our 'Lodge' being closer to the main Plaza, this time, we didn't eat out as much as we have previously - we were able to return to the lodge for lunch. BUT it was good to know that the option was there, should the need arise... we still enjoyed our post-swim dairy and gluten free chocolate and hazelnut loaf from Starbucks though (said coffee shop is handily located in the reception area). 

Last time we discovered (to my joy) that I could eat one dish at Strada (there's one on site) which was dairy and gluten free! We've also eaten at 'The Sports Cafe,' and  'The Canopy' poolside cafe and bar, where we took a bit of a risk - by selecting dishes that had neither gluten or dairy listed as ingredients. I asked the staff to confirm that they didn't contain gluten/dairy, however, as to how well-trained they were about the need to avoid cross-contamination I've no idea. 

I don't like to take these kind of risks, but sometimes we lost track of time, or found ourselves further away from our accommodation than we thought - minus food and with a hungry little one in tow...

Of course this approach is, not to be recommended if you're at risk of an extreme reaction, such as an anaphylactic shock (Baby is not, and in fact has been okay more recently with tiny traces of cooked milk in her food) or if you're Coeliac (I'm intolerant to wheat/gluten, but not a diagnosed Coeliac). 

Neither of us came to any harm, although at the poolside cafe there wasn't much available for me to eat - just some salted 'Proper Popcorn' (a snack to keep me going, until we left the pool). However, the next time we were there, none of the salted variety of the Popcorn were left, so The Hub ordered me some corn on the cob - specifying no butter. When it arrived it was practically swimming in butter, but as 'no butter' was clearly written on the tab, the staff apologised and replaced it. 

We were far more sensible about exploring what options might be available at 'The Pancake House' - we went when we weren't desperate for food (just in search of a treat). We discovered that the Pancake House had gluten free and vegan options, but couldn't make me a pancake that was both gluten and dairy free - the gluten free mix contained skimmed milk. I was offered an omelette made purely with egg, but I would really have loved a pancake. 'Oh well!' I thought, 'I'll just have to stick to my own for now, then!'

I have to say, all in all, we had a great time (we spent most of our time in the pool, which Baby loved) and the weekend was over far too quickly. Now we're back, I'm already thinking ahead to next time - I'm writing a slightly modified list of essentials!

Homeward bound.

*On our previous visit, we visited the nearest Co-op (which turned out to be too small to stock Free From), Waitrose, Sainsbury's and Tesco. Tesco at Trowbridge turned out to be the winner for us, as it had most of the items we wanted. 

**Pom Bear Snowmen Ingredients: potato powder, sunflower oil, potato starch, modified starch, salt, sugar, yeast extract emulsifier: soya lecithins, spice, pigs in blankets seasoning: maltodextrin, yeast powder, yeast extract, onion powder, salt, sugar, garlic powder, spices, smoked salt, flavourings, herbs, colour (paprika extract), spice extracts

Update August 2015:

The 'Treats' sweet shop in the Plaza at Longleat Center Parcs now sells dairy free chocolate - you can buy Moo Free, or Kinnerton chocolate lollies. The Parc Market (onsite supermarket) now sell Black Farmer suasages which are dairy and gluten free, but bizarrely these were not placed alongside the other sausages! However, they no longer sell Vitalite or the higher end crisps/popcorn that are dairy/gluten free. AND nowhere sells those lovely Pom Bear snowmen anymore as Pom Bear have discontinued them! :(

Some of the menus in the restaurants/cafes at the site have changed. You can view them online before you go. You can buy dairy OR gluten free pancakes at the Pancake House, but none that are both. The Sport's Cafe at the Jardin du Sports has proved one again to be our best bet when eating out - with many more choices and a free soft play area for little ones! The Sport's cafe menu can be viewed online here. 

The only thing to watch out for are the disclaimers that cross-contamination cannot be guaranteed - hence the 'Gluten Free' menu at the Sport's Cafe has been named the 'Gluten Sensitive' menu. That said, the Canopy Cafe at the swimming pool were able to offer me gluten free fries that had been prepared in a separate fryer and then did warn kitchen staff about my needs. The lady who served me there has been there during our previous visits and was excellent. 

One thing I would like to have seen at the poolside cafe was some pre-packaged safe snacks as even the crisps were Walkers - which 'may contain' just about everything you could wish to avoid!

Previous Post:

We're all going on a... dairy free summer holiday

Anyone for coffee and cake?

I don't know about you, but when I go out shopping, the trip doesn't seem complete without a bit of a pit-stop somewhere along the line. I think the habit began, when I was a teenager and my Mum started taking me and my sisters to the odd cafe for a sneaky tea and cake. I don't always indulge, but from time to time, the urge to have a coffee with a bit of cake on the side, just steers me in the direction of a cafe. 

It was one of the things I was so looking forward to, when I went on maternity leave. Problem was, my maternity leave had no sooner started than it finished when I was admitted to hospital with HELP syndrome, and ended up giving birth far earlier than I had originally thought. Oh well! I thought, as I lay in hospital, I'll just make up for it once baby has arrived. 

Of course it didn't work out that way as before long we found out that our baby had an allergy to cow's milk. As the realisation began to sink in (of what that meant for me, if I continued breastfeeding) I thought what can you do and where can you go when you're dairy free?

The answer to that, of course (if like me you've tried going out for coffee and cake) is not a lot, sadly. Finding a black coffee, if you can't tolerate soya, you can do almost anywhere. Finding cake to go along with it, is something else! If Baby is asleep my options are wider as she can now tolerate it if I have something with a little milk in it, like a biscuit or small cake, but if she's awake - no chance - she wants what I've got!  In the interests of complete self- interest, this is what I have found so far:

The Big Three!   (near me anyway)

Costa

Soya milk - yes

Cold drinks also available.

Dairy free cake - yes! Last Christmas Costas made my day, when I realised that they sold a slice of Christmas cake which was dairy and gluten free!! What's more I thought it was great. If I was being really picky, maybe it was a teensy bit dry, but you tend to get that with gluten free cakes anyway. 

Alternatively, they now offer a packet containing two mini Cherry Bakewell Tarts (which Baby LOVES!) The packet says 'Gluten Free' on the front, but the back of the packet confidently states that they are also wheat and dairy free.

Costa now also sell gingerbread biscuits that are dairy free (not gluten free). They're quite big, for a little person, though!

Anything else you can eat?  - plain crisps and fruit. I couldn't find any nutritional information available on their website. It's a shame, because when you rush in, you don't have time to stand there and read all the labels and, in my experience, you can't rely on the staff to possess detailed knowledge about the food they sell. 

Starbucks

Soya milk - yes

Cold drinks also available.

Dairy free cake - NO, not anymore! They used to sell a chocolate and hazelnut loaf. I thought it was OK, if a bit dry, but maybe I'm just desperate for a bit of cake!! But the only problem was that it often sold out. Now the only problem is that is has disappeared completely!! There is no dairy and soya free cake at Starbucks, at all!!

Anything else you can eat? The answer is, not much if you're really hungry. There is a Vegan gluten free wrap, but it's usually filled filled legumes I avoid, because of intolerance. A friend of mine asks for the fruit loaf, without the butter and you can ask for soya milk with your porridge. Starbucks website says they do a bacon butty. They do have what looks like a very comprehensive chart on their website which covers various things, including dairy, but sadly a lot of the dairy column is filled with N for no! If you do take a look at the chart, I'm not sure if it's still there, but watch out for a sandwich listed as dairy free - it contains cheese! Please beware if you have the bacon butty - if it's heated on the same grill as everything else, there is every chance of cross-contamination occurring!!

Cafe Nero

Soya milk - yes

Cold drinks also available.

Dairy free cake - Yes! - although if you're gluten free, there is now the option of an OK raspberry, coconut slice. 

Anything else you can eat? - fruit, plain crisps and more recently, I spotted some sweet and salty popcorn. Nero do have additional nutritional information online, but you have to research product by product - which is very time consuming. 

Is there anywhere else you can go? 

This isn't an exhaustive list, by any means, so if you have any other suggestions, we can add to it.

Sainsbury's

Near us there's a large Sainsbury's. I was pleasantly surprised to discover that they have decided to stock two Free From nibbles - a chocolate brownie and an almond biscuit! The almond biscuit is obviously a replacement for the mince pies that they stocked around Christmas. 

Sainsbury's  cafe also has a folder for staff, full of nutritional information. I found that if you ask, they will show it to you. They can't guarantee that any of the food they sell is dairy free unless it is in Free From packaging. If your dairy intolerance is not very severe, you might be OK with some of their food, as long as it doesn't list dairy products on the ingredients list in their folder. However, it is always a calculated risk, as none of their food is produced in a strictly dairy free environment.

Bebo

A small local, independent cafe. They have just two cafes in the UK - Welwyn Garden City and Birmingham. They sell a wide range of drinks and offer soya milk as well. It's basically a sandwich bar and food on the menu is made to order, so there is some lee way about what you can request, when you make your order.

The one near us has a really nice ambience and the staff are helpful, although not always all that knowledgeable. They are beginning to recognise the importance of food allergies - apparently, my coeliac friend approached the manager there, when the shop opened and asked him what he was going to do for Welwyn Garden City. He responded by supplying gluten free cake and has gone on from there to offer gluten free bread as well. Some of their cakes are meant to be dairy free as well, according to one staff member I spoke to, he just couldn't remember which!!  

Summing up!

So the answer to my earlier question is that the main players (near me) are pretty similar, but there are some differences. I think that it just goes to show that both independent cafes and big chains can be open to new ideas, they just might need to be approached to realise we're out there! I mean to go back to Bebo and Starbucks to ask about dairy free products again, because I believe that if you don't ask, you don't get!