Jason and Kayleigh here, with another international travel
post! This time, Jason and I spent a week driving all over Ireland to see as
much as we could in such a short amount of time. With a huge online community
for Irish with celiac's (coeliac's) disease, and supposedly the place with the
most occurrences of gluten intolerance in the world, we decided to go without
looking anything up in advanced. No emergency restaurant names, no emailing
locals beforehand- we would try our luck with chatting strangers up and
quizzing waitresses.
Even though most people assured us that he would be safe eating pretty much anywhere, it...was not quite the case. Most of the time, the chef at a restaurant was able to answer questions, but we ran into some occasional oddities when the menu itself did not have gluten free labels. Like being assured that an item was gluten free, then receiving a side of bread with it. Or being told that the Guinness beef stew had no gluten. On more than one occasion, Jason was handed non-gluten free biscuits at tea time after establishing that he was intolerant. We managed to make it through the whole trip without being glutened, but it was only by being alert ourselves.
Tips for traveling to Ireland? Ask your hotel/B&B about making a gluten free meal when you book, and ask them about safe restaurants in the area to get dinner. Look up a place or two near where you're staying, just in case. Quick snacks are a little easier- all grocery stores and most convenient stores had fairly large gluten free selections. On top of that, a 2015 mandate states that all allergens must clearly be stated on nutritional labels, so you can usually find wheat or barley- based ingredients at a glance. Most often the allergen ingredients are marked in bold lettering throughout the ingredients list, so be sure to read it carefully. Additionally, be aware if the item is shipped from overseas that it may not have the allergens clearly called out yet as international suppliers have not fully caught up to the regulations.
The good news, though, is that there are plenty of pubs and traditional eateries that understand dietary requirements and are willing to work with you to find a dish. If you're going into a place without a labeled menu, though, there is a chance of cross contamination, and you likely have only 2-3 dishes to choose from. The labeling can be a bit confusing with some menu’s marking a little C next to items, but with no key to tell you if that means it is celiac friendly, or contains gluten. It’s just a good idea to ask your waiter regardless, as we did encounter both items mislabeled but also plenty specials of the day which ended up being gluten free which expanded the menu. So ask around if you're in the mood for something in particular.
Even though most people assured us that he would be safe eating pretty much anywhere, it...was not quite the case. Most of the time, the chef at a restaurant was able to answer questions, but we ran into some occasional oddities when the menu itself did not have gluten free labels. Like being assured that an item was gluten free, then receiving a side of bread with it. Or being told that the Guinness beef stew had no gluten. On more than one occasion, Jason was handed non-gluten free biscuits at tea time after establishing that he was intolerant. We managed to make it through the whole trip without being glutened, but it was only by being alert ourselves.
Tips for traveling to Ireland? Ask your hotel/B&B about making a gluten free meal when you book, and ask them about safe restaurants in the area to get dinner. Look up a place or two near where you're staying, just in case. Quick snacks are a little easier- all grocery stores and most convenient stores had fairly large gluten free selections. On top of that, a 2015 mandate states that all allergens must clearly be stated on nutritional labels, so you can usually find wheat or barley- based ingredients at a glance. Most often the allergen ingredients are marked in bold lettering throughout the ingredients list, so be sure to read it carefully. Additionally, be aware if the item is shipped from overseas that it may not have the allergens clearly called out yet as international suppliers have not fully caught up to the regulations.
The good news, though, is that there are plenty of pubs and traditional eateries that understand dietary requirements and are willing to work with you to find a dish. If you're going into a place without a labeled menu, though, there is a chance of cross contamination, and you likely have only 2-3 dishes to choose from. The labeling can be a bit confusing with some menu’s marking a little C next to items, but with no key to tell you if that means it is celiac friendly, or contains gluten. It’s just a good idea to ask your waiter regardless, as we did encounter both items mislabeled but also plenty specials of the day which ended up being gluten free which expanded the menu. So ask around if you're in the mood for something in particular.
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