Okay, so I don’t actually mean Costa ban the brownie, it’s more of a statement to challenge coffee shops to have a rethink. You see this blog post has been on my mind since the Easter holidays. It’s been an annoying itch, an extra frown line on my forehead and quite simply if I didn’t write about it it would have festered, and that’s not a good thing now is it?
A dear friend and I took the children swimming one afternoon, they spent two hours TWO HOURS in the pool while us two mums on the side struggled to stay awake in the sub-tropical heat. Post swim we all agreed a trip to the nearest coffee shop would be a good idea and knowing that Costa do Gluten Free we agreed this was the best option.
Bethany is getting close to an age now, where I have to decipher what her grunts, sighs and rolling of the eyes actually means in English. Whilst I will normally pick her up on this new unspoken language. On this occasion I bit my lip, I bit my lip because I wanted the staff to hear her sighs and grunts and clear exasperation at the un-enticing array of gluten free bakes on offer. Not because I held them personally responsible, but because she was unashamedly speaking MY mind too.
You see we, The Gluties in our group, had this to greet us as we walked through the door;
Lewis had a cheese toastie like he always does, I had a goats cheese panini (I’d regret that later) and our friends had a chocolate muffin and toasties too. Beth had … a brownie. Beth ALWAYS has a brownie, wherever we go, and she used to love them, but 7 years of brownies (and don’t get me started on jacket potatoes) does wear a bit thin after a while.
This is not a stab at Costa Coffee in particular, for the record, the same friend and I go every Thursday without fail for a latte and crumpet after aqua-size. I know what you’re thinking, what was the point of aqua-size? I’m not over weight per-say, just in need of toning…ironically I tend not to eat much for the rest of the day because despite not being Coeliac myself I blow up like a balloon on dairy and wheat…and garlic…and red meat… I digress, where was I?
Oh yes, brownies!
I did a bit of Googling before I wrote this, two reasons; the first to find and, I make no bones about it, pinch the images of all the Gluten Free items that I knew Costa’s produced, both on a day-to-day basis and seasonally. And while I’m on that subject, tisk-tisk Costa, very poor and/or non existent photography of your own products! Secondly I wanted to see what else had been written about Costa on the subject of gluten free.
In 2014 bloggers everywhere got excited, and rightly so, about the new range of gluten free products available at Costa’s. So I thought I’d Google 2015; nothing. Then I tried 2016; nothing. So, and please do feel free to correct me if I’m wrong, there’s not really been much in the way of progress in the last two years, unless you count the Christmas additions to the menu?
Some of you will be screaming at me by now saying what about the chicken wrap, the pecan pies, the Bakewell tarts, the fruit crumbles? To illustrate the situation on the day, this is what I believe Costa offer food-wise either daily or at certain times of the year;
This is what was on offer on the day we visited;
No! I’m not sure why the Pecan Pies moved position and yes, it’s bugging the hell out of me, lets just move on and try and put it behind us?
There’s another twist to the tale, Beth doesn’t like nuts, can’t stand jammy/fruity bakes and getting her to eat meat is a challenge, but in her defence, I find nearly all savoury gluten free options in cafes and restaurants to be more to the taste of an adults palette not that of an 11 year old child.
So, here we are back to the beginning of this tale, Beth-had-chocolate-brownie, washed down with a bottle of apple juice. Just like she always does.
I imagine if you’re still with me and read this far you’re either nodding your head in agreement or bored and have nothing else to do. If you fall into the first category, please feel free, no, I insist, on adding a comment below on what YOU would like to see, not just in Costa but in most high street branches of coffee shop. Like I said at the beginning, I don’t actually want to ban the brownie, if they were banned the grass would not be greener on the other side and we’d all crave brownies. I’m just suggesting more of a choice… and won’t somebody think of the children?
YES! I am SOOOO bored of the Chocolate Brownie. A Gluten Free wrap would be a nice option. A slice of GF Lemon Drizzle or Victoria sponge cake. A Millionaires chocolate slice maybe (I have a friend with Coeliac disease and she makes these gorgeous slices of heaven)! My husband calls me ‘awkward’ when we go out. There are many food items I struggle with, gluten being one of them.
My favourite visit was to Bettys in Harrogate for afternoon tea – they did a STACK of amazing sandwiches and cakes including scones. I was in heaven (we booked and had to preorder, but…. ) <3
Definitely need a campaign to get better gluten free options out there.
I love this comment Emma, Betty’s sounds wonderful, another place to add to my list of places to visit…I mean, you can eat Afternoon Tea every day right? haha.
My son has been coeliac since 2yrs old. He is now 16 and does not keep to the diet at all. He hates it. All his mates eat what they want and he became so depressed it was so upsetting to watch as a parent. If there were better choices for children with coeliac out and about then life would be a little better.
Oh Rachael, that must be so difficult for you to watch him doing that to himself, I we could take it from them we would right? I just found it too unbearable and started to avoid places, not the best attitude but it was mental self preservation xxx
So basically you gave this a false title so that we would be click-baited into reading your article which took a long time to get to the point and you’re basically complaining about a lack of gluten free options?? At least there are some gluten free options available, you could have just went home instead. Misleading attention seeking article and a waste of time
Oh my! I actually deleted this comment at first but then I thought I have nothing to be ashamed of. You are my first negative comment since starting this blog over 2 years ago and it was a bit of a shock. With my children I try to have as ‘normal’ a life as possible and if I recall we were with my sister and my nephews who can eat what they want when they want so if seemed unfair for everyone to go home due to Beth’s Coeliac disease. If you read more of my blog you’ll realise that this is my style of writing, I tend to jest a lot in my posts, it’s more ‘tears of a clown’ given the fact that life can be pretty crappy here at time, but again, if you read more of my blog you’ll realise that we have a lot to contend with as a family. Thank you for taking the time to read the whole post despite your ultimate feelings.
Oh god i am so with you. I feel we should start a new hashtag #banthebrownie!!
Seriously though it would be great to see some little cakes or scones. No where does scones!
Definitely Nikki, scones would be a pleasant addition, I don’t see there being an issue with carrot cake slices or macaroons, so easy to bake and package….they’d be fools not to! Costa have commented on my tweet saying there will be new gluten free options this year so fingers crossed ?
Whilst rejoicing initially that coffee shops did have some gluten free options I tend to avoid going in now. It’s less of a treat and more of a ‘I can make that at home better’ and as you say savoury options a bit of a dead loss. I think that perhaps once a chain (all sorts of restaurants) stocks a GF ‘choice’ they become complacent and don’t bother with anything different. We are lucky with independents in Bedford as some of them are supplied by some excellent GF bakers (nod to the lovely Nikki)
Totally agree, and we are so lucky here. Once the renovations are complete at Robinsons, I think Fancy is well overdue a visit ? (it was Kempston pool we went to)