Fourth year catering students at Lancaster & Morecambe College gave members of the North Lancashire and South Cumbria Coeliac Group a real treat - a special gluten-free dinner in the Coulson Restaurant.

Imagine the difficulty of eating out when you cannot eat or drink anything made from wheat, oats, barley or rye, because of a protein ingredient called gluten that makes coeliacs ill - no beer, no bread, pastry, pasta, cakes, soups or sauces using normal flour. Coeliacs have to ask about every dish on the menu to see if it is suitable. Even salads are often served with a dressing which is not gluten-free.

The students went to considerable trouble to bake special gluten-free bread rolls to go with a salmon terrine starter, followed by char-grilled Lakeland lamb and stir-fry vegetables. The dessert - apricot and mango crumble - was also made with special gluten-free flour.

A spokesman for the group said: "While preparing this meal, the students learned what coeliacs can't eat and, most importantly, that gluten-free dishes are vulnerable to contamination in the kitchen. We hope that today's catering students will go out and spread the word about this particular intolerance, so that coeliacs can eat out confident that chefs and waiters know the real meaning of gluten-free."

l To find out more about the local celiac group send an SAE to Celia Kaye, PO Box 131, Kendal LA9 4XE or e-mail nlancs@coeliac.co.uk

January 2, 2003 15:00