FreeFrom Eating Out Awards 2018: And the Winners are…

The FreeFrom Eating Out Awards exist to encourage innovation and celebrate FreeFrom excellence in the food service industry and the winner were announced earlier in the week at Food Matters LIVE 2018. (A separate post will highlight some of the new GLUTEN FREE products on show at Food Matters LIVE 2018). The FreeFrom Eating Out Awards seek out the best ‘freefrom’ eateries from beach hut cafés to five star restaurants – and then send out their expert judges (and ME!) and based upon the judges’ reports: gold, silver and bronze awards are made to eateries who fully understand how to cater safely for food allergic people.

Gale Zappacosta and Ped Millichamp of The Willow receiving the award for the Best FreeFrom Eatery 2018 from awards director, Michelle Berriedale-Johnson.

The Willow Real Food Restaurant (Kingston on Thames)

‘I thought we had gone to allergy free heaven here!! You could see the effort they had put into catering for all tastes while also focusing on nutrition.

The food was amazing – I absolutely loved the lion’s mane saute. The Fish was beautifully cooked. The vegan gf salted caramel and pecan cheesecake which was wonderfully flavoured, creamy and melt in the mouth. And WOW – 11 gluten free beers and all the wines are organic and low sulphite!!

This is a jewel in Kingston. I don’t actually think there are any restaurants quite like this. This is high quality, nutritious focused food that is gourmet tasting. The fact that they can cater for so many different diets and allergies is exceptional.’

And the Runners up…

Café Nouveau – Frome, Somerset

‘Fabulous allergy-friendly food from a café that is completely passionate about what they’re doing and is continually striving for ways to improve what they can offer their guests. And incredible value for money.’

Indigo at One Aldwych – London (Previously reviewed on my blog back in 2016 with a beautiful dinner!)

‘A brilliant experience at a top end London hotel. The gluten free and dairy free homemade bread with onion and samphire was outstanding – as was everything that we ate. Above all, we felt like normal diners – choosing whatever we wanted from the menu.’

Knife & Fork – South London

Dining at the Knife and Fork Eatery is truly an experience like no other. Ultimate foodie dining that, as a food allergic or intolerant person, you would never have thought you could have.

Leadbelly’s Bar & Kitchen – London

‘The menu and the food were AMAZING and there was so much choice. Most of the menu was allergen free and staff were very knowledgeable…
Great value for money and the GF cheesecake is possibly the best in the world!’

Totties Garden Centre – Holmfirth

‘Top restaurant quality in a garden centre café with helpful, well trained, friendly staff who are rightly proud of their cafe. The flavours were exquisite and the portion size just right. A gem…’

And there were celebration as the Category winners were announced as well:

N.B. All winners are listed alphabetically.

Crème de la Crème – sponsored by Food Matters Live

Please click on the links below for more details on the outlet and to see the judges comments.

Gold award winners:

Alford Arms (Hertfordshire)
Bangkok Canteen (Gloucester)
Café Nouveau (Frome, Somerset)
David’s Fish & Chips (Devon)
Indigo at One Aldwych (London, Covent Garden)
Knife & Fork (Oxford)
Mommi (London, Clapham)
Oscar & Bentley’s (Canterbury)
Stonecroft (Edale, Derbyshire)
The Flowing Spring (Playhatch, Oxon)
The Real Food Café (Tyndrum, Perthshire)
The Royal Oak (Buckinghamshire)
The Willow Real Food Restaurant (Kingston on Thames)
Vinegar Jones (Cumbria)
Yorica (London, West End)

Silver-gilt award winners:

Farmstand (London, Covent Garden)
The Star Inn (Dumfries & Galloway)

FreeFrom ‘Newbies’ – sponsored by The Food Allergy Consultancy

Gold award winners:

Hideaway Café (Linithgow)
Leadbelly’s Bar and Kitchen (London, Docklands)
Perrywood Garden Centre (Tiptree, Essex)
The Fish Works (Largs)
The Golden Cross (Coventry)
The Oxford Place (Leeds)

Silver-gilt award winners:

Cod & Waffle (Leighton Buzzard)

Cafés and teashops – sponsored by Action Against Allergy

Gold award winners:

Aprés Food (London, City)
Hideaway Café (Linithgow)
Rusland Pool Hotel (Ulverston)
The Eating House (Derbyshire)
The Gallery Kitchen Café (Kent)
Totties Garden Centre (Holmfirth)
Yorica (Soho, London)

Silver-gilt award winners:

Eliane (Sunningdale)
Pure Nest (North London)

Silver award winners:

British Motor Museum (Banbury)
Farmstand (London, West End)
Little Amsterdam (Banbury)

Bronze award winners:

Primal Roost (Surrey)
Revival Ice Cream Parlour (Kent)

Fish and Chip shops – sponsored by Middleton Foods

Gold award winners:

Fiddlers Elbow Fish & Chips (Herefordshire)
Scotts Fish & Chips (York)
Something Else Fishy (Dorset)
The Real Food Café (Tyndrum, Perthshire)
Vinegar Jones (Cumbria)
Welcome Stranger (Cornwall)

Silver award winners:

D Fecci & Sons (Tenby, Wales)

Bronze award winners:

The Golden Fry ( Anglesey)

Street food & takeaways – sponsored by Romer Labs

Gold award winners:

Pakora Pod (festivals)

Silver-gilt award winners:

Connies Cakes (farmers’ markets)
Gluten Free Gourmet (mobile van)
Pure Nest (North London)

Independent & Pub Restaurants – Sponsored by the Anaphylaxis Campaign

Gold award winners:

Rusland Poole Hotel (Ulverston)
The Grocer (London, Spitalfields)
The Old Queen’s Head (High Wycombe)
The Oxford Place (Leeds)
The Star Inn (Dumfries & Galloway)
The Swan Inn (Denham)
The Willow (Kingston on Thames)

Silver-gilt award winners:

On the Waterfront (Exeter)
Cyber Italia Pizza Outlet (Winchester University)

Silver award winners:

Farmstand (London, West End)
The Red Lion (Faversham, Kent)

Restaurant & Pub Chains – sponsored by FarmFrites

Silver-gilt award winners:

Silver award winners:

The Cosy Club

B&Bs and guest houses – sponsored by Thomas Ridley Foodservice

Gold award winners:

Rusland Pool Hotel (Cumbria)
Stonecroft (Edale, Derbyshire)

Focus on Gluten – sponsored by Coeliac UK

Gold award winners:

British Motor Museum (Banbury)
Hideaway Café (Linithgow)
Indigo at One Aldwych (London, Covent Garden)
Niche Gluten Free Dining (North London)
Scott’s Fish & Chips (York)
The Oxford Place (Leeds)
The Willow (Kingston on Thames)

Silver-gilt award winners:

Pizza Express (nationwide)

Silver award winners:

St Faith’s (Cambridge)

Food manufactured for food service – Sponsored by the Allergy + FreeFrom Show

Gold award winners:

Food for Progress Oumph!! The Chunk
Hotch Potch Steak ‘n Blue Pie
Northern Bloc Chocolate & Orange Blossom Vegan Ice Cream
Paramount21 Luxury Veggie Burger
Rusland Pool Sticky Toffee Pudding

Silver award winners:

Hotch Potch Whoppa Beetroot & Jackfruit
The Bread Factory Gluten-free Brioche-Style Burger Buns

For more information about any of the establishments celebrated as part of the FreeFrom Eating Out Awards 2018 or to learn how to enter for 2019, please contact Kathy or Michelle

SIGN UP so you do not miss out on future updates to the Chocolate Bar listing, as well as new Restaurant Reviews, Travelling experiences, Food Shows, Product Reviews and (occasional) Recipes. Also check out my posts on GLUTEN FREE Ice Cream, GLUTEN FREE Advent Calendars, GLUTEN FREE Mince Pies and GLUTEN FREE Valentines Chocolate Treats.

And Advent Calendars for 2017 including DAIRY FREE, EGG FREE & SUGAR FREE as well as GLUTEN FREE, WHEAT FREE and SOYA FREE, Christmas Chocolates for 2017 from Cadburys, and Chocolates for 2017 from Mars Confectionery, Christmas 2017 Festive Sandwiches from M&S and Seasonal Festive treats for 2017 from the Speciality & Fine Food Fair.

This information was correct as of November 2018.

But as I am learning, ingredients do change and therefore you should always read the label and check for yourself whether it is GLUTEN FREE or not!