Welcome

Welcome to our autumn newsletter!

We have enjoyed meeting many of you over the last few months at our regular coffee mornings at Waitrose café in Basingstoke. The ‘regulars’ are getting to know each other now, but we also love to see members who can only come occasionally. For anyone who is newly diagnosed the coffee morning can be a great support and a chance to talk to people who understand the challenges of the gluten free diet. We try to hold a coffee morning each month, alternating between Wednesday and Saturday mornings, so that more people will be able to join us. The dates for the next few coffee mornings are below.

We have two special events coming up in the next few months, a Christmas Party for the children on Sunday 26th November and a Christmas meal at BCOT in Basingstoke on Wednesday 6th December. Numbers are limited at both of these events and they are proving to be very popular, so if you’d like to join us and haven’t already emailed us to express your interest please do so as soon as you can.

We have heard that M&S in Basingstoke is now serving gluten free afternoon tea in their café. They are doing this for a trial period to see how much interest there is. If you like afternoon tea, do go along and try it out – and let us know what you think. We would be very pleased if this became a permanent feature at M&S.

We are always keen to hear from our group members, new and old, so please get in touch either on email northhampshire@coeliac.org.uk or Facebook (Coeliac UK North Hampshire Local Group). Also, don’t forget to check out our local group page on the Coeliac UK website
https://www.coeliac.org.uk/local-groups/north-hampshire/ which has up to date information about the group and any events we have planned.

Tom, Keith, Lesley, Faye, Gemma, Carol, Sue and Margaret

Dates for your diary

Coffee mornings - Wednesday 4th October, Saturday 4th November and Saturday 13th January. 10.30 – 12 in Waitrose Café, Basingstoke. There will be no coffee morning in December.

Children’s Christmas Party in Basingstoke - Sunday 26th November 11 – 1pm. We only have a few spaces left, so email us to request the booking form if you would like to sign up. Booking essential.

Christmas Dinner – Wednesday 6th December at BCOT in Basingstoke. We only have a few spaces left, so email us if you would like to come along. Booking essential.

Coeliac UK lottery success!

Some of you will be aware that Coeliac UK has a weekly lottery with prizes of £5, £25, £1000 and even £10000, depending on how many of your numbers match the winning sequence. 

Keith has played since it was established in 2017 and is pleased to have won £5 on two occasions.  So, it was quite a surprise when, in August, he checked the draw to discover he had won £1000!!  

Why not play too?  Of every £1 stake, 60p goes to Coeliac UK, and the lottery (plus raffle) earnings are an important income stream for the charity.

Find out more, including terms & conditions, rules & regulations, plus problem gambling information. 

 The Lottery is only open to United Kingdom residents over the age of 18 (this excludes Isle of Man, Channel Islands and BFPO addresses according to the Gambling Act 2005 regulations).  

Restaurant reviews

It is always good to share experiences of local restaurants where you can be assured that you will find some gluten free options on the menu. Here are a few we have tried recently.

The Hatch – London Road, Old Basing, Basingstoke, RG24 7JL

The Hatch pub in Old Basing, Basingstoke is situated in the historic village of Old Basing, just a stone’s throw from Basingstoke and belongs to the Chef and Brewer group. They offer a Non Gluten Containing Ingredients (NGCI) Main Menu, NGCI Sunday Lunch Menu and NGCI
Festive Menu all of which include a wide selection of gluten free main courses and desserts. Hatch Restaurant in Old Basing, Basingstoke (chefandbrewer.com)

Cote Brasserie - Festival Place, Town Centre, Basingstoke RG21 7BA

The Cote restaurant in Basingstoke, serves freshly prepared French dishes and is a popular choice with North Hants Coeliac Group members. Cote is GF accredited by Coeliac UK, confirming that they meet the requirements of the strict Gluten Free Standard, so you can always be assured of eating gluten free safely. Côte Brasserie Basingstoke (cote.co.uk)

Oakley Hall – Rectory Road, Oakley, Basingstoke RG23 7EL

Do you have a special birthday or anniversary celebration coming up? Oakley Hall, situated just outside the village of Oakley, provides the most delicious gluten free afternoon teas for that special occasion.
Afternoon Tea In Basingstoke | Oakley Hall Hotel (oakleyhall-park.com)

The Mill House - North Warnborough, Hook RG29 1ET

This beautiful pub, which is part of the Brunning and Price chain, has lots of gluten free options to choose from, with many items on the main menu gluten free including pie & mash. We have found the staff to be knowledgeable about managing cross contamination. It is family friendly with lots of space inside and outside to eat. There are swings and a tractor in the garden for the children to play on, but watch out for the open water.  Fresh Food & Cask Ales - The Mill House, Hook (brunningandprice.co.uk)
**Please send us details of your favourite restaurants/cafes in the North Hampshire area for inclusion in our future newsletters.**

Bread recipe as adapted by David Orchard

Have you considered baking your own gluten-free bread? This is how I do it.

I use a Panasonic bread maker, with gluten-free Juvela Fibre Mix flour. I get this on prescription from my doctor (PIP No. 023-6042) – your doctor may or may not let you have it depending on their attitude towards gluten free items. The following recipe is based on that given in the Panasonic book but with some changes resulting from experimentation which has taken place over several years.

Ingredients:-

• 530ml water
• 1/3 teaspoon salt (using the measuring spoon provided with the bread maker)
• 1/2 tablespoon low calorie granulated sweetener (no doubt sugar does just as well)
• 1 tablespoon sunflower oil (or similar)
• 500g Juvela gluten-free Fibre Mix flour
• 3/4 sachet dry yeast (provided with the fibre mix)

Method:–

1. Ensure that the mixing bowl is clean and the mixing paddle moves freely on the spindle. Contrary to what I understand is usual with normal flour (containing gluten), pour the water into the mixing bowl before any other ingredients.
2. Add the other ingredients in the order given above, the yeast last, scattered over the top (apparently to stop it getting wet before mixing starts). Pinch the sachet in the corner to avoid the entire contents falling out.
3. Select the Gluten Free option (2 hours) and press Start. Note that there is no option for a lighter or darker crust.
4. As soon as mixing starts, some of the flour is thrown up the sides of the mixing bowl. I use a plastic scraper to take the flour off the sides and, when the mixing stops briefly, to scrape the mix off both sides of the paddle and the top of the spindle. This avoids partially-mixed flour sticking to the paddle and the spindle. 
5. At the end of the 2-hour period, press the red Stop button fairly promptly and remove the bowl from the machine. The aim is to release the loaf from the bowl as cleanly as possible. Just banging the loaf out of the tin results in the paddle being ripped out with some of the bread being pulled away with it, leaving a big hole in the middle of the loaf. So lay the bowl on its side and wiggle the end of the spindle right and left to free the loaf – this may need to be repeated several times before the loaf can be gently removed. Ideally the paddle releases from the spindle to come away with the loaf. When the loaf has cooled use a small (blunt) knife to cut the paddle away from the bread (avoiding the non-slip surface from being damaged). A hole in the middle of the loaf is inevitable but – hopefully – it will not be too big!
6. Place the loaf on a wire grid to allow the air to circulate all round for 2 – 3 hours so that it cools down. Failure to do this results in a soggy bottom! Then wrap the loaf in silver foil to rest overnight. Bread that is too fresh does not slice well.
7. I cut each loaf into around 11 slices about 10mm thick, perhaps a little more. As the loaf is of a light texture, it simply crumbles away if you cut it any thinner. You need a really sharp knife – an electric knife is ideal, or the “World’s Sharpest Knife” works well too but ensure that you see-saw the handle up and down so that the cut is always into the loaf otherwise the crust breaks away. 
8. I then put the slices into individual plastic bags and freeze them. When needed, allow the slices to thaw naturally or in the fridge. Do not thaw slices in the microwave as this results in the middle being “puddeny”.