Planning a gluten free UK trip? I've got you covered.
Celiacs in Europe is now live, and I'm here to help you plan your next gluten free trip to the UK.
London is calling, and I’m here to help you answer. I’m beyond excited to announce that I’m joining Celiacs in Europe to offer gluten free vacation planning services for London and the UK as a whole.
This project has been in the works for a few months and I’m so excited it’s finally out in the world. If you’ve ever DMed me to help plan a trip to the UK, this one is for you.
So, what is Celiacs in Europe?
Celiacs in Europe is a new gluten free travel consultation service designed to help you plan trips across Europe with confidence, not just wondering if the restaurant says it’s gluten free, but knowing it’s celiac safe.
This is the brainchild of Catalin Varela, better known as her alter ego Celiac in Italy, who’s brought gluten free travel in Italy to the mainstream gluten free discourse. She’s now expanded the service across Europe - I’m taking point on the UK, though the service also includes France, Greece, Spain, Portugal, Germany, and Italy of course.
There are so many resources out there to plan your own trip, but the amount of information out there can be overwhelming. Believe me, I know. I’m here to offer local guidance to make the eating out side of your trip a success. I’ve put in a few years of work living in London to learn all of this information so you don’t have to!
What does a consultation get you?
Consultations are tailored to your trip, and I’ve got a few tiers of calls that can be tailored to exactly what you need.
Depending on what stage of planning you’re at, you can book a 30 or 60 minute call with me to talk through any and all questions on gluten free travel in the UK. These calls can include:
Fully customized dining recommendations based on your itinerary
Food safety guidance (including guidance on allergen labeling in the UK)
The freedom to ask me anything about UK travel, from gluten free-related questions to “how cute is Notting Hill actually?”
Pointers on how to navigate around the UK from the tube, to long-distance trains, to flights into, out of, and around the country
Cultural tips on how to navigate the UK as a gluten free traveler, and where not to waste your meal
Long story short, I’m here to make your experience with food on your UK trip a success. Finding the right restaurants when you’re traveling can be time consuming and I’d love to put my knowledge to work for you.
Why me, why London, and why now?
I’ve lived in the UK for almost six years and have spent way too much time mapping out which restaurants, pubs, bakeries, and even supermarkets are truly gluten free friendly. I’ve worked to find businesses that can cater to all of us, no matter our level of gluten free needs.
I’ve posted hundreds of reviews, consulted with local restaurants, eaten my way through London’s gluten free scene (for science, of course) and helped thousands of people online and in DMs figure out where to eat in London. I’m excited to do this in a more thorough capacity.
What I bring to the table is this experience from living in the UK for all of these years and how to navigate the gluten free scene. I’ve got a good grasp on allergen regulations, plus opinions on which restaurants are the best. Your time with me is a summary of six years of research, trial, error, and gluten free snacks.
While Italy and Spain are the it girls of gluten free travel, and rightfully so, London (and the UK more broadly) is an underrated gluten free destination in Europe. What are some of the selling points of a trip to the UK?
100% gluten free bakeries with actual croissants, not sad hockey pucks
A growing number of fully gluten free and Coeliac UK-accredited restaurants
Incredible international cuisine that’s celiac safe, from fish & chips to Korean to Venezuelan and much, much more
Plus, the UK leads the way in allergen labeling, packaged food safety, and understanding of celiac disease in restaurants. While it’s not perfect - nowhere is, but let’s keep working on that - it’s miles ahead of where it used to be
There are enough options - safe options - that you won’t get bored.
This is personal to me..
Growing up, my parents raised me outside of their home country, and that meant frequent travel to see family and to join my dad on work trips abroad. There were fewer things that 10 year old Matt loved more than getting on a plane, seeing a new country, and, let’s be real, walking into a bakery to get a treat (big up to Crow Lane Bakery’s cheese scones IYKYK).
I thought all of that was over when I was first told to eliminate gluten. The best case scenario seemed like I’d be compromising on the food I’d get to eat anywhere I went.
As I started re-priortitizing travel in my early adulthood, I started to realize that I didn’t have to compromise. Once I moved to the UK and resumed traveling around Europe, I learned how many options there are. Gluten free pastries in Paris, gluten free croquettes in Madrid, gluten free pizza in Rome.. I could go on.
Now, I want to emphasize that Europe as a whole is not some gluten free paradise with infinite options and where everyone just gets it. That being said, I do want to emphasize that I literally did not think these experiences were possible back in 2013.
My mission with this work is to show you that just because you have to follow a gluten free diet does not mean you can’t travel far, eat well, and maybe have a laugh while doing it.
While I eat gluten free for non-celiac reasons, inclusivity is at the heart of what I do. I only give airtime to restaurants, bakeries, and products that can safely accommodate all of us, no matter how strict our needs. We’re fortunate to be in an era where we have to compromise on quality and safety less with each passing day; I want to celebrate that.
How to book a chat with me:
Go to celiacsineurope.com - it’s live! - and you’ll see all the consultants, packages, and ways to get started. My calendar is up-to-date as we speak, and my official page is here.
You can book a 1:1 consultation with me for anything and everything UK travel, whether that’s a long weekend in London or a multi-stop tour of the country with a few pit stops for gluten free scones.
Final thoughts
I’m so excited to partner with Catalin on this and be part of something that makes gluten free travel in the UK feel possible, safe, and - dare I say - enjoyable.
Whether you’re a seasoned traveler or planning your first celiac-safe trip outside of your home country, we’ve got you. I’ll still be posting all of my usual content, but now I’ve got an official place for more tailored help, too.
I’m looking forward to connecting!
Talk soon,
Matt x
So excited to have you on the team Matt! Your insight, expertise, and first-hand experiences are invaluable✈️💕
This is so exciting, congrats! Would you ever consider doing gluten-free walking tours and tastings in London?