If you’re catering for someone with coeliac disease, choose bread labelled gluten-free and keep it separate from regular bread when cutting, grilling and serving. Pitta breads and burger buns are handy for filling individually, while sliced bread or a bread mix can work well if you want to prepare portions in advance. Whatever you choose, check for other allergens and follow the preparation instructions too.
You need more than bread labelled gluten-free: it must also be prepared without coming into contact with regular bread. Coeliac UK explains that even a stray breadcrumb can cause symptoms for someone with coeliac disease.
You’re looking for a type of bread to go with burgers or grilled vegetables, which you can prepare and serve separately for each guest. Pitta breads and burger buns are examples of suitable options.
As well as checking that the bread is labelled gluten-free, you want to look at other allergens, nutritional information and, where relevant, whether it contains iodised salt or baker’s salt.
Start by checking for a gluten-free label and planning how to prepare the bread separately. Then choose a type to suit your meal, and check the label and preparation time.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who should pay particular attention? |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free and prepared separately | Check for a gluten-free label and make sure you have clean, separate utensils and a separate place to grill and serve the bread. | If I’m catering for someone with coeliac disease, I want to make sure suitable bread doesn’t come into contact with regular breadcrumbs. Around 42% of consumers put keeping food separate first. |
| Type of bread and portions | Check whether pitta bread, burger buns, sliced bread or a bread mix will suit the meal. Check the number of portions and the preparation instructions too. | For burgers or filled rolls, I want to be able to give everyone their own portion. For around 25% of consumers, the type of bread is the first thing they consider. |
| Other allergens and the label | Read the ingredients and allergen information. If needed, compare fibre per 100 g and check whether the bread contains iodised salt or baker’s salt. | I want to know whether the bread is suitable for other allergies and what nutritional information is given on the packaging. Around 17% of consumers prioritise checking the label. |
| Planning ahead | Check that you can buy the bread in time, and follow the storage, freezing and preparation instructions. | When I’m planning a barbecue, I don’t want to be searching for a suitable bread option on the day. Around 16% of consumers prioritise buying in advance. |
Coeliac UK explains that even a small amount of gluten can cause symptoms for someone with coeliac disease. Contact with crumbs during grilling or serving can undo the care you took when choosing the product.
Use a clean board, knife, tongs and plate. Prepare the bread on a separate, clean area of the grill or in a separate grill pan.
A gluten-free label tells you nothing about other allergens. For example, Albert Heijn’s product information for BFree pitta bread says it may contain mustard and sesame.
For each guest, check the latest ingredients and allergen information on the packaging against the foods they need to avoid.
Coeliac UK points out that bread does not have to be made with baker’s salt. So you can’t tell whether gluten-free bread contains it just from the type of bread.
If iodine is something you need to consider in your overall diet, check the ingredients for baker’s salt or iodised salt.
What’s available can vary from shop to shop and from one time to another. So a particular type of bread might not be in stock when you need it.
Check what’s available in advance and read the storage and freezing instructions for the product you choose.
Jumbo stocks several types of gluten-free Schär bread, including burger buns. PLUS also lists Schär multiseed bread.
Albert Heijn’s gluten-free BFree pitta breads are an option for individual filled rolls at a barbecue.
This Albert Heijn range includes gluten-free bread products that you can finish baking at home.
PLUS lists gluten-free multiseed bread and petits pains, among other options, as alternatives to individual barbecue rolls.
This bread mix is a good fit if you want to bake gluten-free bread yourself before the barbecue. Use separate utensils when preparing and serving it, and check the packaging for ingredients and baking instructions.
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For anyone who wants to bake gluten-free bread in advance and choose its shape.
The product description says this gluten-free bread mix can be kneaded by hand or used in a bread machine. Check the packaging for any additional ingredients and the baking time, and read the ingredients and allergen information before baking for a guest with coeliac disease.
Check that the packaging labels the bread gluten-free, and read the ingredients and allergen information too. Then keep it separate from regular breadcrumbs: Coeliac UK explains that even a small amount of gluten can cause symptoms for someone with coeliac disease.
No. You also need to prevent contact with regular bread when cutting, grilling, filling and serving it. Use a clean work surface and separate or thoroughly cleaned utensils.
No. Coeliac UK says bread does not have to be made with baker’s salt. If this is relevant to your overall diet, check the ingredients list for baker’s salt or iodised salt.
Yes. Albert Heijn’s product information says BFree pitta bread may contain mustard and sesame. PLUS says its gluten-free multiseed bread contains oats and soya, among other ingredients. Always check the latest packaging of the product you choose against your guest’s allergies.
Follow the instructions on the packaging of the pitta bread you buy. For the BFree pitta bread described, Albert Heijn recommends grilling for 3–4 minutes over a medium heat, turning once. Use a clean, separate area of the grill.
