If someone with coeliac disease is coming to your Friday drinks gathering, choose bread labelled gluten-free and serve it separately from ordinary bread. If you specifically want a tiger crust, you could consider a specialist gluten-free tiger loaf, provided you can arrange delivery and check how long it will keep in advance. Gluten-free rolls or other types of bread are alternatives if the crust is less important; ordinary wheat-based tiger bread is not a suitable substitute.
For this get-together, it’s not just what the bread packaging says that matters, but also how you serve it. The Netherlands Nutrition Centre warns that even a stray breadcrumb can cause symptoms for someone with coeliac disease. Keep gluten-free bread separate from ordinary bread and use clean, separate serving utensils.
If you’re shopping shortly before your get-together, it’s worth looking at gluten-free bread and rolls in different shapes. The online ranges at Albert Heijn and Jumbo include these options; check which products will be available from your local shop or for delivery in time.
You’re looking for bread to serve with dips or toppings, and want to compare its nutritional information, other allergens and storage instructions too. Compare fibre and salt values per 100 g. If iodised baker’s salt matters to the person eating it, check the ingredients: according to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, not all bread is made with it.
First, decide which bread you can safely offer to the guest who needs to eat gluten-free. Then choose between a specific tiger crust, a shape that works for party bites and the time you have to shop or prepare it.
A good choice when: the tiger crust is important for your get-together and you can arrange the bread in advance. Bakker Leo describes a brown gluten-free tiger loaf with a tiger crust.
Things to consider: before buying, check whether delivery or collection is possible in time, and follow the storage instructions for your chosen loaf.
A good choice when: you mainly want a shape that works with dips or toppings, and a tiger crust isn’t essential. Albert Heijn and Jumbo list gluten-free bread online; Jumbo’s range also includes smaller bread shapes.
Things to consider: check the label on your chosen product and its availability at your local shop or for your delivery slot.
| What to consider | What to check when buying | Who it matters to |
|---|---|---|
| Serving gluten-free bread | Check the gluten-free label and allergen information. Use clean, separate utensils for cutting and serving. | If I’m inviting someone with coeliac disease, I want to prevent the bread or serving area coming into contact with crumbs from ordinary bread. This is a top concern for around 36% of consumers. |
| Shape and ease of sharing | Choose between a tiger loaf, slices or smaller bread shapes, and check the pack for the quantity and storage instructions. | With dips and toppings, I want to be able to share the bread in a way that suits the get-together. Around 29% of consumers say shape and presentation are their top priority. |
| Available in time | Check stock, delivery slots or collection options for the Friday you need the bread. | If I can only shop shortly before the get-together, I need to be able to get a suitable gluten-free product in time. Around 21% of consumers prioritise timely availability. |
| Nutritional information | Compare fibre and salt per 100 g, and check whether baker’s salt or iodised salt is listed in the ingredients. | If gluten-free bread is a regular choice beyond this get-together, I want to compare the nutritional information for different loaves. For around 14% of consumers, this is the most important additional consideration. |
The crust doesn’t tell you whether the whole loaf is gluten-free. Jumbo’s standard Boeren Tijgerbrood Bruin lists wheat and wheat gluten among its ingredients.
Don’t use ordinary tiger bread as a substitute for a guest who needs to eat strictly gluten-free. Check the gluten-free label, ingredients and allergen information on the bread you plan to serve.
According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, even a stray breadcrumb can cause symptoms for someone with coeliac disease. Crumbs on a chopping board or a used knife can therefore be an issue when serving.
Keep the gluten-free bread sealed until you’re ready to use it, and use clean, separate utensils for cutting, adding toppings and serving.
The Netherlands Nutrition Centre says that using baker’s salt when baking bread isn’t compulsory. So you can’t tell whether it’s been used just from the type of bread.
If this matters when choosing bread regularly, read the ingredients on the packaging or ask the baker. Don’t make it a general requirement for a single get-together.
A gluten-free loaf with a tiger crust takes more planning than a type of bread you can buy at your chosen supermarket. Bakker Leo lists a gluten-free tiger loaf; Albert Heijn and Jumbo also offer other gluten-free bread shapes.
Arrange a specific tiger loaf in advance if the crust matters. If another shape will do, check in good time which clearly labelled gluten-free rolls or loaves are available.
These retailers show a range of ways to choose bread for your get-together, from gluten-free everyday bread to a specific tiger loaf. Always check the individual product and its current packaging.
Albert Heijn’s online gluten-free bread category includes white bread, dark multiseed bread and white rolls.
Jumbo’s Lekker Vrij van Gluten range includes white and brown bread, both in 500 g packs.
Schär is a gluten-free brand whose products in the Jumbo range include mini baguettes and ciabatta.
Bakker Leo describes a 350 g brown gluten-free tiger loaf with a tiger crust.
These options are for anyone who’s happy to serve something other than tiger bread at Friday afternoon drinks: mini baguettes to serve as they are, or a gluten-free mix for making bread in advance. Check the current label on both products and allow time to prepare them before your get-together.
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The mini baguette shape could work well for small bites. The title states that there are 7 pieces; before buying, check the gluten-free label and allergen information on the packaging. Also check whether you’re getting bake-at-home rolls or a mix that you still need to shape, so you can plan the preparation.
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This gluten-free bread mix is a good option if you have time to make bread before your get-together. The pack contains 1 kg of mix. Check the latest allergen information, particularly if a guest also needs to avoid soya, and decide in advance what shape of bread you want to bake.
No. Removing the crust doesn’t make bread containing gluten ingredients gluten-free. Jumbo’s standard Boeren Tijgerbrood Bruin contains wheat and wheat gluten, among other ingredients. Choose bread labelled gluten-free and avoid contact with crumbs from ordinary bread when preparing and serving it.
For food products in the EU, Regulation (EU) No 828/2014 sets the gluten-free claim at a maximum of 20 mg of gluten per kg in the finished product. Also read the ingredients and allergen information for the specific bread, especially if a guest needs to avoid other ingredients too.
No. According to the Netherlands Nutrition Centre, using baker’s salt when baking isn’t compulsory. Check the label or ask the baker which salt was used in your chosen bread if this matters to the person eating it.
Follow the storage instructions for the bread you buy and keep it separate from ordinary bread. For its brown gluten-free tiger loaf, Bakker Leo states that it will keep for two days outside the freezer; this shelf life doesn’t automatically apply to bread from other retailers.
