October 21, 2012

The Last of the Summer Sorbet (Dairy Free, Gluten Free & Egg Free Sorbet)


Ok, you may well say that summer in Ireland is a distant memory because my goodness has it ever been fresh lately but when we’re talking about Dairy Free, Gluten Free and Egg Free Sorbet I think that most of the Food Allergy community will be willing to pretend that those warm-ish hours in the afternoons require some Free From ices :)

If you are among this group then let me direct you to the home of the very finest Food Allergy Free sorbet in Ireland: Murphy’s Ice Cream shops. When faced with the choice of usually two flavours (citrusy Calamansi and thoroughly rich raspberry) I HIGHLY recommend the Raspberry. It is soooo flavourful and tastes exactly like real raspberries, no glimmer of artificial anything, just pure raspberry bliss!


A common misconception is that all sorbets are naturally Dairy Free. Not So. This is actually a fact that makes my heart bleed, but such is life. Never Assume, especially when in Italy where almost ALL sorbets are Milk ridden.

The silver lining of course, is that all of Murphy's Ice Cream shops plainly label that their sorbets are Dairy Free and when I was in Killarney I was extra pleased when the server offered to clean the serving scoop before serving due to my allergy before I could even ask! 

This is a company who knows that the Dairy Free world likes ice cream on a warm/sunny day just like everybody else and better yet, understands our needs. But the gold lining is that Murphy's Sorbets, in addition to being Dairy Free, are also Gluten Free and Egg Free! This is especially good news since Gino's on Grafton St stopped stocking their Soya based gelato.. sniff sniff.

  • Dairy Free
  • Gluten Free
  • Egg Free


Bonus:
Murphy’s Ice Cream is also Gluten Free to boot!
...with the exception of flavours such as ‘Guinness’, or those containing biscuits, etc (understandably).



P.S, Did I mention that Murphy's Ice Cream hales from Dingle, co. Kerry, so you'd be buying irish too! :)
Besides, the Dairy consuming people (namely F. and our friend A.) were all lining up for soft ice cream cones only today, October 21st, down by Dalkey's breathtaking coast line proving that everyday is good for an icy dessert!
If you are tempted (as you should be) but fear the winter chill of eating iced fruit as the winds begin to howl, then I suggest having a coffee with your sorbet (Murphy's do Soya Milk too). Just the thing to warm you back up until the summer returns. Yum Yum Yum.




Murphy's Ice Cream 
27 Wicklow St
Dublin 2
Tel: 086 031 0726
Opening Times: mon - sun 12:00 - 22:00




August 6, 2012

Hello! I’m Back...




Hello my lovely readers. I saw this little cartoon here on "Oh My Words' and thought of you or rather me...or rather my very lonely blog. I’m so sorry that I have been gone for soooo long. What can I say? Life got in the way. There’s been a few ups (new job, lots of wedding planning) a lot of downs (bereavements, and the sadness and lack of motivation that goes with it) and despite a lot of Food Allergy Friendly discoveries I’ve simply had little to no time to write because of sheer exhaustion. I have been soooo tired. 

BUT, Thank you for all your comments, likes and emails! I am very sorry that it has taken me so long to get back on track because I have SO much to share with you! I’ve seen lots of new products; new flavours of old favourites; amazing arrays of Dairy Free, Egg Free and Gluten Free sorbets (in every direction that I look!).


There are some awesome new restaurant finds like the Bay in Clontarf that I’m dying to try out (totally Allergy Friendly and comprehensive menu!!) and some great Dairy Free, Vegetarian and Gluten Free meals in town (favourite dish of the moment is definitely the Dairy Free deep fried squid in black pepper from Saba for pescetarians and seafood lovers alike - Oh My Goodness it’s direct from Yum Town). 


I went on a Pizza making course which showed me some great ways to make your Cheese-less pizza win a Gold Medal and even just this morning I whipped up a sandwich of dreams to rival any evil Parma Ham/Cheese Croissant (my flatmate G. made me VERY envious with his full house of ingredients recently but I think I definitely fought back today!)

The idea was very easy and traditional:
What I wanted was a toasted sandwich with cheese and ham.
What I made was a lightly toasted and fried bagel with a sunny side up corn fed free range egg, Tesco’s Italian Salami, Tesco’s Roasted Onion hummous and a grind or two of fresh black pepper.

The key for me was to press down the middle of the bagel to fit the egg into neatly before toasting and to use the runny yellow egg yolk to satisfy my visual need for cheese and get my bang from the onion hummous (best hummous on the planet for sandwiches) and salami. It was simple, it was rustic and it tasted damn good. It’s already Dairy Free, and Tomato Free (and Nut Free if you can tolerate Sesame), but could easily be made Wheat Free and Gluten Free as well with a bagel substitute.

So anyway, the long and short of it is that I’m back and can’t wait to get back into the swing of things :D

June 4, 2012

Dairy Free Moroccan Cuisine in the City Centre!!


Not too long ago F. and I celebrated our 3rd year anniversary. He surprised me by booking a table at one of my all time favourite restaurants, El Bahia. Although every restaurant outing is a Food Allergy Blog occasion for me I decided to not bring my camera along as  it was a special day and I didn’t want to ruin the mood by asking TOO many questions about food intolerances ie: More questions than I need to ask and pulling out my massive camera and telling F. ‘Don’t touch it yet’..‘one more minute...just a second’...
However, I will delightedly tell you about the side line of the Dairy Free wonder that occurred...

I’m always Dairy Free.. no matter what test or diet or trial that I’m doing, I am ALWAYS Dairy Free because it is a genuine food allergy as opposed to an intolerance or suspected culprit. So of course I explained to the waiter my requirements and at first he proudly said that I can eat anything on the menu because ‘we don’t use any type of Dairy ingredient!’...obviously my warning lights went off and my doubtful face appeared... ‘Not even in the desserts? the ice cream? butter?...hidden ingredients?...etc etc etc ??’ and he confirmed NO! None at all, well except for the ice cream and desserts of course! 
But then it all took a big turn around because after ordering he came back to us to apologize and say that the Bastilla dishes (made with filo pastry) were brushed with butter... he was very very sorry and got us to change our order... I went with Kobiza (Fresh Leaf spinach reduced in a coriander, garlic and lemon base) to start and the Fish Tagine (Catch of the Day - Cod -  marinated in sharmoulah and served with vegetables in a spicy tomato sauce) which was Amazingly beautiful!...So tender...So flavourful...  and my Vegetarian F. went for a starter of Makoda (a blend of mashed potato, fresh spinach, parsley and coriander on a fruity tomato sauce) and the Vegetarian Cous Cous (A selection of fresh vegetables traditionally flavoured and served on a bed of cous cous).. And this is where the waiter went beyond the normal: He also advised against it when F. ordered a side of pita bread with his couscous dish because supposedly the two different forms of wheat can cause indigestion and bloating (who knew?!) And when serving F’s cous cous dish he said that actually there is Milk/Butter in the cous cous and so as tempting as it may be,  I should not take a taste! I thanked him so much! No waiter has EVER advised me against trying somebody else’s dish when I hadn’t asked about it - It was the cherry on top for me!

All in all the anniversary meal was very lovely and became one of the meals that I will  remember forever because after we finished eating the main course F. doubly surprised me by asking me to marry him!!! ...Or rather, if I would ‘like’ to marry him ;) Of course the answer was a tearful yes! Supposedly, he had been carrying the ring around in his pocket for two weeks looking for the right time  - swoon! - 


The moral of this little story is that even though the waiter was wrong at first and I was doubtful, he did make a complete turn around and helped me beyond the average all while continuing to be helpful and friendly and making a lot of jokes ie: when it came to dessert he held a menu up between me and F. so that I couldn't see and therefore wouldn’t get tempted by the amazing dessert F. ordered... only temporarily of course, but very funny! I comforted myself with yum yum yummy Moroccan Coffee (Traditionally brewed with five spices - ginger, cardamom, nutmeg, black pepper, cinnamon and sweetened with sugar) :)
I know that some of you will think that that’s not good enough, and that he should have known those details beforehand but I say that yes, he should have, but now he does, he did take it seriously and was obviously in full communication with the chef. And I can tell you and pre-warn you that the couscous and the filo and all the desserts definitely contain Dairy. And remember that if something sounds too good to be true - ie: Dairy free filo pasty in a restaurant - it probably is so order something else. 


And now F. and I have begun the Food Allergy Friendly Venue search!! and Cake Maker Search!! All Extremely Exciting!!!


El Bahia Moroccan Restaurant
Location: 37 Wicklow St
                   Dublin 2
Tel: 01 677 0213

Opening Times: 
Lunch (During Summer) - Fri - Sun 12:00 - 15:00
Dinner - Mon - Sun 17:00 to late

May 23, 2012

Love Hot Dogs, Can't Eat Pork?


If there was ever an ideal day for a BBQ in Ireland it was today! SO warm, So sunny, SO absolutely perfect ... it’s days like this that make us put up with all the rain and wind the rest of the year. But what if you are a BBQ fan and your favourite item is the infamous hotdog but you are Allergic or Intolerant to Pork.. or your values restrict pork.. or your religion forbids it.. what if you have skin trouble like eczema etc, and are trying a Pork Free diet?? There’s nothing worse than sitting in a circle surrounded by people eating something that you love but can’t have! 

That is why I was so surprised and intrigued when I fell upon these: Doux’s Chicken Franks. Now bear with me for a moment because I know that they sound horrendous - Chicken Hot Dogs! seriously?? Yes! I kid you not ... What’s more is that they actually taste, look and have the consistency of real hotdogs - you know, the extremely processed ones popular on the streets of New York, Austria, Germany... We’re not talking about a chicken kebab, or a vegan tofu sausage, but a genuine frankfurter only made with chicken instead of pork. I was VERY doubtful and despite not actually being the biggest hotdog fan in the world (apart from the occasional  dog here or there) am a true convert. They really surprised me and make a top quality substitute.

  • Pork free
  • Halal
  • Fish Free
  • Dairy Free (Note: may contain traces of milk)
  • Egg Free (Note: may contain traces of egg)






I found Doux’s Chicken Franks in the freezer section of an Indian shop called ‘Oasis’ located on Phibsborough Rd. 

Cheap, Cheerful and Pork Free!
Ingredients: Mechanically deboned chicken meat and chicken fat: 71%, water, wheat starch, vegetable proteins and fibres, salt, emulsifier E451, flavour enhancer E621, spices, aromatic plant, antioxidant E301, colouring E120, natural flavouring, preservative E250.
Contains: Wheat, Soya.
May contain traces of: Milk, Celery, Egg, Barley, Rye, Mustard.



Oasis
Phibsborough Rd
Phibsborough, Dublin 7


May 15, 2012

What I'm Reading: May in the Free From Food Allergy World





Lately it’s all about health related reading for me with a sprinkling of entertaining recipes thrown in. I have been very preoccupied with metal toxicity, poor digestion, and fluid retention and the on-going battle with modern living! But it’s not all bad news.. there’s a lovely interview with Pippa Kendrick (The Intolerant Gourmet) and a hopeful story featuring none other than Macdonalds, and let’s not forget that this week is Allergy Awareness Week in some parts of the world so don’t say that I don’t supply silver linings too! ;)













IN THE KITCHEN

Fruit Leather (that North American love): 
Vegan Mexican Chickpea Fajitas with some Eye Candy pics!:
Fennel Syrup (Anything with Fennel must be good!):


LIVE, LIVING & FOOD ALLERGIES

Metal Toxicity, my new obsession:
Hello Fluid Retention, my old friend:
TO EAT OR NOT TO EAT, THAT IS THE QUESTION:
Digestive problems and Hidden Food Allergen Dangers:
All about avoiding allergens to avoid allergies later on & the possible myths attached:
The woes of a milky world - Added benefits of being Dairy Free, Vegan and/or Vegetarian:
Food Allergy Awareness Week, YAY!:
McDonalds - I don’t generally support them but this little quip gives me some hope & faith for the food allergic world:
A nice little interview with Pippa Kendrick:

EYE CANDY:
...and in honour of the horrible fevery cold/flu/mess that I was 'dealing with' over the the last  week...  I love this little picture of sick in bed:

May 8, 2012

Recent Allergy Friendly Finds in Fallon & Byrne



I’ve been having lunch in the city 5 days a week for the last 2 and a half months now and boy does it ever get drab when you are following a restricted diet. Needless to say I am always on the lookout for something slightly exciting, new or satisfying whilst also being Food Allergy Friendly and Free From my major problem foods. 
Today I was browsing in Fallon & Byrne (on Exchequer St, Dublin 2) looking to see if I could find anything to tempt my taste buds with when I noticed a couple new additions in the fridge/freezer section... 
First, among the Dairy Free, Raw, Gluten Free and Refined Sugar Free Booja Booja ice creams I found ‘Pink Grapefruit’ sorbet made in Co. Kilkenny for Fallon & Byrne. Predominately a ‘Real Dairy’ ice cream company, I was delighted to see a few sorbet flavours which were

  • Dairy Free (beware of possible cross contamination. No warnings but I would recommend caution due to nature of the company)
  • Gluten Free
  • Egg Free
  • Soya Free
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian



There was an Orange flavour as well but it was the Pink Grapefruit which stole my imagination. So refreshingly sweet. It was a bit soft and maybe a bit on the crystalized side but still a had great flavour and overall a completely yum ‘pick up’ dessert to brighten any Allergen Free day.
Ingredients: Pink Grapefruit Juice (38%), Water, Sugar, Glucose, Natural Thickening Agent (Locust Bean Gum)
Allergy warnings: May Contain nut traces
The other happy thing that I noticed  in the fridge/freezer section of Fallon & Byrne was many many flavours of Sojade Yoghurts. Of course all the old faithfuls were there like Blueberry, Cherry, Peach, Plain, Raspberry, etc, but what got be pulling out my money at the cash register was the new Apple flavour and the Lemon flavour. I immediately thought of the Lime and Lemongrass Provamel yoghurt I found in Salzburg last year that made me amazingly happy and I am happy to report that, although not as amazing, the lemon flavour did come up trumps. Fresh, sweet, and just enough lemon kick to keep this lemon addict wanting more. 

Tomorrow I will try the Apple - I am so curious! I’ve never had Apple flavoured yoghurt before so I will be sure to Tweet about it tomorrow to inform any other tempted soya fans....

  • Dairy Free
  • Gluten Free
  • Wheat Free
  • Egg Free
  • Vegan
  • Vegetarian
  • GMO Free
Ingredients (lemon flavour): Soya Drink (water, hukked soya beans 9.2%), cane sugar, lemon puree 6%, lemon natural flavouring, lemon juice 2% (from concentrated juice), acidity regulator,: calcium citrate, thickeners: locust bean gum - pectin - xanthan gum, selected live cultures of which Bifidus & Acidophilus

Nutritional Information per 100g:
Energy 78kcal/330kJ
Protein 3.8g
Carbohydrates 11g
Fat 2.1g
What’s your favourite comfort food in the city? Or what do you eat for lunch? That most difficult of meals! 

May 1, 2012

April: The Food Allergy Month in Review




So this is May-Day... can I just ask where are the cotton dresses and ribbons being wound around the maypole?! Today must have been the worst May 1st in over 30 years!... rain rain rain and more rain... but I hope that you didn’t let it get you down because if there is anything that the Food Allergic/Restricted lifestyle requires it’s positive thoughts and an optimistic outlook, and that is just what Survival Guide: Dublin with Food Allergies tries to help you with by telling you about any awesome Allergen Free finds, Alergy Friendly place tos shop and eat and of course all important Allergy warnings about Hidden Allergens etc.  


So here’s what happened last month....


SHOPS
RESTAURANTS
PRODUCTS
NEWS, WARNING & INFO

April 27, 2012

Where to buy Dairy Free & Egg Free Treats This Saturday!!

That's right! It's Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale time! Almost a year has passed and Dublin's Vegans are getting together again to do good for the world through animal free baked goods...which of course means, by default, Home baked Dairy Free, Egg Free, Fish Free sweet treats for sale! ...One might ask what typed of baked sweet treats contain Fish but I did recently see 'Free From' marshmallows which used fish gelatin as it's Allergy Free substitute. I didn't really see the point of this substitute when so many people are allergic to fish and corn (which I mistakingly assumed to be the Free From attribute) so you never know...

Anyway, it's late in the week and in the night so I will get straight down to business...

What:   The Worldwide Vegan Bake Sale
Where: The Exchange Dublin, Exchange St Upper, Temple Bar, Dublin 2
When:  Saturday 28 April (tomorrow!) 12:00 - 15:00
Why:    Dogs Aid animal sanctuary

Read all about last year's bakesale in Dublin here

Read about the Dublin Vegan Bakesale here

Read all about the Worldwide bake sale here

It's probably too late for volunteering now but if you want to try anyay email: bakesale@vegetarian.ie

Hope to see you there!!!

April 24, 2012

Check Your Chicken for Hidden Food Allergens!



As I’m sure every person with food allergies and/or intolerances know, it’s the hidden allergens that make life difficult..it’s the unexpected allergens that cause the problems. Once upon a time in Canada a friend of mine asked me to go out with her for chips (french fries) and then said: ‘Oh wait! Is there milk in potatoes?’ ... of course we heartily laughed at the time at this silly question but what she didn’t know was that she wasn’t too far off the mark with this seemingly ridiculous question. It would be like saying ‘Wait! Is there Milk in Chickens?’ But the truth is God only knows how many added ingredients are included in Macdonald’s french fries and likewise, no matter how much like ordinary chicken it looks like, it’s most likely not just chicken.

After the injecting and soaking and who knows what else, chicken (and ham) become pretty toxic on the unexpected allergen scale. So the purpose of today’s post is to draw your attention to the ingredient lists on processed meats.

 Some brands to beware of are

- Flynns Premium Turkey Breast contain: Milk and Potato
- Tesco’s Finest Irish Butter Roast Turkey obviously contain: Milk
- Any Crumbed Ham is obviously Gluten Containing
- Shaw’s Turkey Breast contain: Milk in the form of lactate
- Glenlough Deli Style Chicken Slices contain: Whey Protein, Dextrose and Sodium Lactate
Glenlough Roast Chicken Breast Slices contain: Milk, Gluten, Wheat and Soya

A safe ham to check out is
- Shaws, un-crumbed Ham which is Dairy Free and Gluten Free.
- The Brady Family Ham (un-crumbed) is both Dairy Free and Gluten Free
- Denny Deli Style Roast Chicken Slices are Dairy Free and Gluten Free but contain: Sugar

 Note: Be especially aware when ordering meat fillings in delis where the ingredients are not readily available and the meat is often (almost always) processed.

Don’t you just hate the crazy things ‘they’ do to food?!

April 20, 2012

Free From Food Awards: And The Winners Were...



That’s right, the Free From Food Awards took place during the week and all the top class winners were announced and from the looks of it everyone had a brilliant time! Unfortunately I wasn’t able to get over to London this week to attend the awards (whimper whimper and woe is me’s!) but I can’t WAIT to try out all of the winning, running up and commended products from the categories that I didn’t get to judge myself!!




 So let’s get right into it.... The overall best in show number one winner in this year’s 2012 Free From Food Awards was none other than

... drum roll please....

  Vegusto Mild Aromatic Dairy-free cheese!!!!
You might remember me gushing about a fabulous nut based cheese after the judging was completed so you can imagine how thrilled I am that this manna from heaven swiped the top prize! -so deserving and I just simply can’t wait to start finding Vegusto in some Irish shops!!

The runner’s up for this very prestigious #1 award were:
- The Gluten Free Kitchen’s Ovencrust Chicken &amp
- Bacon Pie (Winner of the Pies, flans and ready meals category)
- Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour (Joint winner of the Ingredients category)
- Anila’s Sauces Goan Green Sauce (Joint winner of the Ingredients category)
- Daas – Ambre Beer (Winner of the Gluten-free Beer category)
- inSpiral’s Raw Dehydrated Kale Chips: Cheesie Purple Corn (Winner of the Raw food category)

...and the Innovation Award went to:
Bessant & Drury Fine Ice Cream Co. for their Lemon Ice Cream.  


The rest of the categories and their marvellous winners are listed below but if you would like to see all the fun award winning pictures, see who the very generous sponsors were and read some of what the judges had to say about the winners please see the links at the following links!
http://www.freefromfoodawards.co.uk/winners-12.html

http://www.freefromfoodawards.co.uk/index.html http://www.freefromfoodawards.co.uk/winners-12-

pics.html


Dairy-Free Animal Milk, Butter, Yogurt:
Woodlands Dairy Gooseberry & Elderflower with Natural Sheep Milk Yoghurt (would love to be able to try this one out!!)  


Plant 'Milk', Spreads & Cheese:
Joint Winners!
CoYo Natural yoghurt (TOTALLY amazingly yum!!!!)
Vegusto Mild Aromatic Dairy-Free Cheese (I think you already know how I feel about this one!)  


FreeFrom Breakfast Cereals:
Sainsbury’s – FreeFrom Oaty Granola  


Gluten-Free Breads and Bread Mixes:
Fria Grova Dark Seeded Sliced Loaf

Gluten-Free Pasta and Pizza Bases/Mixes:
Farabella Acini di Pepe/Pasta Grains  


Freefrom Foods Manufactured for Food Service:
Joint Winners! 
Red House Foods - Gluten Free Chicken Bites
Sauces of Choice - Sauces for Kids Tikka Sauce  


Freefrom Ingredients:
Joint Winners!
Anila’s Sauces Goan Green Sauce
Bob’s Red Mill Gluten Free All Purpose Baking Flour  


Raw Foods and Superfoods:
inSpiral Raw Dehydrated Kale Chips: Cheesie Purple Corn  


Savoury Pies, Sausages & Ready Meals:
Meat-based meal centres: Co-operative Truly Irresistible Minted Lamb Burgers

Pies, Flans & Pizzas: 
Gluten Free Kitchen Ovencrust Chicken & Bacon Pie  


Gluten-Free Savoury Biscuits and Snacks:
Joint Winners: Darling Spuds Tomato, Olive & Oregano Juvela Crostini Bites  


Gluten-Free Scones, Sweet Tarts, Bakewells, Muffins, etc:
Joint Winners!
Sugargrain Almond, Apricot and Tahini Flapjack
Sweetcheeks Almondies  


Gluten-Free Cakes and Mixes:
Joint Winners!
Sweetcheeks Maple & Pecan Cupcakes
The Cake Crusader Gluten, Wheat and Dairy Free Carrot Cake   (I saw these guy's van in Dublin! yum yum yuuummm)


Gluten-Free Puddings, Desserts & Cheesecakes:
Food Heaven Sicilian Lemon Cheesecake  


Dairy/Gluten-Free Chocolate and Snack Bars:
Booja Booja Rum Sozzled Sultana Chocolate Truffles (which I personally LOVED!!)  


Dairy/Gluten-Free Christmas Foods:
Foodamentalists Frangipane mince pies  


Gluten-Free Beer:
Daas Ambre Beer  


whew!

 ....Now all that’s left to do over here in Ireland is for all of us to start hounding our local suppliers and health food shops to please please please start stocking some of these amazing Food Allergy Friendly products!!! so get out there and get begging! ;)

April 17, 2012

New Allergy Free Finds in Dalkey's Select Stores



Last Saturday I finally took the trip out to Dalkey Select Stores. I’ve been meaning to do it for aaaaages but something always came up which left me wondering just what does go on down in Dalkey in the famous Select Stores?... So last Saturday I was happily educated with the answer! Select Stores is like a Health Food Shop but is more Food than Supplement... And as all we Food Allergic and Food Intolerant know, where there are ‘healthy’, 'alternative' foods there are sure to be Free From Allergy Friendly products to try! Dalkey Select Stores have a juice bar, a salad bar and savouries (courtesy of Blazing Salads), teas, some warm foods and a few tables amid the piled high shelves and massive windows which come together to make a really comfortable and positive ‘wholefood’ feel. Afterwards I was daydreaming about having my morning porridge in Select Stores, looking out into the waking village (the powerful nut filled porridge comes highly recommended by staff!).

What makes Dalkey Select Stores different and worth the trek, is that rather than being a ‘health food store’ they give me the impression of being more of a ‘lifestyle’ store. Sure, they have a few supplements in stock such as Higher Nature and Patrick Holford but they also have a very large Fruit & Veg section. People really gather in and happily chat away while sipping their smoothies (I got the Miller Mix-up Super Smoothie which I’ll tell you about later!) and munching on their salads and savouries.
image courtesy of F.

The shelves are made for browsing and rambling. Every corner contains something new and even though each section is not extensive, ie: I didn’t see Gluten Free Pizza Bases, but I did see a cross reference of Gluten Free and Spelt based pastas such as Doves Spiral Brown Rice pasta, Brown Rice Udon noodles and Spelt Spinach Tagliatelle. Tucked away in one corner were Health related books, another corner housed a healthy stock of Eco cleaners and up the front was a small natural cosmetics section containing brands such as Trilogy, Faith in Nature, Dr. Haushka, Burts Bees, Green People and Weleda. There were food brands and flavours that I'm yet to elsewhere in Dublin yet like Stevia Sugar Substitute sold by the jar and Ecomil Sesame Milk! There was even a little tasting table set out on the day we arrived with cheeses, bread, crackers and chorizo for sampling different oils and pestos. Of course I couldn’t try any but it all added to the overall happy, content vibe.

Top of the Pops was the cake table up front with Gluten Free Foodie and The Gluten Free Bakery goods (many of which are Dairy Free+ and otherwise Food Allergy Friendly). And of course the Smoothie Bar was a big hit too (see the Juice/Smoothies menu. Note: Many of the smoothies contain yoghurt which can easily be omitted but beware before ordering or accepting any taste testers - I had to abandon the taste tester which was offered to us filled with something pineapple and smelling amazing due to yoghurt ingredients. I was recommended to try the Miller Mix-Up Super Smoothie which sounded horrific but was actually quite tasty, albeit very green.

The Miller Mix-up contains:
Lime
Pineapple
Avocado
Ice
Apple
Cucumber
Wheatgrass
and Spirulina

Like I said, it doesn’t read well and if it hadn’t been recommended I NEVER would’ve ventured that direction but it was surprisingly better than expected and a massive size for it’s €5 price tag.

I would definitely recommend Dalkey Select Stores to locals, to day-trippers from the city looking for a resting spot and anybody looking for some unlikely or off the beaten track Allergy Free food products that you won’t find everywhere like the Curry Sauce Co. 9 which I’ll review next!), Jarred Clams, Cottage Cookies Ltd and Gertie’s squares/bars all of which I can’t vouch for other than their newness to the market! Obviously Select Stores isn’t bursting at the seems with Free From foods but there is a nice selection and you are bound to find something you haven’t tried yet.

The only downfall I could say, and it’s a very noteworthy, and somewhat serious one, is that the ingredients listings on the muffins and squares at the smoothie counter can’t be trusted. I almost bought the most amazing looking Spelt muffin only to find out that the ingredients taped to the cover were not what was inside... So do remember to ask the staff to confirm the ingredients before purchasing and eating!!! Other than that F. wanted me to mention that the aisles and definitely not buggy/pram-friendly being very narrow and twisty... which we noticed as we sipped our massive smoothies and watched a family of 5 maneuver themselves through the shelves and tables...

Have you been to Dalkey Select Stores? What do you think? What is your favourite smoothie!?





Dalkey Select Stores
1 Railway Road
Dalkey, Co. Dublin
Tel: 01 285 9611
web: www.selectstores.com
opening Times: Mon - Fri 07:30 -18:30; Sat 08:00 - 18:00; Sun 10:00 - 17:00; closed Bank holidays. Juice bar closes 1hour before closing