The CCA’s GF 101 Sessions are normally  ‘Members Only’ BUT because we know that so many people need this kind of support, we have opened up the webinar to the public. Everyone welcome! Who is Ellen Bayens?

Communication is the key ingredient to every successful gluten-free restaurant meal. When diners, chefs and servers are able to collaborate on what is required and what can be reasonably delivered, there is cause for celebration!

But where to begin?

The following is a list of suggested questions to help Start the Conversation on Celiac-Friendly Dining©. In very short order, the responses you receive will allow you to gage any given restaurant’s degree of  gluten awareness – and willingness.  For the very best outcome, call ahead or take your host or server aside before ordering.

NOTE: Restaurants that have carefully researched how to serve us love going into detail. If your questions are met with impatience and exasperation – go with your gut. When restaurants get gluten free right, reward them generously!

Question #1

• Please tell me about the meals  you recommend to diners who need to eat gluten free?

Ingredients

• What ingredients will be used to make my order?
• How do staff  know whether ingredients are really gluten free?
  • Says so on labels?
  • Checked product website?
  • Called the manufacturer?
  • Checked with The Celiac Scene? The CCA?
• Will pure spices, prepared seasonings or soy sauce made from wheat be used to make my meal?
• What other food items are cooked in the oil that ‘gluten-free’ items are cooked in?
• How are sauces and dressings thickened?

Procedures

• How will my server communicate with the kitchen that a gluten-free order has been placed?
• How are gluten-free orders prepared in relation to the regular flow of the kitchen?
• Will staff wash their hands / change gloves / change aprons clean surfaces before preparing my order?
• How do staff ensure that all utensils used in preparing my food are free from any trace of gluten?
  • Separate or scrubbed frying pan? Griddle scrubbed? Aluminum foil barrier? Dedicated pots? Dedicated colanders?
• What other precautions do staff take to minimize / prevent cross contamination?
• How will my server confirm with the kitchen that the order they are collecting has been prepared gluten free?
• How will my server confirm that the order they are delivering to me is gluten free?
  

How did the restaurant learn how to meet the needs of gluten-free diners?

• Through The Celiac Scene? Canadian Celiac Association?
• Registered dietitian? Local health authority?
• Staff members with celiac disease?
  

Questions Specific to Pizza Restaurants 

• The risk of cross contamination with airborne gluten flour is HIGH. Partake only if strict protocols are in place to protect your safety.
• Are ‘gluten-free’ crusts prepared on-site? 
  • During regular operations? Before regular production? During downtimes / days?
  • See questions in Ingredient section above.
• Are pre-made ‘gluten-free’ crusts purchased from a dedicated gluten-free manufacturer? Who is the manufacturer?
• How are gluten-free sauces and toppings prepared?
  • During regular operations? Before regular production? During downtimes / days
  • See questions in Ingredient section above.
• How do staff ensure that all utensils used in preparing gluten-free orders are free of any trace of gluten?
• How are utensils, crusts, sauces and toppings protected from cross-contamination with gluten while waiting to be used?
• How will my order be protected from cross-contamination with gluten once it has been prepared and/or while waiting to be served?

If the prospect of grilling restaurants about their gluten-free friendliness feels intimidating, you’ve got options!

Visit The Celiac Scene for restaurants that enjoy an excellent reputation within Victoria and Vancouver Island’s celiac community.

Join Victoria’s Gluten-Free Foodies to dine with a gluten-free group at carefully vetted restaurants. With more than 100 Meet-Ups under our belts, choose from a huge inventory of tried and tested celiac-friendly restaurants.

Learn How to Be Gluten Free! Two-hour information sessions are open to anyone adversely affected by gluten: celiacs, gluten sensitive, and the wheat allergic. No diagnosis needed.

Next classes: June 15, July 20, September 21, October 19 & November 16.

Taught by the experts – volunteers with the Victoria Chapter of the Canadian Celiac Association. Receive information, optimism and plenty of gluten-free goodies to go from The Celiac Scene. Contact ellen@theceliacscene.com for more information.

Thank you to the following sponsors:

900˚ Wood-Fired Pizzeria • Abuelo’s Corn Tortillas • Bake My Day • Bard’s Beer • Big Wheel Burger • Canadian Celiac Association • Care Bakery • Chef Pola Culinary • Cloud 9 Specialty Bakery • Corn Thins by Real Foods • Country Grocer • Deep Cove Market • Duinkerken Foods • Floating Fish Store • Gluten Free Resource Directory Canada • Glutenull • Grimm’s Fine Foods • Hertel Meats • Hornby Organic • Joint Pizzeria • Judy G Gluten-Free • Lifestyle Market & Select Stores • MCLEAN MEATS • Mother Nature’s Market & Deli • Noodle Box • O’Doughs • Pepper’s Foods • Pirate Chips Nanaimo • Pomme Natural Foods Nanaimo • Portofino Tested-to-Be-Gluten-Free • Rawthentic Eatery • Rock Cod Cafe • Royal Nuts • Royal Spice Indian Restaurant • Selena De Vries, RD • Six Mile Pub • Stella’s Perogies • Taco Revolution Food Truck • Taste – A Place For Coffee • The Market Stores • TOTAL PREPARE • Two Stickers • Union Street Grill • Wendel’s True Foods • Wild Poppy Bakery & Bistro • Wise Bites • WOLF Meal Prep

Thank you to Thrifty Foods for providing classroom space.

• Living Gluten-Free
• Gluten-Free Resources
• Gluten-Free Menu Planning
• Gluten-Free Recipes
• Gluten-Free Options on Pinterest
• Browse for Gluten-Free Items

About Thrifty Foods

• Find a Store
• On-Line Shopping
• Services
• Community
• Contact • 250-544-1234 • 1-800-667-8280
• thriftyfoods.com • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram • YouTube

Hertel Meats is celebrating summer this Saturday at Thrifty Foods’ new Belmont location! They’re cooking up their very best bacon – always gluten-free, dairy-free with no added MSG! Catch them outside at 3011 Merchant Way in Langford.

Country Fresh, Naturally The Best!

Established in 1967, Port Alberni’s Hertel Meats pioneered the curing of meats without MSG and lead the way with dairy-free, gluten-free, preservative-free sausages. Their bacon? To die for! Who needs chocolate!

Hertel Meats – Member of  Thrifty Foods ‘Pick BC First Hall of Fame!

Hertel Meats Ltd. was created in 1967, a small family enterprise, providing slaughter, cutting & wrapping, and further processing, of beef, pork and game for local farmers and hunters.

• In the mid 80’s, Tom Hertel recognized and responded to a need he saw in his customers, developing Hertel’s now renowned line of fresh sausages processed without wheat gluten, lactose (milk) products, or artificial preservatives. 
• He also created a naturally smoked bacon cured without the use of sodium nitrite, nitrate or other chemical preservatives which quickly established itself as a top seller and remains in high demand today.
• Hertels was also a pioneer in the production of products seasoned without the use of Monosodium Glutamate. (MSG), a trend that was soon imitated by many other major meat processing plants.

Hertel Meats is renowned among Vancouver Island and Lower Mainland Grocery Retailers for the freshness and availability of their top quality wholesale fresh pork cuts.

Hertel Meats is a proud sponsor of The Celiac Scene and the Canadian Celiac Association’s Gluten-Free Living Classes.

• HertelMeats.ca
• Where to Buy
• About Hertel Meats
• Hertel’s Product Listing
• Cooking & Carving
• Facebook • Instagram
• Contact 1-866-723-9698
• Order Form

SAUSAGES*

Pork Sausage • Breakfast Sausage • Cocktail • Honey & Garlic • Apple & • Cinnamon • Maple & Brown Sugar • Bratwurst • BBQ Bratwurst • Hot Italian • Mild Italian • Chorizo • Turkey

• *British Bangers, Tomato Basil and Rosemary Garlic Sausages contain wheat crumbs. Careful practices are in place to prevent cross contamination.

BACON

• Thick Cut Bacon • Uncured Bacon • Ayreshire Bacon • Back Bacon • Piece Bacon • Piece Back Bacon •

HAM

• Bone-In Ham • Boneless Ham • E-Z Carve Ham • Smoked Picnics • Cottage Roll • Kassler Loin • Smoked Pork Chops • Smoked Ribs • Smoked Jowls • Smoked Hocks •

Where to Purchase Hertel Meats Products

Celiac Canada is organizing “Shine A Light on Celiac Disease” for International Celiac Disease Awareness Day by illuminating locations across the country in green. That includes the Parliament Buildings of BC’s Legislative Assembly – for the first time! 

The BC Legislature  has accepted Celiac Canada’s request to be lit up GREEN on the evening of May 16th.

Please join us to get a photo together! We can’t meet too early, as we want the light to show up, so we’re hoping all convene at 8 PM at the cenotaph.

Please take & post pics on social media using #ShineALightOnCeliac!

LOOK FOR ELLEN IN HER REFLECTIVE YELLOW JACKET!

While quantities last, attendees will receive

• Country Grocer Bag with Discount Card
• GF Goodie Bags from Epicure Kelsea & son, Callum
• Treats from Art of Slow Food Bakery
• Treats from Origin Bakery

COMPLETE DETAILS HERE!

Participating Locatios Across Canada*

May 14

• Bloedel Conservatory, Vancouver, BC

May 15

• Civic Plaza, Surrey, BC

May 16

BRITISH COLUMBIA

• Science World, Vancouver, BC
• City Hall, Victoria, BC
• BC Legislature, Victoria, BC (in-person event planned)
• City Hall, Port Moody, BC
• Pier, White Rock, BC

ALBERTA

• Calgary Tower, Calgary
• Peace Bridge, Calgary
• Reconciliation Bridge, Calgary
• Telus Spark, Calgary
• Lethbridge City Hall, Lethbridge
• Medicine Hat TeePee, Medicine Hat*
• Airdrie City Hall, Airdrie*
• High Level Bridge, Edmonton
• Epcor Tower, Edmonton
• Fairmont Hotel, Edmonton
• Clock/Bell Tower, Walterdale Theatre, Edmonton
• Community Centre, Sherwood Park
• Festival Place, Sherwood Park
• Legislature Building, Edmonton

NEW BRUNSWICK

• Dieppe City Hall, Dieppe
• Avenir Centre, Moncton

ONTARIO

• Ottawa Sign, ByWard Market
• Shaw Centre, Ottawa
• Toronto Sign in Nathan Phillips Square
• Niagara Falls
• CN Tower

QUEBEC

• Olympic Stadium, Montreal*
• Complexe Jules-Dallaire, Quebec City*

PEI

• Charlottetown City Hall
• Summerside City Hall, Summerside

MANITOBA

• Winnipeg Sign at the Forks*
• Manitoba Legislative Building, Winnipeg*

*Locations requested, awaiting confirmation.

Due to technical problems, The BC Legislature will once again try to light up in GREEN on the evening of Wednesday, May 29th in honor of Celiac Canada’s “Shine A Light on Celiac Disease” for International Celiac Disease Awareness Day! A First! 

Please join us this time at 9:30pm for this precedent setting phot op! Then post on social media using #ShineALightOnCeliac!

LOOK FOR ELLEN IN HER REFLECTIVE YELLOW JACKET!

While quantities last, attendees will receive

• Country Grocer Bag with Discount Card
• Yummy Cupcakes from Origin Bakery

COMPLETE DETAILS HERE!

Participating Locations Across Canada*

May 14

• Bloedel Conservatory, Vancouver, BC

May 15

• Civic Plaza, Surrey, BC

May 16

BRITISH COLUMBIA

• Science World, Vancouver, BC
• City Hall, Victoria, BC
• BC Legislature, Victoria, BC (in-person event planned)
• City Hall, Port Moody, BC
• Pier, White Rock, BC

ALBERTA

• Calgary Tower, Calgary
• Peace Bridge, Calgary
• Reconciliation Bridge, Calgary
• Telus Spark, Calgary
• Lethbridge City Hall, Lethbridge
• Medicine Hat TeePee, Medicine Hat*
• Airdrie City Hall, Airdrie*
• High Level Bridge, Edmonton
• Epcor Tower, Edmonton
• Fairmont Hotel, Edmonton
• Clock/Bell Tower, Walterdale Theatre, Edmonton
• Community Centre, Sherwood Park
• Festival Place, Sherwood Park
• Legislature Building, Edmonton

NEW BRUNSWICK

• Dieppe City Hall, Dieppe
• Avenir Centre, Moncton

ONTARIO

• Ottawa Sign, ByWard Market
• Shaw Centre, Ottawa
• Toronto Sign in Nathan Phillips Square
• Niagara Falls
• CN Tower

QUEBEC

• Olympic Stadium, Montreal*
• Complexe Jules-Dallaire, Quebec City*

PEI

• Charlottetown City Hall
• Summerside City Hall, Summerside

MANITOBA

• Winnipeg Sign at the Forks*
• Manitoba Legislative Building, Winnipeg*

*Locations requested, awaiting confirmation.