Gluten-Free Events Calendar
If it’s gluten free and happening in Victoria, Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands, you’ll find it listed here! From tastings to contests, farmer’s markets to food trucks – this is your calendar to Gluten-Free Paradise! Join Victoria’s Gluten-Free Foodies and add a new restaurant – and possibly a new gluten-free friend – to your repertoire!
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.
Join Pepper’s Foods for Customer Appreciation Day on Thursday, November 21st!
They want to thank you, their loyal and amazing customers, by providing samples & giveaways. C’mon down for incredible one-day sales!
Take advantage of this week’s flyer while you are there!
A bustling market at 3829 Cadboro Bay Road, steps away from the University of Victoria and one of the largest playgrounds in Victoria, shop at Pepper’s Foods for a picnic, a barbecue or the gluten-free foods you need to sustain you week in and week out! A long-time supporter of the Canadian Celiac Association’s Annual Picnic, Pepper’s Foods is the very ‘heart’ of Cadboro Bay!
• Sale on Gluten-Free Items
• Weekly Specials
• Gluten-Free Product List
• Deliveries to Your Door
• Facebook
• Twitter
• Instagram
• 10% Student discount EVERY day!
• 10% Senior’s discount Tuesdays and Wednesdays
What’s New at Pepper’s Foods!
“Any time a local vendor or distributor approaches us with a local product, we’re all ears and open to carrying their product.”
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- Scott Zaichkowsky, Assistant Grocery Manager
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Gyro Park & Beach at Cadboro Bay
The legendary home of the “Cadborosaurus” sea serpent, Cadboro Bay is a partially protected bay with the kind of long, sandy beaches that make for sublime summer swimming, strolling and boating. The park has a replica of the Cadborosaurus creature, said to be a relative of the Loch Ness Monster. Caddy, as it is known, usually allows itself to be seen once or twice a year. Cadboro Bay’s beaches are well-equipped for family outings with picnic facilities, public washrooms and a children’s playground. Pack a snack from Pepper’s and enjoy!
North Saanich Flavor Trails Celebration Weekend! Explore and Experience the Tastes of the Saanich Peninsula!
August 27 & 28 – 14 venues hosting special activities ranging from farm gate tastings to winery and orchard tours, from sheep shearing demonstrations to scare crow making, authentic Thai cooking to a pig roast.
Printer-Friendly Flavour Trails Brochure and Map
Facebook • Instagram • Twitter
Stop in at the Oh-So-Celiac-Friendly Deep Cove Market!
10940 West Saanich Road (near Wain Road) • 250-656-2547 • Mon-Fri 7am to 7:30pm Sat-Sun 8:am to 7:30pm
Deep Cove Market • Facebook • Instagram • deepcovemarket@shaw.ca
Deep Cove Market has been serving celiacs for more than 15 years with the most eclectic selection of gluten-free products that Vancouver Island has to offer. Trust Deep Cove to carry the brands that are impossible to find at major retailers – honouring independent celiac manufacturers who are dedicated to supporting us – one kitchen to another.
A first and last stop shop for locals and tourists alike. Minutes from Schwarz Bay Ferry Terminal as you arrive or a last stop before heading to Vancouver or the Gulf Islands, you’ll be sure to leave with items you won’t find anywhere else.
An ideal destination for a Sunday drive or bicycle trip from Sidney or even Victoria. Be welcomed with wide verandahs, aisles jam-packed with goodies and shaded, picnic seating in a beautifully landscaped garden.
NOTE: While Deep Cove Market offers to make sandwiches with gluten-free bread, the risk of cross contamination with gluten ingredients is high in the close confines of their kitchen.
A Small Business at the Heart of the Community
“The Deep Cove Market is not your typical convenience store. A destination for foodies, it’s a charming country market nestled in North Saanich that has become, through much hard work, a gem of a meeting place for the community.
After the Deep Cove Farm on Wain Road was retired, I wanted to provide locals like myself with a place to meet over breakfast, lunch or lattes and have a place to shop that supports our local farming community. If you want locally raised lamb, beef, poultry and eggs, it’s a place worth visiting. 10 years ago, with no grocery experience whatsoever … more
Deep Cove 10th Anniversary Feature Review in the Peninsula News, March 2015.
“Walk into Deep Cove Market and the first thing you’ll notice is the abundance of smiling faces. With the smell of fresh coffee lingering in the air, the charming wood plank floor and woven baskets of produce capping off the aisles, it’s easy to see why the shoppers are in a good mood. There’s a quaint feeling of discovery that permeates the shop, as though the perfect ingredient is waiting just around the corner. “I’ve tried to offer a lot of organic products and local products. In the summer, we try to have 100 per cent local produce,” she said. “We try to make the choices really interesting, besides regular grocery, we try to have a lot of specialty items just to make it more fun for the consumer.” That includes spending sometimes hours on the internet trying to track down a supplier if a customer has made a special request, said Waddington, always prioritizing local first” … more
Rosemary is a frequent (gluten-free) recipe contributor to Sidney’s Seaside Magazine.
Here are just a few of her best!
Island Dish: Tomato Jam
“What is tomato jam? It’s a thick, intensely tomato-flavoured condiment that is delicious enough to
- spread on your favourite burger (you’ll never use ketchup again)
- serve up on a fresh (gluten-free) baguette
- toast point with cheese
- toss into pasta with some fresh parmesan shavings
- add to your homemade soup to elevate it to a whole new level
- eat it all by itself right out of the jar. It should come with a warning on the label: “highly addictive.”
Island Dish: Summertime Spinach Salad
“I have to be honest here and tell you that this recipe is courtesy of my sister-in-law, Ros Scott. I love this salad for many reasons: it is colourful, quick to prepare, super healthy and the dressing is to die for!
There are a number of ingredients in this recipe that are part of the top 100 healthiest foods list. First of all, we have the fresh local spinach that is readily available at markets this time of year. Spinach is among the top greens for folate, and it contains high amounts of vitamin A, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, and selenium, which offers antioxidant protection and supports thyroid function.” See recipe here
Island Dish: Spring Fettucine
“When I think of spring, lamb and asparagus come to mind! The Galloping Goose Sausage Co. in Metchosin makes excellent herbed lamb sausages. They are gluten- , MSG- and preservative free. We are fortunate here at the Deep Cove Market to be able to carry fresh asparagus from Raphael at Guités Farm on Oldfield Road. I’m a big fan of easy one-dish meals, so I have combined a number of items I carry here at the Market into one entrée. This dish could easily become gluten free by substituting the pasta with a rice pasta or quinoa. I also think the lemon cooking sauce would pair nicely with chicken if you are not a lamb fan. We carry farm-fresh, free-range, antibiotic-free chicken from Kildonan Farms located right here in North Saanich. I am also a huge lover of Greek food, so I combined the lemon and lamb with peppers, onions and feta. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! ” See recipe …
North Saanich Flavor Trails Celebration Weekend! Explore and Experience the Tastes of the Saanich Peninsula!
August 27 & 28 – 14 venues hosting special activities ranging from farm gate tastings to winery and orchard tours, from sheep shearing demonstrations to scare crow making, authentic Thai cooking to a pig roast.
Printer-Friendly Flavour Trails Brochure and Map
Facebook • Instagram • Twitter
Stop in at the Oh-So-Celiac-Friendly Deep Cove Market!
10940 West Saanich Road (near Wain Road) • 250-656-2547 • Mon-Fri 7am to 7:30pm Sat-Sun 8:am to 7:30pm
Deep Cove Market • Facebook • Instagram • deepcovemarket@shaw.ca
Deep Cove Market has been serving celiacs for more than 15 years with the most eclectic selection of gluten-free products that Vancouver Island has to offer. Trust Deep Cove to carry the brands that are impossible to find at major retailers – honouring independent celiac manufacturers who are dedicated to supporting us – one kitchen to another.
A first and last stop shop for locals and tourists alike. Minutes from Schwarz Bay Ferry Terminal as you arrive or a last stop before heading to Vancouver or the Gulf Islands, you’ll be sure to leave with items you won’t find anywhere else.
An ideal destination for a Sunday drive or bicycle trip from Sidney or even Victoria. Be welcomed with wide verandahs, aisles jam-packed with goodies and shaded, picnic seating in a beautifully landscaped garden.
NOTE: While Deep Cove Market offers to make sandwiches with gluten-free bread, the risk of cross contamination with gluten ingredients is high in the close confines of their kitchen.
A Small Business at the Heart of the Community
“The Deep Cove Market is not your typical convenience store. A destination for foodies, it’s a charming country market nestled in North Saanich that has become, through much hard work, a gem of a meeting place for the community.
After the Deep Cove Farm on Wain Road was retired, I wanted to provide locals like myself with a place to meet over breakfast, lunch or lattes and have a place to shop that supports our local farming community. If you want locally raised lamb, beef, poultry and eggs, it’s a place worth visiting. 10 years ago, with no grocery experience whatsoever … more
Deep Cove 10th Anniversary Feature Review in the Peninsula News, March 2015.
“Walk into Deep Cove Market and the first thing you’ll notice is the abundance of smiling faces. With the smell of fresh coffee lingering in the air, the charming wood plank floor and woven baskets of produce capping off the aisles, it’s easy to see why the shoppers are in a good mood. There’s a quaint feeling of discovery that permeates the shop, as though the perfect ingredient is waiting just around the corner. “I’ve tried to offer a lot of organic products and local products. In the summer, we try to have 100 per cent local produce,” she said. “We try to make the choices really interesting, besides regular grocery, we try to have a lot of specialty items just to make it more fun for the consumer.” That includes spending sometimes hours on the internet trying to track down a supplier if a customer has made a special request, said Waddington, always prioritizing local first” … more
Rosemary is a frequent (gluten-free) recipe contributor to Sidney’s Seaside Magazine.
Here are just a few of her best!
Island Dish: Tomato Jam
“What is tomato jam? It’s a thick, intensely tomato-flavoured condiment that is delicious enough to
- spread on your favourite burger (you’ll never use ketchup again)
- serve up on a fresh (gluten-free) baguette
- toast point with cheese
- toss into pasta with some fresh parmesan shavings
- add to your homemade soup to elevate it to a whole new level
- eat it all by itself right out of the jar. It should come with a warning on the label: “highly addictive.”
Island Dish: Summertime Spinach Salad
“I have to be honest here and tell you that this recipe is courtesy of my sister-in-law, Ros Scott. I love this salad for many reasons: it is colourful, quick to prepare, super healthy and the dressing is to die for!
There are a number of ingredients in this recipe that are part of the top 100 healthiest foods list. First of all, we have the fresh local spinach that is readily available at markets this time of year. Spinach is among the top greens for folate, and it contains high amounts of vitamin A, iron, potassium, calcium, zinc, and selenium, which offers antioxidant protection and supports thyroid function.” See recipe here
Island Dish: Spring Fettucine
“When I think of spring, lamb and asparagus come to mind! The Galloping Goose Sausage Co. in Metchosin makes excellent herbed lamb sausages. They are gluten- , MSG- and preservative free. We are fortunate here at the Deep Cove Market to be able to carry fresh asparagus from Raphael at Guités Farm on Oldfield Road. I’m a big fan of easy one-dish meals, so I have combined a number of items I carry here at the Market into one entrée. This dish could easily become gluten free by substituting the pasta with a rice pasta or quinoa. I also think the lemon cooking sauce would pair nicely with chicken if you are not a lamb fan. We carry farm-fresh, free-range, antibiotic-free chicken from Kildonan Farms located right here in North Saanich. I am also a huge lover of Greek food, so I combined the lemon and lamb with peppers, onions and feta. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did! ” See recipe …
🍎 Pomme Natural Market Customer Appreciation Day! 🍎
Pomme Natural Market in Nanaimo!
6560 Metral Drive – 8:30am to 8pm – 7 days a week – 250-390-1955
Facebook • Instagram • Twitter
Pomme Natural Market in Coquitlam!
2755 Lougheed Highway – 8am to 10pm – 7 days a week – 604-475-2505
Facebook • Instagram • Twitter
November Flyer – Printer-Friendly Version
View Pomme Natural Market’s Complete November Flyer
Our Vancouver Island location, Pomme Nanaimo, has been selected in Nanaimo News Bulletin’s Best of the City vote for six years running! We’re proud to offer Nanaimo and the surrounding region the most healthy and ethically sourced groceries, supplements and vitamins we can find. We’re constantly inspired by our local community, and we jump at every opportunity to work with our awesome Vancouver and Gulf Island growers and producers!
Pomme Natural Market has been voted voted Nanaimo’s Best Health Food Store in the
Nanaimo News Bulletin’s Best of the City for FIVE years running!
Pomme strives to provide gluten-free shoppers with as many options — and as much support — as possible to help them make the best choices for their lives, sticking to fundamental ethical and nutritional values when deciding what makes it to their shelves. Never hesitate to ask for information or advice while you shop!
Pomme researches every company they work with. Starting off with some simple no’s: no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners are allowed in our markets, beyond that a focus on local and Canadian vendors, the uniqueness of products, the quality of ingredients, and the ethics of the companies. They listen to customers’ recommendations — to make sure we’re getting the best of the best!
Pomme Natural Market in Coquitlam
Pomme PoCo is our first and biggest Pomme! We offer the Tri-Cities a huge selection of ethically selected, super healthy groceries, certified organic produce, and excellent vitamins and supplements—as well as a wide range of natural home and kitchenware! We have a natural deli packed full of fresh, ready-to-eat meals, snacks and treats. We use the same top quality, organic and grass fed ingredients you’ll find in our aisles for our made-in-house deli foods.
🍎 Pomme Natural Market Customer Appreciation Day! 🍎
Pomme Natural Market in Nanaimo!
6560 Metral Drive – 8:30am to 8pm – 7 days a week – 250-390-1955
Facebook • Instagram • Twitter
Pomme Natural Market in Coquitlam!
2755 Lougheed Highway – 8am to 10pm – 7 days a week – 604-475-2505
Facebook • Instagram • Twitter
Cloud 9 Gluten-Free Baking Mixes 10% Off
Glutenull Granola 15$ Off
Pomme Natural Market November Gluten-Free Flyer
View Pomme Natural Market’s Complete November Flyer
Our Vancouver Island location, Pomme Nanaimo, has been selected in Nanaimo News Bulletin’s Best of the City vote for six years running! We’re proud to offer Nanaimo and the surrounding region the most healthy and ethically sourced groceries, supplements and vitamins we can find. We’re constantly inspired by our local community, and we jump at every opportunity to work with our awesome Vancouver and Gulf Island growers and producers!
Pomme Natural Market has been voted voted Nanaimo’s Best Health Food Store in the
Nanaimo News Bulletin’s Best of the City for SIX years running!
Pomme strives to provide gluten-free shoppers with as many options — and as much support — as possible to help them make the best choices for their lives, sticking to fundamental ethical and nutritional values when deciding what makes it to their shelves. Never hesitate to ask for information or advice while you shop!
Pomme researches every company they work with. Starting off with some simple no’s: no artificial colours, flavours or sweeteners are allowed in our markets, beyond that a focus on local and Canadian vendors, the uniqueness of products, the quality of ingredients, and the ethics of the companies. They listen to customers’ recommendations — to make sure we’re getting the best of the best!
Pomme Natural Market in Coquitlam
Pomme PoCo is our first and biggest Pomme! We offer the Tri-Cities a huge selection of ethically selected, super healthy groceries, certified organic produce, and excellent vitamins and supplements—as well as a wide range of natural home and kitchenware! We have a natural deli packed full of fresh, ready-to-eat meals, snacks and treats. We use the same top quality, organic and grass fed ingredients you’ll find in our aisles for our made-in-house deli foods.