This year, I was very honoured to be invited to judge two categories in the Free From Food Awards; superfoods and sport’s supplements, and store cupboard. I was totally amazed that I got to try absolutely everything. I have coeliac disease (gluten free) and lactose intolerance (dairy free) but also have to avoid fructose, so this was pretty incredible. That was a mere 42 items in total!!!!
On the 22nd January, I was at my wit’s end. I was still poorly with sinusitis (after weeks and weeks) and emailed Michelle and Cressida to warn them that I probably wasn’t going to make it down to do the Free From Food Award 2019 judging. I suddenly realised that it was the steroids I was taking that were making me really bad, so after consultation with my GP, I stopped taking them and managed to make it. Phew!! Not really sure what the best me was – a drowned rat like last year or slightly crazy on steroids!? I’ll let Michelle and Cressida be the judges for that one.
The store cupboard category is massive as it covers so much. I hadn’t even thought of half the things that were served. I had to miss the morning session and my first item to try was therefore pretty random – a teaspoon of gravy. Yum! But the products just kept a-coming. It was a crazy mixture which I guess is a good representation of most people’s store cupboards. I reckon the only thing that was missing that is in mine was ice cream cones. Maybe an entry to consider for next year folks.
We tried cookies, brownies, breads, pancakes, sauces, spice rubs, pestos, Yorkshire puddings, cakes and nut butters. Everyone’s tummies were feeling a bit odd after the mammoth judging session, but I pointed out that I think someone with a stomach made of steel would still feel a little weird after so many different foods in a short space of time. Hee hee.
I know nut butters being in the Free From Food Awards may raise some eyebrows. It is a really tricky one because nuts are a really good substitute for a lot of gluten and dairy free products and also appeal to vegan customers. But the other side of the story is that it means people who have a nut allergy can’t eat a lot of products in the free-from aisle. I would love to know your thoughts on this???
I was on a fantastic judging panel for the store cupboard session with Nina from Eat Allergy Safe, Nathalie from Intolerant Gourmand, Vicky from Free From Fairy, Sue from GF Beer Expert and Susanna Booth from Wide Circle Cooking. It was lovely to meet everyone properly and have some good chats. I think we managed to maintain about 90% professionalism too so I would say top marks for that. There is always a good mixture of judges for the blind-tasting and scores are made considering taste, quality, nutritional value, ingredients lists, what is described on the packaging, free-from claims and price (ie all bases).
There was such a wide variation in the breads. A few of them just took way too long to bake and Cressida and co in the kitchen had to experiment a bit – this obviously does not lead to ‘easy to cook’ products. We had some with a rather sad face… and the evil holey bread that drives so many of us coeliacs absolutely bonkers.
Some of the products looked a lot more like a normal loaf though and had a decent texture. There were also some that did not fall apart when you were eating them. Hallelujah!
The next day was a different kettle of fish entirely, although there wasn’t actually any fish (much to Boris’s dismay – Boris is Michelle’s cat pictured below). This was the superfoods and sport’s supplements session and I was on a judging panel with the lovely Sue and Nina again, and also Christine Bailey. This session was all about protein shakes, oils and chai health mixes. We tried all of the products in water and dairy-free milk, and some hot and cold.
Unfortunately I had to then run off after a quickly scoffed lunch (thanks Michelle and Cressida) to catch my train home. I am going to try my best to start liking gf beer and ale by next year so I can do that judging session. That one sounds like the most fun!!
Keep an eye out for who gets the gold awards and who is short-listed. And guess what… the shortlist will be out THIS very week! Keep an eye on the Free From Food Awards page to see who’s made it.
The winners will be announced on the 20th March at the Free From Food Awards Ceremony in London. I am going to head down and I can’t wait – March is going to be an exciting month.