Skipton’s best loved fish and chip restaurant, Bizzie Lizzie’s, has received gluten-free (GF) accreditation for its gluten-free menu from Coeliac UK, the national charity for people with coeliac disease and dermatitis herpetiformis.
The easily recognisable GF symbol can now be used by both Bizzie Lizzie’s Swadford Street and High Street Car Park Restaurants and Takeaways to show that they meet Coeliac UK’s strict standards and can safely cater for those requiring gluten-free food.
Bizzie Lizzie’s Katie Davison was thrilled to receive the news, “The number of people diagnosed with coeliac disease or suffering with gluten sensitivity seems to be increasing, so we are delighted to have received gluten-free accreditation.
“It was a thorough process which involved Coeliac UK looking at staff training, communication with other staff and gluten-free customers, supply chain controls, storage, preparation and cooking, and hygiene.
“We have worked hard to make sure that our award winning fish and chips can now be enjoyed by those needing a gluten-free option.
Gluten-free batter
“At Swadford Street we use a gluten-free batter to coat our fish, which has been chosen to give both a crisp and flavoursome result. The batter mix uses rice, potato, tapioca, maize, buckwheat and gram flours, all of which are completely gluten-free.
“And to make sure there’s no chance of contamination from oil containing scraps of the normal wheat flour batter, a dedicated part of the frying range is used exclusively to cook the gluten-free fish.”
As well as gluten-free fish and chips available from Swadford Street, both restaurants also provide other gluten-free starters, main meals, and desserts.
More and more fish and chips shops offer gluten-free option
Sarah Sleet, chief executive of Coeliac UK said: “Coeliac UK is widely recognised as the expert body on the gluten-free diet and the Charity has been working alongside the catering industry for many years to encourage it to meet the needs of the growing number of people requiring a gluten-free meal. We are delighted that Bizzie Lizzie’s in Skipton has gained our accreditation and that more and more fish and chip establishments are offering a gluten-free option. Being able to safely eat gluten-free fish and chips isone of the top requests from our Members when surveyed and we would urge all establishments to consider the benefits of providing gluten-free food for their customers.”