Plymouth chippy opens solely gluten free takeaway
A popular Plymouth fish and chip shop is to open a dedicated gluten free takeaway just three doors away from its current premises.
Harbourside Gluten Free, which is yards from Harbourside in South Street, Barbican, opens next month for takeaway only and will offer a full range of gluten free choices including fish and chips, sausages, fishcakes and children’s options. Prices will remain in line with those at its original site apart from fish which will see a 10p price increase.
The takeaway is believed to be the first solely gluten free fish and chip shop in the South West.
Owner Sarah Lock has taken the step following a continued demand for gluten free at Harbourside, a request which the restaurant is currently unable to fulfil.
Sarah comments: “At Harbourside, we are constantly asked for gluten free but because of cross contamination we just can’t do it. More and more people are aware of what they are eating and they might not even be a coeliac necessarily, however, they are making that choice.
“It’s definitely a growing market, so when this shop came up for sale, I thought I would buy it and do something a little bit different. It’s quite small, so I think a solely gluten free menu will suit it and it will be a lot easier for us to manage having a shop 100% dedicated to gluten free fish and chips.”
Sourcing menu items has been relatively straight-forward with most of the produce needed available from Sarah’s current suppliers. She comments: “The range isn’t extensive but the products are available. Middletons, for example, has got a separate factory that can produce a lot of items, and we’re using Blakemans gluten free sausages, so it’s actually a lot of the same products that we’re using already just gluten free versions. I’m currently testing out two different batters and obviously fish and potatoes are gluten free anyway.
“I have decided not to sell pies as the gluten free ones were just too expensive. The only thing that I really want that I haven’t been able to get is gluten free scampi. I know you can buy fresh langoustines and batter them yourself but you’ve got to charge £8-£9 a portion and it just won’t work here. So if anyone has a good quality gluten free scampi, give us a call!”
The new takeaway will employ five extra staff and will be open seven days a week from 12-9pm. It will have seating outside for 15.
Harbourside Gluten Free hopes to gain Coeliac UK accreditation, which will enable to shop to use the GF logo on its menu and marketing.