Against The Grain

“Since we opened we have been aware that there is a huge demand for gluten free products. So, as part of our marketing plan we always offered a range of items for people with special dietary requirements. Our philosophy is to source local produce first, then organic and finally to focus on the needs of customers with food allergies or intolerances.

There are over two million diagnosed coeliacs in the UK and many others don’t even know they suffer from the condition. We thought supporting Coeliac Awareness Week was the perfect opportunity to promote our lines. 

During the whole campaign, we offered our special gluten free faggots to customers. This speciality goes very well with gravy, washed down with a good glass of wine, so we also ran a promotion with our organic continental wine. It has been very popular and attracted a lot of new customers. Many people came to tell us how happy they are to have a place where they can buy gluten-free products.

Of course, we had to make sure we promoted the event properly. We worked closely with the Coeliac Society and received quite a lot of coverage in its magazine. We also sent press releases to the local press and distributed leaflets at the markets where we sell our homemade products.

It’s nice to offer something for coeliacs as they don’t often find products suitable for their condition. For other people, it was the opportunity to discover that free from food doesn’t necessarily mean it has no flavour. All our burgers and sausages, for example, are gluten free and they’re very tasty.

We have done a lot of promotions over the years, but this one was clearly the most successful. As a result we are trying to source even more gluten free products. We have just found a local cake company and are also thinking of making our own sweet treats. As for next year, we’ll certainly come up with something even better for Coeliac Awareness Week.”