Coeliac Awareness Week Day 5 - Supermarkets and Other Tales

As you probably already know, gluten free food is usually two to three times the price of its gluten-containing counterparts. My favourite items for comparison here are bread and cereal, both things often considered essential. An average 'normal' loaf of brown bread is around 800g and costs anything from 80p (Sainsbury's own brand brown bread) to £1.50 (Allinson Wholemeal).

Gluten free bread, on the other hand, is difficult to find in a size bigger than 600g, and that size loaf will set you back between £2.89 and £2.99. The situation with cereal is much the same. All gluten free cereals come in 300g at most, and cost between £2.50 and £2.99.

Sainsbury's cereal - £1.50 for 500g. Nature's Path cereal - £2.99 for 284g

So, as you can imagine, when there are offers on gluten free ranges, it's a free for all and everyone tries to maintain a modicum of dignity while throwing themselves at shelves, headfirst, elbowing little old ladies and small children out of the way if necessary. Okay, I'm exaggerating a little, but it gets very busy very fast!

Because of that, this week, I've been out scouting for deals in Sainsbury, Tesco and Waitrose. I would have looked at Asda, but their website indicated no special offers for Coeliac Awareness Week.

This is what I've found:

Tesco - 3 for 2 on gluten free, but not in my good books. Ordered shopping with them on Sunday for Monday morning, but the offer wasn't noted on their website until Monday morning. Went to the store, where there were no offers in the Free From section. I asked at Customer Service, where they told me it was 'online only'. Not impressed. Complained and they agreed to give me free delivery. Later found out it IS in store, but Customer Service clearly had no clue!

Sainsbury - in general, I'd prefer to shop at Sainsbury's, but their offer was 5 for 4 on gluten free. At £2.99 for a box of cereal, I'd have to spend £12 on cereal to get one box free! I don't consider that to be a great offer. Feels a little like they're taking advantage of coeliacs. Have bought nothing.

Waitrose - the winner for me. They invited members of the Bournemouth & Poole Coeliac Support Group (myself included) to their Wimborne store for a meeting about what they're doing. They have 3 for 2 on most of their gluten free range, and almost everything was in stock. They took us out the back, so we could see their gluten free stock (see pic below), but their were items they hadn't made enough effort to stock. Newburn Bakehouse seeded wraps, for example, they get ONE PACK of at a time, and they said it sells immediately. They couldn't answer why they didn't order more.

Free from stock in the back at Waitrose, Wimborne

Local support group meeting with Waitrose, Wimborne

I did grab some bargains, which has made me a VERY happy girlie! In the offers this week, I've got 3 packs of jaffa cakes, 3 boxes of chocolate teacakes, a loaf of bread, 4 bags of flour, 3 boxes of cereal, 3 packs of 9 Bars, 1 pack of Genius Pain au Chocolat, 3 boxes of cherry bakewells, 3 Georgia's Choice Mexican Bean Bakes, 3 boxes of biscuits, and although there must have been one other thing, I can't for the life of me remember what it was!! I've spent a fortune, but it'll keep me in goodies for birthdays, etc for months to come.