Menu help for coeliacs

From the “why didn’t someone think of it sooner” department (it’s possible someone has and I just haven’t heard about it), comes http://www.glutenzero.com.au/, a new website that lists gluten-free options on the menus of Sydney’s restaurants. Coeliac disease affects about 1 in 100 Australians and having recently been on a girls’ night out with a sufferer, I’ve seen first hand how frustrating it can be sifting through the menu options trying to find a dish that doesn’t contain grains such as wheat, barley, rye or oats (meaning no pasta, noodles, bread or cakes) or an ingredient that contains gluten such as soy sauce, malt vinegar or cornflour. From Amanda’s experience staff are generally helpful but chefs themselves may not even know if the dishes they’re plating up are gluten-free, especially if they’re taking short cuts with commercially made products.

The list of restaurants on the website certainly isn’t comprehensive but the team behind it say they have plans to add more and eventually to take the idea national. Good for them.