Breakfast judges hard at work! And hard work it was too as we were judging not just breakfast cereals but milk and yogurts to go with those cereals, and breakfast baked goods. Bagels, crumpets, pancakes, pain au chocolat, savoury muffins – even a vegan ‘breakfast sandwich’!
Sue Cane (of Sue’s Coeliac diary and our gluten-free beer expert) was so inspired by the cereals (and the breakfast sandwich) that she wrote a short blog post. The only problem is that she does not have a blog! So we are lending her our space. But please be aware that her opinions are hers alone – we, naturally, are totally impartial and have no opinions!!
Sue’s Report:
As one of those people who think a healthy breakfast an essential meal I was quite impressed with the range of items on offer in the breakfast category of the FFFA2015.
These brilliant manufacturers have really got their act together to cater for a wide range of tastes. They’ve come up with some good quality products that I’d be pleased to eat at home or whilst out and about.
I’m not a fan of sugary cereals, and whilst there were plenty of these to cater for those with a sweet tooth, I was mightily impressed to see three great quality products with no added sugar: a muesli, a seeded ‘super-food’ porridge, and a sprouted oat porridge. There was also a maple and pecan crunch that was sweetened but was so wonderfully delicious that if you had a packet you’d eat handfuls of it any time of day at all.
These would all make great breakfasts, as would another item I really liked – a breakfast sandwich.
I can eat small quantities of oats, and I liked Delicious Alchemy’s Purely Oaty Fruity Muesli because it’s the only unsweetened muesli I’ve seen. Just that alone is worth a star.
Dr Gaye Super-Porridge is certainly super-expensive but it’s not like any porridge I’ve ever tasted before. I liked the unusual mix of oat and grain-free ingredients and the fact that it’s healthy enough to eat every day. It wasn’t everybody’s cup of tea, but it’s a clever idea and is quick and easy to prepare.
Rude Health Sprouted Porridge Oats rocked my boat big-time. As the title says, it’s a bag of sprouted oats, but for those people who like to make porridge in a pan, this produces a bowl of the most deliciously textured, very slightly crunchy oats. No sugar, no additives, just chunky, sprouted, rolled oats. They were fab.
Primal Joy Maple and Pecan Nut Crunch This is fresh-tasting, sweet and lightly crunchy, with the irresistible combination of maple-syrup and pecan nuts. But it’s too good for breakfast, too special to squander in a rush before you dash out of the house. This can be eaten at any time of day, in handfuls or spooned over ice cream.
Amy’s Kitchen Veggie Sausage Breakfast Sandwich struck me as a brilliant idea. It’s an ingenious savoury breakfast that’s gf, df and vegan. It’s generous, filling and I thought it tasted great. It needs a fanfare to herald its entrance into the void which is savoury veggie breakfast products. It’s a bit like a veggie-burger in a bun. If you don’t like sweet breakfast products and all your chums are feasting on bacon butties or egg rolls, this won’t leave you feeling left out. In fact I rather fancy one now.
But although Sue was somewhat obsessed by the cereals, there were lots of other good things on offer too. Amazing how gluten-free (and often dairy, egg and soya-free) bagels have improved over the last few years – not to mention gluten free versions of other breakfast favourites – pancakes, muffins and croissants/pain au chocolat. You are never going to get perfect gf/df-replicas of the best French baked morning goods – but let’s face it, how often are the gluten-filled ones that line the high streets even edible? But what is now on offer for those on gluten-free and even dairy-free diets is perfectly pleasant and acceptable – which certainly was not the case a few years ago.
And what about the milks and yogurts? Here (courtesy of Sue’s photographic skills this time) are the jugs all lined up ready to receive them.
Well, there is no doubt that coconut ruled – both in terms of the milks and the yogurts but, if you are a bit coconut obsessed (and I am afraid that I subscribe to the current craze) then that is no bad thing. It is certainly no bad thing for that growing number of people who are both dairy and soya allergic/intolerant offering them a wide choice of ‘milks’, yogurts, desserts and ice creams that they could never have hoped for a few years ago.
So what next? Oh yes!! Chocolate and confectionery…. Lucky judges! Watch this space!
* The Breakfast Category was sponsored by Tesco.