10 Memorable Gluten Free Stories of 2018

There was lots of gluten free news in 2018 but these were the most memorable stories to me. How about you? What will you remember about 2018 related to gluten free living?

1. Party City Superbowl Ad Debacle

 2018 started off with a bang when Party City aired a Super Bowl ad that was probably the most highly offensive media fail to date (and that’s saying something). The gluten free community banned together and flooded Party City – and their ad agency Hill Holliday – with emails and calls. We used our collective voice to affect change. Not only was the ad pulled but Party City donated money to a few Celiac organizations. Nice work everyone!

2. New Openings

Dedicated gluten free restaurants continued to open, like Senza Gluten Bakery and Cafe in NYC and Seoul Spice in College Park, MD. Sprouts Farmers Market, based in Arizona, made its debut on the East Coast, with 2 locations in the Baltimore area. Sprouts made accessible new gluten free products and full product lines that otherwise wouldn’t be available or were hard to find on the East Coast.

3. Super Advocate: Gluten Free Watchdog

Tricia Thompson, aka Gluten Free Watchdog, continued to advocate for the gluten free community. Among many other projects, she focused on getting the FDA to deal with product misbranding and gluten in medicine.  

4. Gluten Free Cider at B.C. Brewery

Brewery and gluten free are not words you see together often. Now the Baltimore-area is lucky enough to claim one that serves their own craft ciders, made by a brewer who was just diagnosed with Celiac Disease. Thanks to the efforts of Brewer Beth, B.C. Brewery has a lot to offer the gluten free community. Look for more in the future: they plan to create a gluten free beer on tap!

5. Gluten Free Bed and Breakfast Opens

A gluten free Bed and Breakfast opened this year: Nellysford Country Inn, in Nellysford, VA.! Gluten free travel just got easier with the addition of this bed and breakfast located on the sunrise side of the Blue Ridge Mountains, Virginia. Wake up to French toast, creamy cheesy grits, baked apples, scrambled eggs (from their own chickens), local sausage from a neighboring farm, fresh berries and abundant coffee and freshly squeezed orange juice.  All celiac safe, because no gluten-containing foods come into the kitchen. There’s lots to do in this Virginia wine country spot and the hearty (and safe) breakfast will get you off to a strong start.

6. New innovations and research

New innovations this year included a in-home celiac antibody test: imaware home testing. Ongoing research explored potential drug treatments for celiac disease. To view information related to drug development and research, check out Beyond Celiac’s research page. You can also view their Be Bold Research Symposium, held in November, here.

7. Starbucks Let Down

Starbucks was riding high with the community in the earlier part of the year with their gluten free breakfast sandwich. They had cross contact procedures in place, it was individually packaged and heated in a paper wrapper. The sandwich provided an option for travelers that didn’t previously exist and the community was grateful. Until they took it off the market, citing low sales. Many people voiced frustration that their local stores didn’t carry it carrying it or rarely had it in stock. Others suggested the true issue was a problem in the supply chain. There certainly didn’t seem to be a problem with demand given the outcry when it was pulled. Disclaimer: Starbucks and I have a rocky relationship. I’ve never hidden my frustration at their lack of transparency about drink ingredients. I’ve sent sent countless email and made many calls to get to the bottom of the gluten free status of their drinks, to no avail.  Their gluten free breakfast sandwich, and it’s careful handling, brought me back to baseline with them. Now, I’m back to frustration.

8. The Baltimore Gluten Free Meet-Up Group

The Baltimore Gluten Free Meet Up Group launched this spring and we’ve been eating our way across Baltimore ever since! More than just enjoying gluten free restaurants, we’ve practiced yoga, exercised together in a pilates class. In early 2019, and have a potluck and movie viewing planned. There is nothing like getting together with people in real life. I’ve met smart, fun, supportive, interesting people – please join us if you can. 

9. Gluten Free in College

Colleges and University across the US continue to improve their accommodations for gluten free students. One university that stepped up this year is Boston University. They now has certified gluten free pantries and kitchen stations. The kitchen serves scratch-made lunch and dinner entrees. The certified gluten-free pantries can be accessed for all mealtimes via a key card that are provided to students after taking a specified class. The pantries contain toasters, microwaves, stocked refrigerators and freezers and shelf stable items.

10. You!

You’re the best thing about this gluten free journey and most memorable story for me. Thank you for your continued support of one another and for making our community the strong resource it is!