The Truscott Arms: Say hello to your new favourite pub

Do you remember those days when you could casually stroll into a pub, grab a beer and order whatever you wanted off the menu? Fish and chips, sausage and mash. Perhaps you just fancied a scotch egg with your pint. Or a good old Sunday roast.

I can tell you my friends, THOSE DAYS ARE HERE AGAIN.

In the little slice of gluten free heaven that is The Truscott Arms, feel prepared to feel.... normal. Just go to the bar and order the fish and chips. Done. No explaining yourself to the staff, no asking about cross contamination, no asking if the chips are done in a separate frier. The fish and chips are gluten free for everyone.

The Truscott Arms is an upmarket gastropub that mixes exceptional traditional pub food with a modern airy and laid-back atmosphere. They have a great list of cocktails. But who are we kidding - they have BEER. Gluten free beer! Three kinds! A CHOICE of beer my friends! Personally I love Celia, the organic gluten free pilsner from the czech republic. But if you want to mix it up there are also two Belgian beers by Daas, a blonde and a dark. And rumour is, if Estrella ever pull their distibution socks up, there might be some Spanish Daura for us also.

The menu is clearly marked with "GF" symbols, loud and proud, right alongside the oft used vegetarian "V"'s. Why oh why places that find "V" on the menu acceptable can't type out "GF".... It makes life so much easier! Several dishes have "GF option" next to them, which you can request when ordering.

I have been to The Truscott Arms many times since it opened a year ago, and have been very pleased by their gluten free strides. I've kindly sampled everything on the menu for you my darlings, such is the dedication I have. Here's the rub:

Fish and Chips: Crisp, expertly seasoned batter. Light, crunchy, flavoursome. Mushy peas take an elegant guise as a smooth puree that is great for dipping bits of fish in. Homemade tartar sauce is fresh and world's away from anything that came in a jar. The best fish and chips I've ever had - glutenous or otherwise.

Wagyu Burger (gf option): A juicy burger in a gluten free bun. With super crispy chunky chips. Enough said!

Sausage and Mash: Sausages made to a specific Truscott recipe by the Queen's butchers Aubrey and Allen. Smooth creamy potatoes and a deep rich gravy. Posh nosh.

Boudin Noir Scotch Egg: A large scotch egg with a runny yolk surrounded by a gluten free version of black pudding. It's a very posh and scrummy Scotch Egg.

Sunday Roast Beef: A superb roast, one of the best in London. Tender and beautifully cooked high quality beef, served with buttered green beans, honey roasted root veg and the crispest roast potatoes! The red wine infused gravy is delicious. Roasts come served on big platters for the table which adds to a relaxed Sunday family feel. However, if you are gluten free they will happily serve you separately if others have ordered yorkshire puddings. The Sunday menu doesn't have "GF" marked on the menu but the staff are very knowledgeable. Rumour is they are close to perfecting a gf yorkshire pudding!
Beef Shin Chips: What might these be you might ask? LITTLE STICKS OF MEATY GENIUS. That's what. If you asked someone to create the perfect bar snack it's this. 14 hour slow cooked shin of beef, till it falls off the bone, formed into the shape of a chip, rolled in polenta and deep fried. It looks like a chip, but bite into it and it's all juicy beef. Served with a red wine bordelaise sauce for dipping.

For those of you with a sweet tooth there is a Cake of the Day which is always gluten free plus another option on the dessert menu proper. There's also gluten free bread with the cheese board by the excellent Wild Thexton.


Gluten Free Knowledge: ★★★★
Gluten Free Range: ★★★★★
Taste: ★★★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★★

Verdict: I told you it would be your new favourite pub. And you haven't even been there yet!

Upstairs at The Truscott: GF fine dining perfection

I do eat out at a lot of fine dining restaurants and on the most part they handle gluten free diets incredibly well, adapting dishes from their menus along the way. I am occasionally saddened however when I see my companion's extra crunchy something here, their extra fried something there, that have been dutifully removed from my plate. After all, the chefs spend so long balancing these plates and trying to create perfection, it's often a little sad to removed a couple of elements, usually those that add a crunchy texture.

Not so at The Truscott Arms' gloriously high ceilinged and elegant upstairs restaurant. It was with a wash of joy, a touch of disbelief and a little peep of an excited squeal that I discovered the GF marks all over the menu next to foodie items I don't usually get to try. Oyster beignet anyone?

I started with the field mushroom veloute with crisp hens eggs and truffle. Yes, you read that right, crisp. As in coated in something and fried. In this case, gluten free breadcrumbs, in a 100% gluten free frier, so no cross contamination issues there. It was a sublime dish, hearty umami flavours of the mushroom with the creamy yolk of the egg and the usually elusive crunch of the coating, bringing it all together in perfect harmony.

I also pinched some of my friend's scallops with chicken wing and MY does that blow bacon/pancetta/black pudding right of the "scallop's best friend" seat. Move over guys, scallop's new lover is a crisp confit piece of salty chicken wing.

Stone Bass

Next, along with what I must say was an excellent glass of Viognier, I tried the wild stone bass, palourde clams, artichokes, chanterelles and roasting juices. The fish was perfectly cooked, crisp on the outside and soft and flakey on the inside. A delightfully well balanced fish dish. Again I went over to my companion's plate for a cheeky little bite of their guinea fowl, which was moist and balanced with a smoked mash potato. There was a general amount of food envy that was going on, but it was extending out in all directions. Remember, when food sharing, or in life in general, it is better to give and receive. I'm not sure what all those people who are just giving or just receiving were thinking of.

Guinea Fowl

As you may know by now I'm not a terrific dessert eater, but was really pleased to see something other than creme brûlée, pannacotta or ice cream available for gluten free diners. The gluten free selection that evening was an orange and polenta cake with cardamom ice cream. They previously had a "Rhubarb and custard crumble" with ginger ice cream and gf oat crumble.

For cheese lovers it is a wonderful treat to have gluten free artisan crackers with cheese. In fact the dark imitation "rye" gluten free bread that was served throughout, from the marvellous gluten free baker Wild Thexon was truly the envy of my sourdough-eating companions.

"Rhubarb and custard" Gf oats

The menu changes frequently as new seasonal produce becomes available, but this is a place that is committed to providing the same experience for a gluten free diner as for anyone else, so I was assured that the majority of the menu will be naturally gluten free, including those crispy treats we long for.

This is a place for a romantic evening, a foodie treat or a real special occasion.

Gluten Free Knowledge: ★★★★★
Gluten Free Range: ★★★★★
Taste: ★★★★★
Atmosphere: ★★★★

Verdict: Gluten free fine dining without the compromise

My 10 favourite gluten free products

I don't normally ever write about gluten free products. I like to keep the blog all about eating out. However these products are so fantastic they are too good not to share! I'll keep it brief.

Nairn's Oatcakes and biscuit breaks
Perkier apple and cinnamon porridge
DS frozen pizza
Bfree multigrain wraps

BFree Brown Seeded Loaf

This is my favourite gluten free bread. It healthy - low fat, high fibre. It's also dairy free. But most importantly it ticks the boxes in what you want in a gluten free loaf: decent sizes slices, it holds together, and it tastes GREAT. I can feed it to any gluten eating guest without complaint. And that's saying something!

Nature's Path Nice and Nobbly Granola 

This is a real treat. It's great for topping yoghurt for breakfast. It's great for a cheat's crumble topping. It's great on it's own from the bag as a snack (I'm guilty!). There is the berry version with freeze dried raspberries and blueberries. And there is also an equally delicious pumpkin seed, almond and raisin version. 

Nature's Path Mesa Sunrise

This is a great breakfast cereal that you can have daily. It's made from corn, buckwheat and amaranth which tastes great, and is a supergrain - high in fibre and many other nutrients.




Alara Into The Garden

This muesli mix is great for mixing with other cereals and for topping yoghurt. It's filled with great healthy ingredients. Goji berries, cranberries, linseeds, quiona, buckwheat, sunflower seeds.




Isabels Pizza Base Mix

I was super impressed with this pizza mix. The results are excellent! You can make your own thin crispy bases. Much better than the premade cardboard bases. These have great elasticity when you are rolling them out. Super easy to make, and worth the effort!







Perkier Porridge - Apple, Cinnamon and Raisin

A porridge lover's delight! Superb flavour acheived with no added sugar. They also sell this in individual to-go pots that you can take with you to the office or on holiday. It's a classic flavour combination that hard not to love!


Barkat Pretzels

These should come with a warning. "Once opened you will eat the entire bag". They taste fantastic, just like normal pretzels. Super moorish and I adore them. I like to pack them on holidays as a snack to go with my wine. Though they get eaten on the first day. Or on the plane. They don't ever last long! Solution? Buy multiple packs! Oh, and tell your gluten eating friends to get their hands off!





BFree Wraps

These wraps are fantastic! They are dairy and egg free also, and come in at a very healthy 99 calories. They are nice and floppy and don't ever split. I like to heat mine up for a few seconds in a pan before eating. They can be used for everything: breakfast burritos with eggs, chicken fajitas, lunch wraps, instant healthy pizza base. Anything! They also freeze well and a few seconds in hot pan or a microwave and bam, you're ready to go!


DS frozen pizzas- Bonta d'Italia

The whole DS range of pizzas are fantastic. I keep one in the freezer for lazy days and emergencies. They have a great texture and wonderful flavour. The best ready made gluten free pizza out there.

Salute Gluten Free Fusilli

This pasta is superb. Gluten free pasta has come a long way in recent years and Italy in leading the way. This is entirely indistinguishable from normal pasta. It completely holds it's shape. You can cook it al dente. Indeed it is so good that I have had friends over for dinner who were shocked - "you can't eat that!". Why yes I can my friends.



All of these products are available from Ocado and other online stores.

Ocado wins in my opinion as the best gluten free supermarket. Even if you only use it once every couple of months just for your gluten free supplies it's worth it.

Oh, that reminds me! I forgot beer! Shout out to Celia Lager - organic gluten free pilsner from the Czech Republic.