Gluten Free Fortnight Shortlisted for Cateys Award 2023

We are thrilled to have our Stirling & Forth Valley Gluten Free Fortnight campaign shortlisted for the Best Marketing Campaign award at the 2023 Cateys Awards, a prestigious ceremony that recognises excellence in the hospitality industry.

We take our commitment to providing safe, delicious gluten-free food very seriously, and it's an honour to be recognised in this way.

We first started serving gluten-free food in 2007 because we wanted to make sure that everyone could enjoy eating out, regardless of dietary requirements.

Our founder and director, Sarah Heward says:" We started serving Gluten Free Food at The Real Food Cafe in 2007 because my cousin was Coeliac, and I felt sorry for him not being able to share the joy of eating out.

Today, we are an A grade Coeliac UK Accredited Caterer, an accolade we've held for the past 7 years. We serve thousands of Coeliacs (and their families & friends) every year. They often travel hundreds of miles to eat at a venue they trust."

We launched Gluten Free Fortnight in 2019 and it has quickly gained momentum. 

In 2022 The Real Food Cafe joined forces with the regional drink & food group, Forth Valley Food & Drink to expand it across the region. Last year the region-wide Gluten Free Fortnight was held for the the first year and included several hospitality outlets across the region, including, The Broch Cafe, Fintry Inn and The Brig o’Turk Tearoom.

Our partnership with Forth Valley Food and Drink C.I.C. has been essential to the success of the Gluten Free Fortnight campaign. Together, we are upskilling hospitality staff, promoting caterers that deliver safe, delicious gluten-free food across the region and raising awareness of the Coeliac disease among the public. 

Carolyn McGill from Forth Valley Food & Drink expressed her delight at the achievement, describing the campaign as a "great example of partnership working in hospitality."

We are excited to announce that the Gluten Free Fortnight campaign is set to return in 2023, taking place from 14 to 29 October featuring businesses with gluten free menus, specials & events. 

The Real Food Cafe's gluten-free menu, however, is available year-round, so you don't have to wait until October to visit the area. If you're heading to the West of Scotland, you can always stop by in Tyndrum and try our delicious gluten free dishes including everyone's favourite gluten free fish & chips.

You can view our gluten-free menu at https://therealfoodcafe.com/pages/gluten-free-menu.

If you're a hospitality venue in the Forth Valley area dedicated to serving delicious, safe gluten-free food, please email hello@forthvalleyfoodanddrink.org to sign up and be part of the campaign.

We are incredibly proud of the Stirling & Forth Valley Gluten Free Fortnight campaign and are grateful for the recognition it has received from the Cateys Awards. We hope that the campaign will continue to raise awareness of the importance of catering for those with dietary requirements and inspire more hospitality venues to provide safe, delicious gluten-free options.

For more information about the campaign and to get involved, visit https://glutenfreefortnight.com.