I love the Manchester Christmas Market every single year. In my opinion it is by far the best Christmas market across the UK & one of the best in Europe. But… What’s Gluten Free at Manchester Christmas Market?!
What I loved about gluten free at Manchester Christmas Market this year the most was the allergen labelling that seemed to appear on every single stand. With the stricter rules coming into place over the past year regarding this, it was great to see. It made my Christmas Market experience so much better as I didn’t have to be so worried about what I could/couldn’t eat & I certainly wasn’t disappointed.
So of course there are plenty of things that are gluten free at the Manchester Christmas Market that you don’t need to worry about (BUT ALWAYS CHECK EVERY STALL!)
- Cheese Cheese Cheese – Cheese Stalls are everywhere, they smell great & taste even better.
- Cured Meats – Nearly all the cured meat stands I visited confirmed to me that their meat is 100% gluten free & amazing!!
- Nougat & Nuts – plenty of gluten free nougat & hot nuts are up for grabs, just check for them being gluten free!
- Hog Roast – the meat is gluten free, the bun won’t be… I suggest… bringing your own!
- German Sausages – please check, but most are gluten free too, just bring along a gluten free roll & you’re sorted 🙂
- Fudge surrounds you at the Manchester Christmas Market & the flavour combinations are endless & generally gluten free!!
- Alcohol! Mulled Wine, Cocktails, Champagne, Hot Spiced Cider, Alcoholic Hot Chocolate (oh & lots of hot soft drinks too!)
Alongside all of the options… here are a few of my favourite places to visit for gluten free at Manchester Christmas Market!
1) Emerald City Cupcakes
Gluten Free Cakes & Gingerbread!
Gluten Free Cupcakes, Gingerbread Men, Christmas Cakes… lots of choice and lots of fun designs! The guys at Emerald City Cupcakes are really friendly & also will make cakes to order. If you are in need of a birthday cake or a celebration cake I would highly recommend having a chat with them. They are the masters of delicious gluten free cake & always put on a great spread of gluten free at Manchester Christmas Market!
2) Delicious French Macarons
15 different flavours of french macarons… all made fresh & ALL GLUTEN FREE! From white chocolate to pistachio, there is every flavour you could dream of. It’s great to see that every single flavour is gluten free and not just a couple. They really are delicious & keep for 8 weeks if you want to buy some for presents!
3) La Fromagerie – Cheeses & Gluten Free Cheesecake!
Gluten Free Cheesecake!
Of course, as I’ve mentioned, cheese is a massive attraction at the Manchester Christmas Market. But one of my favourite stalls for cheese is La Fromagerie. Not only do they offer every type of cheese under the sun, perfect for a cheeseboard this Christmas but they also offer a traditional Gluten Free Cheesecake. It’s super rich & super sweet I’d highly recommend giving it a try!
4) Gluten Free Sausages in Gluten Free Bread Rolls!
That’s right, they provide gluten free bread here!
So, whilst as I recommended you can bring along your own gluten free bread and ask for one of the gluten free sausages to be put within it, for some people, this takes the fun out of the market. It also brings an extra cost. But you don’t have to do this now as Clowbeck’s Farmhouse Kitchen brings Gluten Free Sausages in Gluten Free Bread Rolls to Manchester Christmas Market (As well as their raved about Navy Mushrooms & Black Peas!). Now one thing you must remember with this stall is that to get a gluten free roll make sure you nip over and let them know at least 10 minutes before you want it, just so they can prepare it properly & safely for you. It is certainly worth the wait though!
5) Traditional Gluten Free Italian Cakes & Biscuits!
So many different flavours of fresh gluten free biscuits!
This Italian Biscuit stall is always at the Manchester Christmas Markets & I tend to go every year. They do a wide selection of gluten free biscuits which taste amazing. They also have every flavour of nougat & chocolate under the sun on the stall… seriously some of the chocolate looks stunning (it tastes even better!) If you haven’t been to this stand before, you best go!
6) The BEST Coconut Macarons EVER
Made with Fresh Coconut & Coconut Milk… I AM IN LOVE!
I cannot quite describe how good these are. Mark & I discovered them last Christmas and have never looked back. You will always hear of folks raving about the coconut macarons at the Manchester Christmas Market and this is what they are talking about. You can watch the baker making them from scratch & putting them in the oven. Grab yourself a bag, they’ll still be warm and experience the most delicious, soft coconut centre with a slightly crisp outside… & gluten free. These cannot be beaten. Coconut Macaron producers… take note… your products will never ever beat these!
Oh & whilst you’re at the market don’t forget to grab yourself one of the 2015 Manchester Christmas Market mugs! You get them with most drinks at the market and can keep them! I’d recommend having a hot chocolate, as there really are some truly delicious ones lurking around this year!
Let me know if you have ventured into the Manchester Christmas Markets this year. if you haven’t.. why not?! Even if you don’t live in Manchester, or even anywhere close by, I would seriously recommend visiting for a day or two. Manchester comes alive at Christmas with the markets, they are the best! & when there is lots of gluten free on offer & fab allergen info everywhere… you can guarantee a great day! (One piece of advice… if you can get down there on the weekdays.. do it, the weekends are super busy!!)
I bet I didn’t see every gluten free offering at the markets, so if you have found anything that I have missed, please let me know by leaving a comment below, or on Facebook/Twitter. I will be visiting quite a few more times before Christmas, so I don’t want to miss out on any gluten free festivities!
Thanks for reading,
Becky xxx
