Gluten-free cafes on M1 and M42

[redridingwolf]

Road-trip coming up with newly-coeliac 4yo. We're going to need stop-offs with gluten-free food in the following areas:

1. the M1 somewhere between Nottingham and Northampton
2. the M42 somewhere around Birmingham

Other possible stops are on the M40 and M18

Obviously will take food with us, but it would be nice if anyone knows good cafes doing gf food in those areas - or frankly anywhere on the M1!

anyone?

Do any of the Motorway services have McD's ? Just the burger (no bun) and fries are OK, most McFlurries (just check this After 8, Caramel, Dairy Milk ones all ok)

we head off the motorway to the nearest town and find a nandos, if we are really stuck.

good suggestions - i will check the golden arches status - it's funny, i have always avoided McD's up to now and now I will be seeking them out!

haven't tried Nandos yet (we don't have one near us) but I have heard good things about them from the gf point of view, so another good idea.

yes, the first time I took my dc to McDs was after dd1 went gf/cf

it does grate to have to go there , but they take allergies seriously, and you can get straight answers to ingredients etc (the main items are listed on the back of the paper tray liners, so you can check the major allergen easily). dd1 ends up with: large fries (she won't eat the burger - what a shame!) and an apple and grape fruit bag, and endless supplements that I always have hanging about in my bag! not the greatest meal, but doesn't hurt as a one off.

nandos are happy ot answer questions, and usually the manager (or someone in charge) will come out and show you the listed ingredients form a folder - everything is listed, and they are (in all the branches we have been to) relaxed about eg own drinks (if none suit on the menu) etc

that sounds good, silverfrog, I will look out for both McD's and Nandos on our road-trip!

(oh btw, I have name changed, it's not just another random poster answering you there!)

oh, another thought - my local Waitrose (which is not a large branch - think fruit/veg, alcohol and posh nibbles mainly!) have had gluten-free sandwiches in thier pre-repared section recently. only egg mayonnaise, I htink, but it's a start.

also, Moto service stations have really good children's areas, which include a microwave for parents to use ot heat babyfood. If you can combine a Moto service station with an M&S Simply food, or a Waitrose (these seem to be more common now), then you can buy stuff in the supermarket, and heat it up at the parents station. M&S children's Nice Rice chicken is very good, and the curry is gluten free too I think (I know it's not dairy free, so no good for us, but think it is gluten free).

so some options on the take your own and heat it yourself too

good luck!

It's sad that the places that are best for allergies are fast food places unfortunately!! We stopped at Tebay services which is a lovely homemade farm shop type of services. There was nothing DS could eat and they were fabulous and went and made him something from scratch, but we were there for nearly an hour in the end, so think well just stick to the fast-food chains for motorway stops for speedy food.

Good tips, thank you. Where is Tebay services, trixy? Is it on the M1? I guess I could always telephone ahead and see if they could have something available.

Moto tip good, silverfrog. Being able to heat stuff up makes it more of a proper meal IYKWIM.

oh yes, Ikwym.

we always take a 'food bag' (sometimes a coolbag, sometimes a plug in car fridge, depending on journey length).

we also invested in one of these for longer journeys (haven't used it in a while, as dd1 has relaxed on what she will eat - her intolerances are compounded by ASD food issues too! at one point neither sandwiches nor any form or potato was 'allowed' which really restricted us!).

but it was really handy - meant i could take a portion of something from home, and heat it up on the go. massive help when we drove down to the South of France for eg - didn't fancy trying ot find suitable food on the journey!

No sorry it's on the M6, wasn't meaning my post to sound as a recommendation for a stop there!!

I think Costa and Starbucks do gluten free biscuits these days.

Hi - not much help from me I'm afraid but I'm coeliac and my favourite service stations are those with M&S food shops in as I can get prawns/salad or sometimes a g-f sandwich so it might be worth googling to check which service stations have an M&S.

McD's fries always an option

My very favourite service station (and I insist on stopping there even if no-one's ready for a break ) is Tebay services on the M6 - junction 38 I think - it's fab. Brilliant cafe which always has the most amazing freshly made gluten-free cake. And a farm shop with lovely meat, treats - lots of g-f stuff.

Just in case you're ever travelling up North!

yes and Starbucks always carries 1 type of g-f sandwich - it's tuna mayo at the moment. And they do gluten-free brownies which are OK. good luck!

all very helpful thank you. I hadn't heard of a car fridge before, let alone a car stove! Very impressive!

I'd like to say we only have them becuase of dd1, but the car fridge was around long before her - kept the wine cold for picnics

the stove I was really glad to find. it take s awhile (bit like the heat-on-the-go baby bottle warmers etc) but you get there eventually, and it menas you definitely know what is in the food...

There is an m & s simply food at donnington services (M1 junction 24nottingham) don't know if the have gluten free but there is a huge M &S at fosse park retail which is just off junction 21 (I think) at Leicester. They will have the gf range. From memory don't the brewers fare range of pubs also do gf? Sir Jack's at Rotherham M18 junction 1 have a carvery so presumably all meat n veggies ok if you want a proper dinner?

M&S and waitrose both do gf sandwiches now. Thw waitrose sweet potato falafels with hummus are also gf, and if you get a bag of carrot sticks make a big meal.

A lot of the sushi boxes are gf (apart from the soy sauce) - my 5 yr old (not gf, I'm the coeliac) loves the M&S snack ones

The services at ram worth junction 9 or 10 m42 north of Birmingham are moto and the is a McDonald's at junction 11 a42 just before it becomes the m42. It's on the left just off roundabout if you are heading south.
I have obviously spent too much time on motorways
Where are you travelling from?

That should say tamworth not ram worth bloody iPhone!!!

wow, brilliant information here. this is just what MN can be so good at! I posted the same question on another board and just got lots of people telling me I was totally unreasonable for not taking my own picnic. (note, I will have food with us as well, in case it's needed, but want the option of eating out too.

Travelling from Leeds to London (with 4yo, 2yo and baby) so think we will need two stops, ideally one around Nottingham and one around Bedford, but ideally would have several options in case kids all asleep and we decide to push on past one of the stops.

On the way back we're going via Oxford to Leeds, so will be travelling on M40 then M42 before rejoining M1.

I htink if you try the Moto website, you can find a list of which services are owned by them. I know I've found it somewhere before.

you might be able to do this with M&S simply food too - never tried!

that would make route planning easier.

A really useful resource is the 'Just off the motorway' book which tells you about restaurants etc off each junction of every motorway. If you know you are looking for Nandos/Wetherspoons/Beefeater/Harvester etc its easy to look down the junctions and find something - esp if you have a smartphone.

You lucky, lucky person living in a city with a gf fish and chip shop - every time I go to Leeds I visit to have gf battered mushrooms etc

Sadly wolves some people don't seem to understand that those of us with kids with dietary requirements want to eat out sometimes and feel normalish as some of the allergy board regulars found on a horrid thread recently.

trixy - I think I know the thread you mean, about bringing your own food into cafes. Yes, some nasty attitudes on there.

CMOT - great tip, I have just bought that book from Amazon. There seems to be a new edition called 'Near the motorway" which was updated at the end of last year, so got that. I will annotate it with people's tips from here and end up with a gf motorway bible!

Don't live in Leeds, unfortunately, about 40 mins away, but will have to try that fish & chip shop sometime. Our local one has a gf free night once a fortnight, but it's on a Monday which isn't usually ideal for the kids. Will try it in the holidays, though.