Buffet Food For Gluten Free and Vegan

[Ilovefluffysheep]

We are having a party (getting married abroad and this is around a month later). It is very much not a traditional reception, but a party in a barn with friends and family, have booked a band etc.

For the food I am leaning towards getting pizzas delivered and doing a buffet of salad bits to go with it, plus cakes etc. Have looked at buffet catering but just finding the prices crazy. Also considered a jacket potato van, but they wanted silly money. Anyway, I digress!

I have got a couple of guests needing gluten free food, and a couple needing vegan food. I'm waiting for a response from the pizza company, but am making the assumption they won't be able to cater for those (no sign on the menu that they offer these things). I was thinking of ordering a platter of GF sandwiches and a platter of vegan ones, along with some other suitable snacks (and will be making sure that no-one touches these apart from those who need them, as I am a vegetarian and know how annoying it is when the only food suitable for you runs out!). However, been reading a thread on here today which says that GF bread is basically awful and sandwiches are nasty.

I don't have a kitchen facility in the barn, so can't do anything hot for them. Just wondered if anyone had any ideas?

The major pizza chains do gluten free pizzas and many are vegan if the base doesn’t have milk. There’s some vegan cheese alternatives but they can vary in how good they taste.

If you order pizzas from Dominos or Pizza Hut, then they both do gluten free pizzas.

As a coeliac, if everyone else was having pizza and I had sandwiches (which are rank tbh) I would be feeling pretty unloved.

If you have power to the barn, could you rally friends and family and their slow cookers to provide jacket pots and meat/veg chilli and then toppings? Its easy to do, cheap, and caters for everyone

I'll look into Dominos and Pizza Hut, thanks. The one I'm looking at is Papa Luigi, I have only considered that because it is literally 5 minutes away from the venue, and am thinking if it's snowing or whatever (party is in January) they could at least walk the pizza over!

CMOTDibbler, totally get what you are saying about eating differently. Am actually glad I read about the thread today saying the bread is rank, I want people to have tasty alternatives if I can't sort pizza out for them.

I'm not sure the slow cooker thing will work, I think everything needs PAT testing there (the renting out is done by the council so I'm sure for insurance purposes that will be part of the t&c's.

Will keep looking though, I want to keep to a bit of a budget but ensure that those with dietary requirements don't miss out.

For vegan just order pizzas with veg on top and no cheese - they are ok with no cheese esp with mushrooms or other "juicy" veg.

If you’re getting GF pizza then Pizza Express is the hands down best.

Pizza Hut is revolting (left 2/3 on my plate it was so bad) and dominos is so so. Pizza express is the best on the market.

General snackey buffet food I STRONGLY recommend you go to MnS and raid their GF section for cakes nibbles and actual cake.

I think I can speak for most GF when I say MnS is the best supermarket brand going.

I accidentally picked up a M&S gluten free sandwich and as soon as I took a bite I knew something was up, I couldn't even finish the bread, and that's saying something! There was me thinking how lucky I was to get the last cheese ploughman's

Interesting comment about pizza hut, I know my friends daughter loves the Pizza Hut GF pizza!

I've just googled Dominos, and although haven't called them directly, did see something come up about them not being prepared in a separate area and so a big risk of cross contamination. That is a big no no for my coeliac friend.

bestbefore, I was thinking of ordering a couple of pizzas with no cheese on and vegetarian toppings, but I obviously need to make sure no eggs or dairy are in the pizza base.

Will look at M&S for cakes!

In fairness last time I had a Pizza Hut GF was around 2 years ago, not long after they brought out their ‘gf base’ it was terrible but they may have changed it since then.