There have been some exciting developments in the free-from world, as Tesco have added a whole host of new products to their free-from range!

Tesco Free-From range & The Allergy Show

I’ve alluded to the new range previously, as you can read about here.

A few weeks ago, we were lucky enough to be invited along to an exciting project with The Allergy Show, Tesco, Vicki (Free From Fairy) and Becky (Gluten Free Cuppa Tea). The lovely Hailey from the award winning Allergy Adventures was our shoot director for the day, and did a fantastic job of filming all of our conversations and explorations whilst maintaining the energy in the room.

The plan was to spend the day talking about some of the new free-from range, the new look packaging and then get to try the food as well.

What’s not to love about that? Of course, we jumped at the chance!!

So, after dropping the children off at school and with the childminder, it was time to take a trip to Allergy Show HQ and have lots of fun with food – I love my job!

On arrival, we were greeted with a set fit for a summer’s day. A cute picnic table, and the promise of some delicious food was to come.

Tesco Free-From range & The Allergy Show

There was a real buzz in the air at the anticipation of trying the new food in the Tesco free from range.

We weren’t disappointed!

First of all, we scrutinised the new look packaging – something Tesco and their partners have worked hard at improving, and it showed.

As an allergy parent, and also working in the allergy world with food, it’s crucial to be able to see very quickly if a food product is safe.

Every one of the packages we looked at had clear, concise and helpful information that will make shopping easier. This is a big plus point for busy parents seeking to make life a little easier, and not spend hours reading labels to spot any allergens included.

The colours used on the packaging are appealing, and stand out on the shelves.

There is also a new colour code for the allergens, and this to me is genius! I have been teaching Callum about how to read packaging, and when colour coded, this makes it so much easier. With the new colour coding, he can spot very quickly for himself if something is safe for him.

It doesn’t sound like much, but this is a big deal! For a child with significant allergies like Callum, to allow them to get control back, and make a gently guided, but still informed decision as to whether something is safe for them gives them confidence. It empowers them to feel like any other ‘normal’ child out shopping with their parents and seeing something they really fancy!

Well done Tesco!

Tesco Free-From range & The Allergy Show

So, going back to food…..

After what seemed like an agonising wait to taste the food, we got to sample a whole array of delicious food and give our thoughts on taste, appearance, what the allergy community will think, and more!

We also learned that all crumbed hams in the standard Tesco range (apart from the deli counters) are now made using gluten-free flour, how fantastic is that!

Our amazing spread included:

  • Smoked salmon rolls
  • Ham rolls
  • Salmon sandwiches
  • Bakewell Tarts
  • Carl the Caterpillar cake
  • Ice cream cones
  • Choc ices
  • Cookies
  • Brownies

And the most incredible part, not only were these gluten-free as standard, a large number were also dairy-free and more, meaning they are suitable for a large free-from audience.

Tesco Free-From range & The Allergy Show

This year, ‘safe’ picnics with the family CAN happen, without the need to slave in the kitchen for hours beforehand. There are options available that you can grab off the shelves, which are a reasonable price, and taste as good as, if not ‘better’ than the ‘normal’ options.

We were all particularly impressed with the bread and bread rolls. They had a springy, light bake and behaved like ‘normal’ bread, and didn’t disintegrate on touch. This is very hard to achieve with gluten-free bread, so we all thought this was a particularly successful achievement!

Tesco Free-From range & The Allergy Show

All of the products we sampled are available in stores now. I really recommend you go and take a look, you won’t be disappointed!

Yay to free from food, and well done Tesco! You took on board the many suggestions from the Allergy Show last year, and have delivered in an impressive way! I for one am most grateful!

Have you tried out the new range of free-from foods yet? What did you think?

** A little extra for you!**

Tesco will be at the Allergy Show in London on 8th - 10th July at Olympia. If you haven't been to an allergy show yet, I really can't recommend it enough. It's the perfect opportunity to discover fantastic free from products, meet with other free-fromers and have a great day out!

And the best bit, simply click on the link below for FREE TICKETS!

Allergy Show - Free Tickets

Tesco Free-From range & The Allergy Show

Tesco Free-From range & The Allergy Show