campus hates celiacs//

Nosh Hunt: For all the gluten-free readers

I’ve recently become acquainted with someone who has celiac disease, meaning he not only can’t eat gluten (obviously), but also can’t have anything cross-contaminated with gluten — a part of having celiac that I wasn’t aware of. Any food made in a kitchen where knives aren’t cleaned and countertops aren’t wiped down is a no-go. After roaming campus with him for a while, I realized there aren’t many (if any) places for him to grab a snack between class or a meal with friends, so we began a hunt to find completely gluten-free (GF) food on campus.

The Gallery

A plate of nachos topped with onions, and two small dishes of sour cream and salsa.

Our first stop was one of my favourite places to grab a drink with friends: The Gallery. I had high hopes for this spot. The menu boasts a variety of GF options to try, ranging from salads to fries to mains. When ordering nachos, I asked the bartender if the GF options were cross-contaminated. She unfortunately noted that they do not clean equipment in between dishes, and the fries are all made in a fryer that also cooks breaded items. She warned that if you are highly sensitive to gluten, this is not the place to eat. The nachos were tasty, but not safe if you have celiac.

Blue Chip

Plates of brownies and chocolate cookies in a clear display case, both with labels saying they're gluten-free.

For dessert, we headed downstairs to Blue Chip. They keep their GF pastries in a separate display case, and some of the items are even individually wrapped. When I asked the cashier about their preparation methods, she noted that she couldn’t guarantee there was no cross-contamination, but that they try their best to keep ingredients separate. We tried a chocolate cookie, and it was quite tasty — the only negative thing we noted was the texture was slightly grainy, and it was almost too rich.

Harvest/Hero

A salad bar with around 20 bowls of vegetables and other salad components.

At Harvest, they have a variety of food options including a salad bar, hot meals and pre-made sandwiches. The salad bar looked promising: the only glutenous item was croutons, and everything had its own serving utensil. I asked the chef about their preparation, and she said they unfortunately don’t clean their knives, and again, she couldn’t guarantee zero cross-contamination, but my GF expert said he would still eat the salad as it seemed relatively safe. There are also many snacks, fresh fruits and vegetables available, making Harvest a good place to stop by if you don’t eat gluten.

Hero had a few GF pastry options, all of which were in a separate basket and individually wrapped. They aren’t made in-house, so I cannot confirm the preparation process, but the packaging says GF.

Swiss Bakery

Labels for an "Almond Chip Cookie" and "Coconut Macaroon Cookie," both reading "gluten-friendly." Cookies individually wrapped in plastic.

The newest cafe on campus is a prime location for studying, chatting and snacking. Right in the middle of University Boulevard, Swiss Bakery has a plethora of pastries to choose from, including gluten-friendly treats. Notice the term ‘friendly’ instead of ‘free’ — a common label used by restaurants and bakeries who want their customers to know that despite no wheat flour going into the food, there is still cross-contamination from the kitchen, something that I confirmed with the barista. There are a few gluten-friendly options to choose from at Swiss, including brownies and cookies. I tried the peanut butter cookie, and despite its tougher texture, it still tasted great.

Overall, I’m disappointed with UBC’s GF food selection. It is impossible to guarantee anything is completely safe, but it seems as though many places aren’t trying to keep their knives and counters clean, despite it being difficult enough to find GF food already. My top pick from this list is Harvest, since they have the widest variety of GF options, but it seems like a restaurant that prioritizes completely gluten-free options is needed somewhere at UBC. If you have celiac or don’t eat gluten for any other reason, I wish you the best of luck snacking and hope this list has been a bit of help.

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