A gluten free food fair is coming to Preston as part of Coeliac Awareness Week.

The event will bring together around 25 of the north west’s best manufacturers and providers of gluten free food on Saturday 11 May.

Stallholders will be selling the likes of gluten free pasta, pies, beer, brownies, and freshly cooked fish and chips.

Alongside the food stalls Coeliac UK staff will be offering advice on coeliac symptoms and how to get tested for the auto-immune condition.

Organised jointly by the Preston and East Lancashire groups of national charity Coeliac UK, the event has been timed to coincide with the annual Coeliac Awareness Week. Running from 13 to 19 May, this year’s awareness week aims to highlight the wide variety of coeliac disease symptoms in order to help undiagnosed coeliacs to get a diagnosis.

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Pat Beesley, Group Organiser for the Preston Coeliac UK group, said: “The gluten free community relies on sharing information about quality food products that are safe for them to eat. Food fairs like ours are always popular with coeliacs and others who must follow a gluten free diet.

“Many of our stallholders are smaller producers whose ranges aren’t available in supermarkets. Our food fair will help people discover some new gluten free products and meet the people who make them.

“We know that visitors enjoy browsing the stalls before tucking into the treats they buy, so we will have a seating area for them to stay a little longer and dine. Fish and chips, pakoras and more will be freshly cooked at the event, and a coffee van will offer a selection of ground coffee and tea too.”

Stephen Haworth, Group Organiser for the East Lancashire Coeliac UK group, said: “Coeliac UK estimate that there are nearly half a million people in the UK living with undiagnosed coeliac disease. They may be passing off their symptoms as other conditions since they can be so easily confused, even by health professionals.

“Through their Coeliac Awareness Week campaign, Coeliac UK aim to raise awareness of the symptoms that could indicate coeliac disease and encourage people to visit their GP for a coeliac disease blood test, particularly if they have been diagnosed with IBS as the symptoms are so similar.”

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The Preston and East Lancashire gluten free food fair runs from 10.30am to 2.30pm on Saturday 11 May in the sports hall at Preston’s College. Entry is free and everyone is welcome.

To find out more, visit the Coeliac UK website or join the Facebook event for regular updates.

Will you be going to the fair? Let us know in the comments below.