Triangle Raw Foods

I was contacted by Jane, co-owner of Triangle Raw Foods, to share a need with readers in the gluten free community.  Triangle Raw Foods is an  all gluten-free and vegan food truck and catering service that started in May 2011.  They currently share cooking space at the Cookery in Durham, but have the vision of having their own place.  You can find their products in such eateries as LoMoMarket, Bean Traders Coffee, Cocoa Cinnamon, and soon Whole Foods Market in Durham. You can also place custom orders for pick up or delivery.

According to Jane they are planning to open a café that will be located on Garrett Rd, right off of Hwy 15-501. They will have a 100% gluten-free kitchen (right now they use a shared kitchen space (the Cookery), but with  their own kitchen, they will be able to ensure that no ingredients that contain gluten ever enter their kitchen!!

 The owners are in the process of trying to raise money via an indiegogo crowdfunding campaign to start this Raw Food Cafe in Durham and have less than 8 days to reach their goal.  Curious?  Interested in supporting these folks?  See the owners and read more details here: 

 

Are all Gluten Free Menus created equal?

Increasingly restaurants are catering to the increased demand for gluten free items on their menus. To find restaurants with gluten free offerings in most areas you can simply enter the "zip code gluten free" example for Durham: 27705 gluten free. This yields a list of 381,000 listings related to gluten free in this zip code and several of them are restaurants with gluten free options. But are all gluten free menus created equal? Who provides the over site of gluten free food procurement, preparation and training of all restaurant staff?

Within the Celiac/Gluten Free Community there are two well-respected Gluten-Free Restaurant Training Programs that partner with Restaurants to provide training. They include:

Gluten-Free Awareness Restaurant Program http://www.glutenfreerestaurants.org/

GREAT Gluten Fee Kitchens Program http://www.celiaccentral.org/kitchens/

By accessing either of the above sites you can find listings of independent restaurants and chains that have taken the steps to provide proper training to the kitchen staff and adhere to some quality standards for gluten free menu items. In addition if you own a restaurant or work in the food service industry you may want to explore the resources available to you as you plan your gluten free menu offerings.