Every food outlet on campus offers gluten-free options, but is that enough? Students with coeliac disease don’t think so.

The “choice is limited” when comparing the gluten-free (GF) range with the gluten-containing options – or at least that’s what Dhara Ranavaya has experienced at UEA.

Another student who wishes to remain anonymous, X, says there aren’t enough options and that he avoids Campus kitchen, for its ‘conveyer belt system’ that increases risk of contamination. Even though X believes UEA should improve the cooking system, he praises BarSu for its freshly made GF pizzas.

With the industry as a whole, Dhara notes that ‘gluten tax’ is a joke in the GF community, but no one should have to pay more so their health doesn’t deteriorate. Coeliac disease is an auto-immune condition where gluten consumption causes the immune system to attack its own tissues and cause damage to the gut. Coeliac UK reports that 1 in 100 people are coeliac, yet a hefty 36% are unaware, hence, they’re undiagnosed. Since being recently diagnosed, X has found that his supermarket shop total has doubled, which shouldn’t be the case when people with coeliac disease can’t control it. With acknowledgement that companies have struggled to find the right ingredients in this economy, X wants the government to do more to bring the cost of living down for the benefit of all.

In the last decade, the gluten-free market has grown exponentially and with the most recent figure estimating the market size to be around $8 billion in 2025; it’s no surprise it’s estimated to grow to $18 billion by 2033. The heightened interest in the market can be explained through the ever-growing awareness of coeliac disease and health-conscious eating. Additionally, the practice of removing an ingredient to make it GF doesn’t make it cheaper; you’re still charged the same price as gluten-containing.

Dhara credits the trend of ‘cutting out gluten for weight loss’ to raise awareness, however, this awareness has had negative effects. Despite the increased range of products, influencers have “trivialised it into a social media trend” when it should be treated as what it is: a serious condition and not a lifestyle choice. This trivialisation has made it harder for those like Dhara as she says “it may not be taken as seriously in shared kitchens or eating out”. Whereas X thinks “you should do you” however, he personally wouldn’t take medical advice from the internet.

For the newly diagnosed, both X and Dhara stress that research before going out to eat is the way to go, as it’s a timesaver and prevents the awkward situation. X also recommends downloading Coeliac UK’s ‘Live Well Gluten Free’ app. A word of advice from Dhara is that “being your own best advocate, standing up for yourself, walking out of the restaurant or clarifying things” is key. You should always prioritise your own health and trust your instincts, focusing on what you can eat is forever better than focusing on what you can’t. 

So here are a list of Dhara and X’s top Norwich GF food spots:

• Pizza Express – almost all items can be made GF
• Lucy’s Fish & Chips 
• Pho Norwich – 90% GF menu and accredited by Coeliac UK
• Harry’s Soul Station – large range, accredited by Coeliac UK and has the best GF crispy chicken burgers
• Blue Johanna – entirely GF menu
• East Chinese – Chinese takeaway that does some GF dishes

Photo credit: Kelly Wu