The Big Supermarkets: Food Allergy Section – TESCO

If you’ve been in Ireland for almost any amount of time you will have probably come across either a Dunnes Stores or a Tesco. Tesco are one of the of the major grocery store/supermarket chains in Ireland. They are an English company and in addition to all of the regular supermarket fare, Tesco have developed quite a substantial food allergy friendly section as well as their very own ‘Free From’ line of products.
The Free From line is growing rapidly with breads, muffins, sauces and loads of sweets like bakewell tarts, biscuits, brownies etc. This dedicated product line produces food which is suitable for some or all of the following:

- Wheat Free
- Gluten Free
- Dairy Free

In fact, this is the case with the entire food allergy section. If I had to guess how they prioritise their allergy-friendly stock I would say that the #1 priority is supplying the Gluten free community, 2nd is Wheat free, and finally, 3rd is Dairy free. If you have multiple allergies and/or intolerances you will be disheartened to discover that most of the products rely heavily on maize (corn) and potato flours but if this is not a problem for you then thumbs up & dig in!

Of course, as is the trend, online shopping is available from Tesco and their website (be sure to log into the “.ie” site for Ireland only) is much more than just store times. There is some basic information about their labeling, information on their ‘free-from’ range, a quick hit section on the pitfalls of vegetarianism & how to balance your diet, a weight-loss group, as well as all the other crazy things that Tesco are branching into like mobiles and even Tesco Finance!!

Some of the Products and Brands you will/might find in Tesco's Food Allergy Section: (note: there could be more or less depending on the size of the tesco you are in)

Free From - Extensive Range including: English Muffins, Chocolate Muffins, Cereal Bars, Curry

Free & Easy - Gluten Free Gravy Sauce Mi

Glutafin - short bread, custard creams, milk chocolate biscuits, White Bread Loaf

Mrs. Crimbles - Macaroons, Cheesy Bites, Bakewell Slices, Chocolate Brownies, Rice Cakes

Hale & Hearty - Gluten Free, Wheat Free & Dairy Free Bread Crumbs

Provamel - Soya Milk, Rice Milk

It’s a Free World - Fragrant Thai Chicken Curry, Indian Korma Sauce

Doves Farm - Pasta

Kelkin - Chocolate Chip Cookies, Crunchy Nut Cookies, Madeira Cake, Rice Cakes

Dairy Free - Buttons

Alpro Soya - Puddings, Pouring Custard

Odlums - Gluten Free Tritamyl White Bread Mix

Life - Wheat Free, Gluten Free, Vegan Worchester Sauce

No Wheat - Gluten Free, Wheat Free Chocolate & Orange Wafer Bars

Juvela - White Sliced Loaf

Livwell - Bread Roles, Sultana Scones, Brown & White Ciabatt

Tru-free - Wheat Free & Gluten Free Biscuits, Herb & Onion Crackers, and
Pretzels

Free & Enjoy - Cheesy Crackers

Red Deli Selat - Japanese Mini Rice Crackers

Celtic - Dairy Free Fine Dark Chocolate Bars

DS - Pizza Bases, White Bread Loaf

Tesco stores vary greatly in size and variety of produce. Tesco Express shops, like that found on Camden St, are much smaller and carry only the most popular of products as opposed to some of the bigger branches which carry the full range.
And indeed, there are SO MANY Tesco's in Dublin that I will be brief and only list the locations in the Shops Short List .. at the risk of it no longer being very short!

Tesco
weblinks:www.tesco.ie
tesco free from line
Locations: Parnell St, Talbot St, Jervis Centre, Baggot St Lwr, Camden St, Baggot St Upr, Ringsend (Irishtown), Sandymount Rd, Merrion Centre, Artane Castel, Rathmines Rd Upr, Phibsboro Shopping Centre, Prussia St, Thomas St, Moland House (Dolphin's Barn), Upr Drumcondra Rd, Santry Omnipark, Upr Ballyfermot Rd, Tower Centre (Ballymun), Clearwater SC(Finglas), Crumlin SC, St. Agnes Rd, Kilbarrack, Dundrum TC, Nutgrove SC, Rathfarnham, Clarehall, Tyrconnell Place, Stillorgan