I recently went to a work conference in St. John’s, Newfoundland. It was my first time visiting this beautiful city, but also my first time traveling for work while maintaining a gluten free diet. As many of you already know all to well, traveling while gluten free can be a challenge. Ordinarily I would pre-plan, or at least get an idea of my options by checking out The Celiac Scene http://www.theceliacscene.com/ and I would map out some meal options for myself based on other people’s experiences. Gotta love the internet! However, in this our meals were being hosted at the hotel for the most part. We were staying at the Sheraton Hotel at Cavendish Square, in St. John’s, Newfoundland. I also be sure to call ahead to notify the planners of my Celiac needs before attending a conference.
Gluten Free Breakfast at the Sheraton Hotel
For the first breakfast the server presented me with poached eggs on toast with fruit. To be honest, I did not eat the meal as I was not convinced that the toast was in fact gluten free. It just looked like regular bread with crusts cut off…good thing I brought along my own food from home for just this situation.
Gluten Free Lunch at the Sheraton Hotel
For lunch I was given a ham & cheese sandwich on raisin bread that was very obviously gluten free. It was heavy as a brick; no doubt it was gluten free bread. I removed the ham and simply ate a cheese & raisin bread sandwich with olives & pickles. My colleagues were enjoying a hot soup and sandwich (mine looked better if you ask me) and salad and home made potato chips. Right or wrong, I determined that these chips were made fresh in the kitchen and opted to have them with my lunch. I do not know for certain if there was any cross contamination prior to them arriving in our conference room, but I took my chances and felt ok.Stay tuned for Part 2!
Have more gluten free experiences to share from St. John's? Email us at info@glutenfreeedmonton.com.
I've been gluten free now for 2 yrs and the single most difficult thing to deal with is socializing in public. There are not many establishments that carry gluten free products. It's even more difficult on vacation when you're in a strange place that's unfamiliar. A word of advice, do your homework before going on vacation. It will save you tons of time which is scarce when you're vacationing. You may even want to call ahead to get things setup.
ReplyDeleteWe do agree! An effort was made to try and scout some gluten free friendly places ahead of time. Also, at the conference, calls were made ahead of time to ensure appropriate meals were prepared.
ReplyDeleteThanks again for your tip!
--Abisaac Saraga
Gluten Free Edmonton