As you know, I’m a big fan of traveling and composing my free-from travel guides. From local places like Stratford upon Avon to more far-flung destinations like Thailand. However, whilst being gluten-free has gotten a bit easier, it doesn’t mean it’s gotten any cheaper! Eating out is expensive at the best of times and sometimes eating out with a dietary restriction can be even more expensive.
Luckily, there are plenty of places to eat out on a budget and given that my travel has been restricted somewhat since Jude’s arrival, today I wanted to shine a spotlight on some budget-friendly gluten-free eateries in my local city Birmingham.
I’ve teamed up with Wriggle to bring you my top budget places to eat that are gluten and dairy-free in Birmingham. If you haven’t heard of them, Wriggle is a great app that is now live in Brum (and can also be used in Bristol, Bath, Cardiff, and Brighton) that helps you find local deals when eating out. And, what’s more, they only work with independent restaurants; meaning it’s a great opportunity to move away from chains and support local businesses! It’s super easy to use: simply log in and see all the restaurants nearby that are offering lunch and dinner deals at amazing discounts right there and then. Then, just purchase on your phone for your chosen date and show your offer at the till.
Gluten and Dairy Free Pizza in Birmingham: @Pizza
This restaurant is a new one to Birmingham-and I’ve been really impressed by it. I’d never heard of it before seeing it on Wriggle, so the app is great for discovering new eateries too! The deal was £5.95 for a small pizza with two toppings and bottomless craft soda, so I purchased and treated my friend Emma too. When I got to the till I was expecting the usual ‘you need to pay to upgrade to a gluten-free base,’ so I was really surprised when I found out the price of my gluten-free pizza with vegan cheese was exactly the same as my friend’s Sourdough with regular cheese and was all covered by my Wriggle voucher. Those of you who are gluten-free or dairy-free will know this rarely happens!
Despite juggling sourdough and gluten-free pizzas in one order, I was really impressed by @pizza in terms of how they handled cross-contamination. The gluten-free bases were stored separately and they used a different pizza sauce too. All the toppings were gluten-free and servers changed gloves between pizzas. They also offer Veganrella dairy-free cheese.
It was one of the nicest pizzas I have had in a while and whilst they also do larger sizes, the small was perfect for lunchtime. For those who aren’t dairy-free, they also do a gluten-free dessert pizza that looks epic!
Gluten Free Sushi in Birmingham:Yakinori
Next stop on my bargain hunt was Yakinori. Yakinori is a grand central sushi haunt (also in Selly Oak) that also do lots of gluten-free choices. Their deal of the day on Wriggle was a signature poke bowl with miso soup for £7.50; usually costing £13.45.
I’d heard they did good gluten-free sushi but wasn’t sure about the poke bowls. However, I was really impressed that they were adapt all of their Poke bowls and make them with gluten-free soy sauce. Although the miso soup contains gluten so give that to your dining partner. I don’t think I’d have tried Yakinori without Wriggle but I’ll definitely be returning.
Gluten Free Thai Food in Birmingham: Zen Metro
Finally, I wanted to give Zen Metro a mention. I didn’t visit using Wriggle this time but I’ve visited previously and been really impressed with the gluten and dairy-free Thai options so I thought I’d mention again. They have a deal of two mains and two sides for £24 on the app, saving you a tenner!
If you’re planning a trip to Birmingham, I’d definitely recommend giving Wriggle a try. And, if you’re using your mobile to read this, just click here and it’ll take you straight to download the app to start using it today.
I’ve never looked at free from eateries as I’m lucky enough to have never needed to avoid anything other than sesame, but now I see how budget friendly & utterly delicious they are I might think again! Thank you for opening my eyes.
It is good to know the places you can eat out to fit your requirements, I have a friend who has to buy gluten free and I know how expensive it is for her. The sushi sounds good!
The food looks lovely. It’s always great to go somewhere with offers too.
The Wriggle app sounds fantastic for finding great local deals! That poke bowl looks absolutely delicious!
This is such a handy guide to places to eat in Birmingham! The Wriggle app sounds fantastic for finding deals.
It must be so tricky to find places that accommodate without costing the earth. @Pizza sounds like a great place to try.
What a helpful guide. It’s so hard finding places to eat when you have dietary requirements so this is definitely useful!
C x
ohh that pizza from@pizza looks amazingly delicious!!! Really fancy one right now
I have to keep this in my for my fil. We always struggle finding good gluten free options for him.
Looks like you found some lovely places. My sister in law is gluten free and she struggles to find good places
This sounds like a really handy app! It can be difficult to find affordable places to eat when you’re new to a city, so I’ll definitely be trying this! Thanks for the venue recommendations too!
This is such a useful post. As a coeliac I shall definitely be referring back to it next time we visit Birmingham – thank you!
Thank you for sharing this. I’ve a niece who’s been on GF diet and she lives near Birmingham so she sometimes goes there. I will tell her so she’ll have more choice of places to eat.
My mum is gluten and dairy free and always struggles to find good and affordable places to eat. Brilliant list of places here.
You’re right on it not gotten any cheaper! The pizza absolutely looks delicious. I would love to try some. Great place for gluten-free food.