Hosts catering for a gluten-free guest
Choose a specifically labelled product, then check that toppings and serving arrangements also suit the guest.
Who is choosing?
Hosts choosing savoury options for mixed diets
Plain, seeded and cheese oatcakes give you different serving options. Check the particular pack for oats, milk and other relevant allergy advice before deciding what to offer each guest.
What should you check?
Start with the gluten-free claim on the specific pack, then consider guests’ other food restrictions and how you will serve the oatcakes.
| Priority | What to check | Your needs |
|---|---|---|
| Gluten-free label | Look for an explicit gluten-free claim on the product and read its ingredients. The Food Standards Agency defines gluten-free as no more than 20 mg/kg gluten in the food as sold; the word “oatcake” or “wheat-free” alone does not establish this. | I’m serving someone who needs gluten-free food, so I need to check the actual oatcake rather than rely on its category or recipe name. |
| Other ingredients | Check whether the guest can have oats. Check milk and product-specific allergy advice too: Nairn’s Gluten Free Cheese Oatcakes contain milk. | A gluten-free label does not settle every guest’s dietary needs. If someone cannot have oats, I’ll choose a separately checked oat-free alternative. |
| Flavour and portions | Choose plain oatcakes if guests will add suitable toppings, or check a seeded or cheese variety if they prefer that flavour. Read the pack for its portion format and ingredients. | I want guests to be able to choose toppings, or to have a savoury oatcake whose ingredients suit them. |
| Serving | Keep gluten-free oatcakes away from gluten-containing crumbs. Use suitable toppings and clean, separate utensils when preparing and serving them. | I need the food to remain suitable after I open the pack, not just while it is sealed. |
Mistakes to avoid
-
Assuming every oatcake is gluten-free
Coeliac UK cautions that standard oats can come into contact with wheat, barley or rye. M&S states that its Scottish Oatcakes contain wheat flour.
Choose a product explicitly labelled gluten-free and check the ingredients on that specific pack.
-
Assuming gluten-free suits every guest
Gluten-free oatcakes can still contain oats. Nairn’s Gluten Free Cheese Oatcakes also contain milk, and other pack-specific allergy advice may matter.
Ask about relevant food restrictions, check the pack and choose a separately checked oat-free option if needed.
-
Sharing toppings or utensils without checking
Contact with gluten-containing crumbs or shared food during serving can undermine the choice of a gluten-free pack.
Set out the gluten-free food separately, with suitable toppings and clean utensils.
Brand and retailer references
Check individual products rather than assuming every oatcake in a brand’s or retailer’s range has the same ingredients.
Nairn’s
Nairn’s identifies Original, Cheese and Super Seeded oatcakes as gluten-free varieties.
- Nairn’s says the oats used for its Gluten Free Original variety are grown and milled under controls intended to avoid contamination.
- Not every variety in its wider oatcake range is identified as gluten-free. The Gluten Free Cheese variety contains milk.
M&S
M&S Scottish Oatcakes illustrate why the ingredients of a particular product matter.
- M&S states that these Scottish Oatcakes contain wheat flour. Its separate Made Without range does not change the ingredients of this product.
Tesco
Tesco lists specifically labelled gluten-free Nairn’s varieties alongside other oatcakes.
- Its listings for Nairn’s Gluten Free Original and Cheese Oatcakes provide product-specific ingredients and allergy advice.
- Another oatcake in the same retailer category should not be treated as gluten-free without checking its own label.
Stockan’s
Stockan’s describes a range of traditional Orkney oatcakes, including thin and thick varieties.
- The ingredient listing for Stockan’s Thick Oatcakes at Campbells Meat includes wheat flour, so that particular product is not a gluten-free substitute.
Joybuy oatcakes
This cheese variety is an option to consider for a coffee morning when guests can have both oats and milk.
No image available
Nairn’s Gluten Free Cheese Oatcakes 180g
A cheese-flavoured oatcake for guests who can have oats and milk. Nairn’s lists milk in the cheese ingredients; check the pack’s full ingredients and allergy advice before serving.
Common questions
Do gluten-free oatcakes contain oats?
They can. The Food Standards Agency’s gluten-free definition concerns the gluten level in the food as sold, while oats must still be identified as an allergen. Check separately whether your guest can have oats.
How should I serve gluten-free oatcakes at a coffee morning?
Keep them apart from gluten-containing crumbs, and use suitable toppings and clean, separate utensils. A labelled pack alone does not prevent contact with other food after opening.
Is an online ingredient listing enough to plan for allergies?
Use it to shortlist a specific variety, then read the pack’s ingredients and allergy advice before serving. Tesco’s listing for Nairn’s Gluten Free Original Oatcakes, for example, includes cautions concerning avenin, nuts and equipment that handles milk.