Gluten Free Gravy

Their are many specialist gluten-free gravy products on the market which vary greatly in both quality and price, for a typical 200 g jar or tub you can expect to pay from  £1.69 up to around £2.69, depending on the brand.

But the truth is you don't really need them! The reason is simple, Bisto launched a product range called Bisto Best several years ago and the whole range is essentially gluten-free (we'll get to the 'essentially' bit later), what's more at ~£1.50 a jar it is cheaper than any specialist gluten-free gravy I've ever come across and is the best tasting gravy from a jar we have ever tasted.

These three have all earned a permanent place in our kitchen...

In addition to the varieties above they also make pork, lamb and vegetable (this is the only one in the range not suitable for Coeliacs) see the Bisto website for further information.

Unfortunately they do not make a turkey variety but we find two parts chicken to one part caramelised onion makes a perfect gravy for turkey, we use this blend every Christmas!

Now for the explanation as to why I said they were 'essentially' gluten-free, if you visited the website or have looked at a jar in a store then you may have noticed this warning...

"Contains Soya. Produced on a line which handles Wheatflour."

Now this was only added relatively recently and to someone on a gluten-free diet that doesn't sound good, however in this case it really is nothing to worry about for the following reason...

"...  Premier Foods provided substantial test results which showed that the gravy granules contain a very low level of gluten within the safe levels for people with coeliac disease (20 ppm or less). We therefore list Bisto Best gravy granules in the Food and Drink Directory.

Please be aware that the jars still have a ‘may contain’ statement but we have confirmed the product is suitable."

That is a direct quote from Coaliac UK and and an up to date statement can be found here.

It is available from just about every supermarket and even many smaller shops so if you like your gravy give it a try, you won't be disappointed!

Bisto Best Gravy (various varieties) 200 g      9.5/10

Update November 2015: We've had a few messages from people concerned about the recent recipe change and questioning whether this product is still suitable for a gluten-free diet. I can confirm that only the vegetable variety is no longer considered safe and that all other varieties still meet the strict requirements of Coeliac UK and are still included in their directory. I've updated the post to specifically mention that the vegetable variety is an exception.