ALLERGIES & INTOLERENCES
THE CAKE ENVIRONMENT
At Gerastan Bakehouse we use many ingredients, some of which may cause an allergic reaction when consumed. Being a Coeliac myself, I want everyone with a food allergy to be able to enjoy cake without compromising on taste. We cater to special dietary requirements, and we can supply gluten-free, egg-free, and nut-free cakes, BUT we don’t have a gluten-free, egg-free or nut-free kitchen and it is possible that traces of these allergens may be present even in our ‘free-from’ products.
We are, however, able to take reasonably effective measures to eliminate the risk of cross-contamination of these allergens to our nut and gluten-free products: preparing, assembling and packaging them using sterilised utensils and working areas, and at different times to standard cakes.
SPECIFIC DIETARY PROVISIONS
Vegetarian
All of our cakes are baked using ingredients that are suitable for vegetarians who eat dairy and eggs. We avoid animal products such as gelatine, sometimes found in food colourings. The cheese used in our cream cheese frosting is vegetarian.
Vegan
We are happy to make vegan sponge cakes, but the absence of dairy and eggs from cakes does affect their stability when it comes to stacking them, please contact us to discuss how to incorporate them successfully. Vegan cupcakes are a popular choice for customers who have a handful of vegan guests but would like their main cake to contain dairy and eggs.
FOOD STANDARDS & ALLERGENS
The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has sent all food businesses in the UK a list of 14 allergens which must be clearly identified. In our cakes and baked products, we use the following:
Gluten
This is contained in our plain and self-raising flour. We are happy to make gluten and wheat free cakes. This can be whole cakes, cupcakes or particular tiers. NB. There is a risk of cross contamination with other tiers when the cake is dismantled and cut by your venue. We recommend that you purchase a box of gluten free cupcakes for you or your guest.
Nuts
We use almonds frequently in our macarons, and sometimes use hazelnuts, walnuts, pecans, peanuts and pistachios.
Eggs
These are used in all our cakes, unless a customer specifies that a cake needs to be eggless. This means we cannot decorate the cake with our signature swiss meringue buttercream, which contains pasteurised egg white. As an alternative, we will use American buttercream, which combines powdered sugar, butter and milk. This has a more matte finish and is much sweeter than a meringue buttercream.
Milk
We use butter, buttermilk, cream, semi-skimmed milk and cream cheese, all of which contain the allergen milk. A dairy-free American buttercream can be made with either soya or nut milks.
Soya
We use soya milk or decorative elements such as chocolate or sprinkles that contain soya.
Sulphur Dioxide
This allergen is used as a preservative in dried fruits, and in prepared lemon juice. We rarely use either.