Gluten free restaurants.

Keith in cork

Story Fellow foodies?

I'm not sure as to the legality of this thread given that it's got to do with an already established hotel.

I'm the head chef at a restaurant, newley opened in co.cork. The hotel in which i'm based is a 200yr old family run (now in its 5th generation) business.
The restaurant is Fine dining.

I had a call from an old friend (i say old, i'm only 24 ) last night to ask was it me who was running the new GLUTEN FREE restaurant in x town. It hadn't hit me before, but i am, kind of.

Of the 5 starters and 6 main courses on my menu, all are gluten free.
Of the 6 desserts and the cheese platter only my chocolate tart and lemon tart are off limits to coeliacs as i already use gluten free flavoured crackers for the cheese board.
So it got me thinking, why not go all out and cut flour from my restaurant? replace the plain flour in my sweet pastry, to gluten free, as i don't use flour in any other dishes.
I know theres more to it than cutting flour but lets just start there.

Maybe i'm clutching at straws here. This is my first job as head chef and i've been given a more or less blank canvass. I've designed a cool tasty little menu (well i think so, but i would wouldn't i :eek:), which i can work, both mise en place and service ALONE so no need to waste money on another 1 or 2 chefs. They can be left downstairs in our other restaurant and bars to cater for the normal business. i've priced my menu competitivly to all the other local restaurants, i'm actually cheaper on most as i don't have huge over heads or staff costs or bog all. I'm the only restaurant with a roof top garden to dine in (or is that out?), and i'm also the only restaurant in the town which opens past half 9. I stay open until 12 last orders at 11. The idea behind it was, every night when i close i get people coming in asking are we still serving food. I get the local b+b's etc phoning to say a family has just checked in, have been travelling all day and are starved, are we open. To which the reply has always been, no but the chinese and indian are. i just thought seems as we are in a recession, why not take these guys in. and also everyone else who hadn't intended on dining with me, their money is just as good as anyone elses.


Thats the background. I've kept the location and name of the hotel/restaurant off the boards so as not to over step any rules i may not know. Obviously i'd ask a moderator to point me in the direction of any guideline they have on what i can and can't post, as boards.ie isn't a free ads paper.

So my are, is it a good idea? Are there many in cork/ireland who cater for gluten free 100%, i know 60% of places have some breads or a dish or two they can change to become gluten free ON REQUEST.

Any other points or criticisms ye'd like to make are welcomed too, once put across in a constructive manner, otherwise i'm likely to throw my toys out the pram and whinge