The Gluten Free Food and Allergy Show… sounds like a hellava lot of fun – NOT! But try telling that to the throng of Wellingtonians I saw happily ambling around sampling wares and buying up large at the show over the weekend – they seemed to be enjoying themselves.

I don’t know if anyone else gets irked at being charged an entry fee into such ‘shows’, (in this case $10 if you’re over 5) to basically shop, the stores in Lambton Quay would quickly go out of business if there was an entry fee to step over their threshold. But in saying this an entry fee didn’t appear to put folk off attending the well patronised Sunday afternoon I attended.

In fact there were hordes hooking into gluten and dairy free cookies, spearing battered deep-fried tit bits and supping gluten free L’Affare hot chocs.

I was intrigued, but sadly never sited the gluten free skincare range being touted. But I did find and sample… wait for it… beer! From Scotts Brewing, New Zealand’s only gluten free brewing company. What will they think of next?

I had a particular interest in attending this Show as I have intolerance to gluten – the protein found in wheat, oats, rye and barley.

And speaking of intolerances, “HELLO? the folk out there that are intolerant to people with intolerances”– honestly ‘we’ would love to eat the cake / muffin / French bread stick etc. ‘We’ know they are delicious and that you baked / bought the goodies especially – but please don’t be offended if we pass on that biscuit as the consequences of consuming such common place foods are not worth any of the short lived gratification. I won’t bore or embarrass you with the numerous and varied symptoms and ill health effects – Google can do that.

Being gluten free can make attending social functions difficult, as the ubiquitous club sandwich and sausage roll are too often the only fare on offer. I have been seen to prise the chicken out of the roll and pick the batter off a fish bite (not very glamorous, but sometimes drastic action is needed to ensure I don’t fall off my stilettos).

I have come to the conclusion that trying to recreate and emulate a fresh feathery loaf, crispy biscuits or a light as air cake – recipes designed around wheat, butter and lashing of whipped cream (for the diary intolerant) -  just don’t and never will taste any good with gluten and dairy free substitutes.

I choose the baked goodies that are designed not to include wheat flour. There is nothing nicer than a crispy gooey meringue or a rich and delicious cornmeal orange syrup cake.

There are masses of tasty and delicious options that don’t need a complicated system of substitutes and don’t contain potential allergens.

Choose good health: eat fresh, in season and cook simply.