The new owners of The Coppice guesthouse on Studley Road have reopened it with a twist – it will be the first in Harrogate that caters primarily to coeliacs.
Coeliac disease is a condition where the immune system attacks human tissue when the body eats foods containing gluten, which can include bread, pasta, and cereals.
Coeliacs have to follow a strict diet but finding hotels that offer an exciting menu of appropriate food is difficult, as Joel Thompson and Mindy Shergill discovered on a road trip a couple of years ago.
The couple are both coeliacs and moved up to Harrogate earlier this summer after pursuing careers down south in HR and publishing respectively.
Joel said:
“We went on a very beautiful road trip of northern England and Scotland. It was our first experience driving through the country.
“But even if you get basics right, you’re not being spoilt or celebrated with choices that you do get with. You feel like a burden.
“So we had a desire to set up a gluten-free guesthouse.”
Mindy said non-coeliacs will be welcome too, but every ingredient that will come from the kitchen will be gluten-free to avoid cross-contamination.
She said there is often a lack of understanding about the condition:
“A lot of people are undiagnosed, it can affect you quite badly. Symptoms vary – it can get quite serious and you have to be quite strict.”
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They will cook up everything you’d expect from a four-star B&B, including continental breakfasts, porridge and cereals, but all no ingredient will contain gluten.
They may even open up their kitchen for gluten-free takeaways to non-hotel guests if the demand is there.
Joel said he believes their refurbished Coppice is one of around 12 gluten-free hotels in the country, and he hopes he can win everyone over with his nutritious and unique fare.
“It might enlighten people. We’re very good at making gluten-free food, we might convert a few people!”
The guest house is open for bookings now. To enquire, contact info@thecoppiceharrogate.com or call Joel on 07858 840789.