Barbecues and Coeliac Disease: You Can Still Enjoy Them
- Nicola Emmett
- May 28
- 4 min read
For many people with coeliac disease, barbecues can feel like a bit of a minefield.
Shared grills.
Bread rolls everywhere.
People using the same tongs for everything.
Buffet tables full of crumbs and cross contamination risks.
It can sometimes feel easier to avoid the whole thing altogether.
But after one of the hottest weekends of the year here in the UK, with temperatures over 30 degrees, my teen daughter somehow ended up eating safely at three different barbecues in one bank holiday weekend.
Including one without us there.
And honestly, it reminded me how much of a difference good communication and a little bit of planning can make. And the fact that people genuinely care!
The Teenage Barbecue
The first barbecue of the weekend felt like quite a big milestone for us.
My daughter had been invited to a friend’s house with a group of teenagers, and the highlight of the evening was apparently going to be chicken wings. They were all very excited.
Usually, if we’re not completely confident food will be safe, our approach is simple: she takes something with her.
Not because people don’t care, but because barbecues can genuinely be tricky for coeliacs.
The issue often isn’t the ingredients themselves, it’s the barbecue. If gluten-containing food has previously been cooked on there, if there are scratches on the grill, or baked-on residue underneath, cross contamination can become a real risk.
Her friend’s parents were incredibly thoughtful. Before the barbecue, they messaged me photos of the products they planned to cook and had already checked whether they were gluten free.
And they were absolutely right, the products themselves were safe.
The only issue was the cooking method.
So I explained that the food would need to be cooked in foil, or ideally in the oven instead of directly on the barbecue grill.
They completely understood.
Not only that, but they genuinely wanted her to feel included.
They bought giant marshmallows for everyone to toast, picked up gluten-free chocolate digestives for her, and made sure she could properly join in rather than sitting awkwardly on the sideline eating something different.
She came home absolutely delighted.
And honestly, so was I.
Family Barbecues Feel Easier Now
The second barbecue was with family at my brother’s house.
My sister-in-law has a wheat allergy, so they already understand labels, separate preparation, and how serious cross contamination can be. They also very kindly let us know beforehand that nothing containing gluten had been cooked on their barbecue.
That instantly removed a huge layer of stress.
The tricky bit with family barbecues is often the buffet-style eating:
bread rolls
shared serving spoons
dips
salads
people reaching across plates without thinking
But over time, we’ve helped family understand how cross contamination happens, and now everyone naturally works around it.
This time, nobody brought bread to the table until my daughter had already served herself everything she wanted.
That small adjustment made a huge difference.
One tip I’d really recommend if you’re gluten free at a barbecue is this:
Don’t be afraid to put a little extra aside for yourself before everyone starts helping themselves.
If you think you might want seconds later, pop some onto a separate plate early on.
You are not being difficult.
Most hosts would feel far worse if you ended up hungry because food became contaminated halfway through the meal.
And if you don’t eat it all, no problem, better to have enough safe food than go hungry.
This barbecue ended up being a proper feast with steak, marinated chicken, burgers, sausages and ice creams afterwards.
Simple things, but done safely.
Our Own Barbecue Rhythm
The final barbecue of the weekend was at home.
Our barbecue is completely gluten free because we’ve simply never cooked gluten on it, exactly the same as our air fryer.
Over time, we’ve developed a rhythm that works naturally for our family, even though only one person eats gluten free.
Everything gluten free is cooked and served first.
Everyone helps themselves.
Then, afterwards, any gluten-containing bread or extras come out.
If anyone wants more food later, one person washes their hands and serves safely for everyone else.
Written down, it probably sounds like a lot.
In reality, it’s just become habit.
And once routines become normal, they stop feeling difficult.
Barbecue Tips for people with Coeliac
If you’re nervous about barbecues, these small adjustments can make a huge difference:
Wrap food in foil before it goes on a shared barbecue
Bring your own bread rolls or buns
Serve yourself before bread comes to the table
Put extra food aside early if you may want seconds
Don’t be afraid to supervise cooking
Explain cross contamination simply and calmly
Offer to bring food to help take pressure off the host
Most people genuinely do want to help.
Sometimes they can fully cater safely. Sometimes they can’t.
Usually, it’s not because they don’t care, it’s simply because they haven’t had experience with coeliac-safe food preparation before.
But the more conversations you have, the more people learn.
And over time, the people around you start thinking proactively too.
That’s exactly what happened for us this weekend.
Instead of my daughter missing out, she spent a sunny bank holiday weekend eating safely, laughing with family and friends, enjoying good food, and feeling completely included.
And really, that’s what all of us want.
Good weather. Good food. And absolutely no one feeling left out.
