If, like me, you have special dietary requirements - such as Coeliac disease - eating out can be difficult. Many places are pretty much off limits, and some establishments offer just one or two options that cater for those with allergies or dietary conditions. No one wants to pay to eat at a restaurant that only has one thing on the menu, and this is what makes Tea 4 2 in Manchester so special. Virtually all items on the menu are gluten free, and many are also dairy free and vegetarian. This place has even won awards.
Entering Tea 4 2 is like walking into a gluten free paradise. You don’t have to worry about what you’re eating, you can rest assured that you aren’t going to be leaving with a dodgy tummy, and most importantly, you can eat pies and cake! This might sound strange, but places like Tea 4 2 make me feel kind of special, it’s as if this place has been created just for me!
Sadly, my latest experience at Tea 4 2 wasn’t as great as it usually is, and my boyfriend Jake and I did leave feeling a little bit disappointed. This was my third visit to Tea 4 2, and after visiting with a friend, Cat, on a couple of occasions, I was excited to introduce my boyfriend to this great little gem in the heart of Manchester.
I was also excited to eat loads of food on a limited budget, but although the website said “50% off food today” and numerous tweets talked about the same thing, according to the waiter when we queried the bill, the offer excluded starters, sides and desserts 🙁 meaning that just the mains were half price.
This little beauty. 50% off food all day today! #monday #tea42 pic.twitter.com/m0qSiAy1Sr
— Tea 42 (@tea42uk) December 15, 2014
It came to a total of £26 for two starters, two mains, some triple cooked chips and a coke which certainly wasn’t bad, but not quite what we had anticipated when we originally looked at the menu.
Starter
I ordered the Tomato, Basil & Red Onion Bruschetta, and while the sun dried tomatoes were lovely, I was a little disappointed with the amount of bread and found myself wishing I’d ordered something a little more exciting, like the Spiced Chicken Wings with a Sticky Dip.
I’d already started nibbling on the Tomato, Basil & Red Onion Bruschetta by the time I remembered to take a photo.
Jake ordered the Homemade Falafel which came with Mediterranean vegetables. He enjoyed it, and said he wished there was more of it!
Main
For my main course, I ordered a Chicken and Mushroom Gourmet Pie, which came with mash, mushy peas, and a small jug of gravy. The pie was lovely, and as any gluten free eater will likely tell you, good gluten free pastry is hard to find. The pie was also pretty damn huge too, and so after devouring that along with my mash, I was well and truly full. I wish there had been more gravy though. I don’t half love gravy.
For Jake’s main course he had Lamb Tagine with chick peas & spinach. Sadly he was a little disappointed and couldn’t finish it all as he said it tasted really strong and kind of bitter. I tried a bit and agreed with the strong point, but as I’ve never had Lamb Tagine before, I wasn’t the best judge.
After our main courses I was keen to have some desserts, and knew that Jake wouldn’t be disappointed, but sadly we were on a bit of a tight schedule as Jake had to dash off for uni. If you do visit Tea 4 2, I’d definitely recommend their chocolate brownies or chocolate cakes for dessert. They’re fantastic, and considering nice gluten free desserts are tricky to find, I’d suggest popping in on your lunch break if you have time for a little treat.
All in all, if we were going off my past experiences with Tea 4 2 I’d recommend this place to anyone, whether they have special dietary requirements or they just love food. But while Jake was a little disappointed with the food, my greatest disappointment today was the misleading 50% off food offer.
While my experience today wasn’t as great as normal, here are a just a few of many tweets which suggest that the place is worth a visit:
@_jennihill Without a doubt, @tea42uk - a whole menu of wonderful, delicious #glutenfree food, friendly service and fantastic interior!
— Pamela Bustard (@SpamellaB) December 15, 2014
@_jennihill @tea42uk just won a @FFEatingOutAwds http://t.co/ywnyEcPF8a — Alex Gazzola (@HealthJourno) December 15, 2014
Couldn’t resist buying this slice of #glutenfree chocolate cake from @tea42uk It’s so lovely! A… http://t.co/j0GLoV4XGk
— Saara Aziz (@CoeliacStudent) December 7, 2014
Sweet success: #Manchester NQ gluten-free haven @tea42uk named best ‘FreeFrom’ café http://t.co/kZ7AwIlMn1 pic.twitter.com/qW1HClH7wJ
— Mancunian Matters (@MM_newsonline) November 22, 2014
