In days gone by it wasn’t always easy for anyone with a gluten allergy to find great-tasting products that suited their dietary needs.
But that’s changed, and Tate’s Traditional Butchers in Peel is a great example of how independent shops have responded to demands from customers by producing artisan products that are far superior to mass-produced gluten-free options in terms of both quality and flavour. Steve Tate, and his wife Lorraine, opened the shop in Michael Street in March 2018. Today, they are helped by their children Ryan and Millie, and keen young shop assistant, Amelia.
Whatever special products customers ask for, Steve is happy to discuss their dietary needs and individual tastes to create burgers, sausages, and faggots that are free of gluten or other allergens – all with a wide range of flavours. He’s even made gluten-free haggis and is working on gluten-free haslet too. For Steve, it’s all part of fulfilling his passion for creating new products, and keeping customers happy and coming back for more.
Steve says: “If a customer comes in and asks for, let’s say, gluten-free pork and apple sausages, then I get a pound of apples, peel them, and make the mixture. There’s no rusk used at all, I just add a gluten-free seasoning to give it a bit of extra flavour. I really enjoy talking to customers to find out what they want, and working with them to create what they need. I get to know what flavours and ingredients they like, and if it’s something that I haven’t made before I’ll look it up to find a recipe that will work. I just enjoy creating new flavours – at the end of the day, if that extra effort just makes one customer happy, then I’m happy too.”
The risk of cross-contamination is a major concern for many consumers, especially those with severe allergies. As you would expect from a Master Butcher with 40 years in the trade, Steve is a stickler for high standards when it comes to food safety and hygiene. Wednesday, for example, is ‘sausage day’ and Steve starts at 5am. If he’s making gluten-free products, that batch is made first to eliminate the risk of cross-contamination from other batches made later that do contain gluten. Extra special attention is given to cleaning surfaces and utensils, and how the products are packed and stored.
In addition to attracting customers from across the Island because of their gluten-free products, Tate’s is also well known for making many other specialities including Steve’s particular favourites, flavoured dry-cured ham and bacon.
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