For much of their adult lives, Paul and Siobhan Lawless ran a dairy farm, situated in Old Castle, Kilconieron, Athenry, Co. Galway, in Ireland. However, in 2004 they started a bakery as a side business. Since folk(s) in the family suffered from celiac disease (sometimes spelled coeliac), these products were gluten-free. Gradually the bakery started doing better and better, so in time the Lawlesses sold off their cows, and the bakery became their main business. Tragedy struck in 2011, as the bakery burned down. But they rebuilt, and once again flourished. Currently The Foods of Athenry's wares are available in the U.K., Germany, France, Spain, Dubai, and the U.S.
Rather like the subject of last week's post, about "hippie" protein bars, The Foods of Athenry's products lack a lot of common ingredients and features. No gluten, of course, but also no GMOs, egg, yeast, hydrogenated fats, artificial colors (or colours) and flavors, and preservatives. Some are dairy-free and wheat-deprived as well. This business reportedly fills a hole in Irish cuisine, as there are few available products for those with celiac disease, or gluten allergies. And the few that are sold tend to be coming from far away, and by necessity, then, are chock-full of preservatives. So The Foods of Athenry's goal is to provide safe, and fresh-baked goods for this demographic. (And presumably to make a living too--they live in the real world just like everyone else.)
The products I tried were two so called cookie shots--the brownie biscuits and the bite size blondie biscuits, along with "the works" flavor of flapjacks. (As an American I was amused that this company doesn't take chances with the cultural differences of naming the same small pastries as "cookies" or "biscuits," and instead often calls them with both titles.) Other items sold include crackers and toast, cereals and granola, wheat and spelt range, and bars. They also make a flavor of brownie biscuits that is chili-flavored. As for the official company website, it was typical for a business that sells food, as it was mostly concerned with their full products list, where to purchase them, recipes, what awards the company has won, and general news. Although I did notice that they took a bit of a potential risk on their company Twitter account recently by retweeting a post that focused on a political issue.
1) The Foods of Athenry, cookie shots--brownie biscuits: These were roughly roundish, about 2.5 cm. in diameter (about 1 inch), with a dark brown color. Chocolate-y for sure. Dry and crunchy. Alright, but not great or anything. Solid, but nothing more.
2) The Foods of Athenry, cookie shots--bite size blondie biscuits: Same size and shape as the brownie kind, but with a light yellowish color. Also crunchy. Strong vanilla flavor. Better than the chocolate kind. But again, still only decent.
3) The Foods of Athenry, flapjacks "the works": These were brown grainy rectangles, about 1.75 inches by .75 of an inch (about 4.5 cm. by 2 cm.). Chewy, and somewhat sweet. Seemed just okay at first, but kind of grew on me. Overall then, these were pretty good, and the best of the bunch. Enjoyed.
So there you have it. None of these that I tried were bad, but only the flapjacks were special enough that I'd consider buying them again. To be fair, though, I have had some other gluten-free pastries over the years, especially after meeting my friend Chris, who has celiac disease. Most of these were pretty awful. So, in effect, even a mediocre gluten-free baked good is actually rather impressive. Therefore, if you do have these gluten sensitivity diseases, or just don't want to eat gluten for other reasons, The Foods of Athenry might be a good choice. Speaking of gluten-free products, if you'd like to read about beers which lack this ingredient, my post on December 10, 2012 covers that topic.
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