Last year, McDonald’s trialed gluten-free buns in five of their branches across the Netherlands. My closest was in Zaandam, so of course it warranted a field trip out there to try them.
Now, they are extending their gluten-free availability to 50 branches nationwide, including one right next to Amsterdam Centraal station! This is great news for coeliacs, especially as Amsterdam doesn’t have a lot of gluten-free friendly “grab and go” places.
McDonald’s have released this video explaining all about it (in Dutch, sorry) but the gist of the news is that:
- They are certified gluten-free by the Dutch Coeliac Association
- You can get the gluten-free bun as a hamburger, cheeseburger or quarter pounder
- They make them to order, adhering to strict cross-contamination controls
- Each branch that offers them has a crossed grain logo saying “Lekker Glutenvrij” on a sticker at the entrance
- You can order at the counter, drive-thru or at their Easy Order kiosks
- They put a helpful “zonder gluten” (without gluten) sticker on your order
To find your nearest branch, visit the restaurant locator and click on the crossed grain logo. For more information (in Dutch) read this summary by Miss Glutenvrij.
What do you think? Excited? Jealous? Skeptical? Let me know in the comments below…
So true! I have been diagnosed only a week ago, so I am still going through my denial phase (I am Italian, how can I possibly be a coeliac!!). I have already experienced some inappropriate comments by restaurant managers, such as: it’s not an allergy is it? It’sjust an intolerance. You won’t die if you eat some gluten!
It left me speechless. There’s still so much ignorance about coeliac disease.
Anyway, I really enjoy reading your blog. Keep up the good work!
I recently ate one at Amsterdam (Schiphol) Airport. It was delicious!
I was recently in Portugal and they had range of gluten free burgers available in McDonalds
While I don’t advocate eating a lot of fast foods–gluten-free or otherwise–I would love for Mc Donalds to offer gluten free in the U.S., and I hope they will. One thing that would be especially nice is if they would offer their breakfast sandwiches on a gluten-free bun. I wouldn’t care if it was a hamburger bun. It can be difficult to find convenient, fast breakfast items while on the road, and a fast and friendly egg sandwich would be wonderful.
We are going to Ansterdam this year and im gluten intolernat so defo want to vist the gluten free mcdonalds but does anyone k kw if they contain onion or garlic also cant have that?
On the McDonalds website in the UK people have been asking for gluten-free choices for years. McDonalds simply copy-and-pastes the same reply about ‘differences in our kitchen set-up’ not allowing them to offer gluten-free buns. So they are either saying it is physically impossible to rearrange a McDonalds kitchen, or that no new restaurants have been built over the past few years, allowing them to arrange the kitchen suitably! Other restaurants have been able to adapt, and everyone is aware that there is always the risk of cross contamination in a restaurant kitchen so either accept the risk or don’t eat there. It sounds like McDonalds in the UK is making excuses