Last month, I attended my first event as a blogger. I attended the Gluten and Allergen Free Wellness Event here in Charlotte. The event features various vendors and speakers to help educate and serve those that cannot eat gluten and/or have allergens. Free product sampling before purchasing, lectures and demonstrations, and a free gift bag to carry samples & purchases are included with the ticket. Events are held in various states with the Charlotte event taking place at Lenny Boy Brewing Company.
As part of the blogger team, I got to bring Nikki as my guest. We also had access to the event 30 minutes prior to everyone else. When we got our wristbands, the swag bags weren’t quite ready yet and a few vendors were still setting up. The first table we stopped at was Norm’s Farms. They specialize in elderberries, which are a super fruit with all kind of benefits. We sampled syrup, jams, and jellies. We decided to purchase a jar of Blueberry Elderberry Preserves.
[bctt tweet=”Samples, vendors, and lectures, oh my! Read my recap of the Gluten and Allergen Free Wellness Event in Charlotte” username=”gfspirit”]
Next we moved on to the Killer Bees Honey table. We spoke with the owners, whom were very nice. We sampled honey and explored their beauty products. Had I not just bought a giant jar of local honey the weekend before, I definitely would’ve purchased a jar! Do any of you have issues with honey? It causes Nikki stomach discomfort. After that, we stopped by the Garden Lites table to try a chocolate muffin (me) and blueberry waffle (Nikki).
At this point, we decided to visit the outer tables and then make our way back around to the inner tables. The Garnet Rose Soap Company caught our eye. There were so many soaps to smell (they smelled delightful)! These products are not only all natural, but gluten-free. Ms. V explained that what you put on top of your skin will absorb and we should be mindful of the products we use. She was a joy to talk to! Through our conversation, we discovered that she is Godmother to the newest Carolina Panther, Torrey Smith! Nikki & I were telling her how excited we were to have him play for our team, so she had us record a message to him on her Instastory. 😀
JP’s Pastry is located in Raleigh, NC. They had a variety of goodies (and a line!) to try. Nikki found yummy food that we buy: a cinnamon roll & Hawaiian rolls. We didn’t realize until we got home that the Hawaiian rolls contained dairy. While in line, someone was asking about bread and was told an item had no dairy in it. We both misunderstood and didn’t think to double check the label until we got back. My mom and I ate the Hawaiian rolls, though Nikki tried them anyway. At least she could eat the cinnamon bun.
City BBQ had samples of barbecue and green beans. Nikki & I both passed on green beans as neither one of us like them. The barbecue was really good! BBQ isn’t something Nikki can usually tolerate, so it was great to find BBQ that’s not cooked in soy. City BBQ also has locations in Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, and Ohio.
We stopped by a few other tables for samples and discussion: Allergic Traveler, Arbonne, Brasstown Chocolate, Dolci Di Maria, F4L Diva Bars, HealthMax Center, KIND Snacks, Norwex, Passante’s Home Food Services, Scout & Cellar, and Swerve Sweetener.
It took us about two hours to make our way through the event. We had a great time, tried yummy samples, and met nice people. On my way out, I grabbed a swag bag that was full of good stuff. There was a ton of info on the Beaches by Sandals which has food options for those with dietary restrictions. We also received coupons from companies like Namaste Foods, King Arthur Flour, and Enjoy Life. Enjoy Life also had samples of their semi-sweet chocolate chips and caramel apple chewy bar (which came in handy on our trip to Atlanta). Swerve Sweetener had a cute little promotional package that included 5 packets of sweetener, recipe cards, spatula, and a measuring spoon. We stopped by their booth and I tried their fresh lemon butter cake (yum!). We’ll definitely be trying out the recipes provided (and of course tell you how to make it)! Dolci di Maria provided a Caramel Blondie and the Chocolate Pear cake. Their products are gluten- and dairy-free, but only certain items are soy-free. The blondie was really good! Unfortunately about a week after the event, I realized the cake was starting to grow mold. I didn’t realize that it’s recommended that the cake should be refrigerated even if unopened. Sadly, I had to throw it out without trying it. Luckily, several local grocery stores carry their products so I’ll definitely being trying the cake and will report back.
Hope you enjoyed this Gluten and Allergen Free Wellness Event recap. I would definitely recommend going to a Gluten and Allergen Free Wellness Event! If you’re interested in going to an even near you, be sure to check out their event page. Thank you to all of the wonderful vendors and speakers that participated, provided samples, and contributed to the swag bag.
If you’d like to know about other foods that GFS approves, get your FREE Beginners Guide to Dietary-Restriction Friendly Essentials checklist! Be sure to follow GFS on social media using the buttons below.
Congrats on your first blogger event. Don’t you just love them? I always feel extra special being able to preview items before everyone else does. Looks like you picked a goods one to go to! Lots of yummy food!
Thank you! It was awesome & I’d love to do it again soon! Yes, I did feel special being able to have early access and a swag bag. 😀 There was a lot of yummy food.
I have never heard of Blueberry Elderberry Preserves, I wonder how does it taste? We don’t have it here in Asia. Do you spread it on your bread?
It’s a sweet jam that tastes like berries. Yes, you can spread it on bread. My sister loves it so much that sometimes she just eats it with a spoon! lol
It sounds like an awesome event Sam and I love the fact that you could actually talk to a whole bunch of the vendors directly to find out more about their products. That must have made such a difference. The lady from the Garnet Rose Soap Company sounds absolutely delightful too. I’d be really keen to know what that Chocolate Pear cake tastes like. It sounds like such a yummy combination
It really was, Michelle. Being able to talk to the vendors and learn about the products was really cool and makes a difference. Mrs. V truly was a delight! I’m not a huge fan of pears, but I was intrigued by the combination with chocolate. I’m definitely going to buy it and try it.
Oh that sounds like such a fun event and I am glad you could Nikki with you! It looks like there were some great stalls, all the goodies you bought look amazing!
We had a great time and it was cool to learn about so many different brands. The goodies were yummy!
That pastry from JP’s Pastry looks so good and tasty. The Gluten and Allergen Free Wellness event seems like an event I would love to go to. Thanks for sharing this recap.
Thanks for reading! The food from JP’s Pastry was so yummy that we might have to make a little roadtrip to their bakery to get more!
This event looks like it was worth attending so many great vendors. I would have love to try the Hawaiian rolls those are always my favorite. And the natural honey does bother me as well not sure why that is??
It definitely was worth it, Chastity. The Hawaiian rolls were so good! Maybe the sugar/fructose in the honey is the culprit?
This is so exciting to read! I’m gluten-free and love how it’s becoming so much easier to manage as awareness rises! I’m especially happy that gluten-free products are starting to become full of less unhealthy ingredients and they’re really figuring out how to make decent products. I still make most of my own, but I feel much better grabbing a gluten-free product off the shelf now!
Jen, it’s so great to find foods that fit dietary needs that taste good. The healthier the ingredients the better!
This looks like a great event you attended. It’s great that there are places out there that hold events for dietary restrictive means like this and it looks like you picked up some great items. The cinnamon roll looks incredible!
I was really happy to find an event like this and Nikki enjoyed it too, especially since she discovered new brands and foods. She LOVED the cinnamon roll. We might have to take a little road trip to Raleigh so she can get more. lol
This food looks really good! Thanks for sharing it. It’s so hard to come across tasty, gluten free food, especially when eating out.
We found some good stuff, Tee! It really can be hard to find food that tastes good and fits dietary needs. That’s why I love sharing the foods we find to share with others.
Wow! it seems you had a great time in this event as a blogger. That was certainly a great opportunity for you, to discover new brands, products and also to spread the word about your blog.
I did, Nati! It was a really great opportunity to learn and network. I hope to do it again soon!
It seems that you really had a great time there in Wellness event. That peanut free looks really tempting and I want to try it it made in Soy but it taste like a peanut butter. Absolutely wow!
I did, Shubhada! I was surprised that I liked the Wow Butter. I would recommend it as an alternative to peanut butter.
Sounds like a interesting event. Now that spring is here the local stores around here will be hosting similar events. I will definitely be checking them out.
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It was interesting. I’d like to go to more like it. You should, Tanvi!
I have issues with honey, so is the pollen grain. It’s good to always attend such events you get to know what to buy even if it’s not something in the event but in general.
Good to know that raw honey is affecting other’s digestive system. It was a great event and we learned about so many new companies/foods. I’d love to attend more events like it.
Wow, I have never heard of wowbutter and the products are all new to me. This is an eye-opening event which I will love to join one day too.
It’s great learning about new options! It was a great event!