Ask Genius

Q. What makes the Genius bakery range different to other gluten-free products on the market?

A. Genius bakery products are fresh, deliciously light, and made from high fibre natural ingredients. Our range of delicious gluten-free foods smell, tastes and feels every bit as good as traditional wheat products. Don’t just take our word for it, read what some of our customers say.

Q. What is Xanthan Gum?

A. Xanthan gum is a natural gum that is derived from bacteria that live on cabbage leaves which is harvested, fermented, purified and ground into a powder.

Q. What is Calcium Propionate?

A. Changes in the temperature (such as Winter to Summer) make Genius bread more susceptible to mould. Calcium Propionate is common practise in many foodstuffs, especially in bakery. Through the introduction of Calcium Propionate Genius can ensure that your bread remains fresh and mould free, within its shelf life, all year round.

Q. Are Genius bakery products suitable for vegetarians?

A. Genius bakery products do all contain a little egg white but that is the only ingredient that vegans and some vegetarians might want to avoid.

Q. How can I be reassured about contamination?

A. Genius products are baked in a dedicated gluten-, wheat- and dairy-free site which means no produce or ingredients containing these allergens are allowed into the area and rigorous checks are in place to ensure that procedures are followed.

Q. What fruits are used in the fruit loaf and teacakes?

A. The yummy fruits we use in our fruit loaf are sultanas and currants.

Q. Where do sugar beet flakes come from?

A. Sugar beet flakes are a high fibre product derived from the sugar beet, which is similar to a beet root but white in colour.

Q. What seeds do you use in the rolls and seeded loaf?

A. The seeds we use in our seeded bread and rolls are poppy seeds, sunflower seeds and linseeds.

Q. What is gluten?

A. Gluten is a protein found in cereals such as rye, wheat, barley. A similar protein is also found in oats. Gluten is what typically gives dough its elasticity and helps bread and cakes to rise so making these products without gluten requires a completely different approach to cooking.

Q. What is Tapioca?

A. Tapioca is a gluten-free starch harvested from the cassava root which grows in tropical climates.

Q. What is the vegetable oil used in Genius products?

A. The oil we use in Genius bread is rapeseed oil. The levels of saturated fat in the rapeseed oil are low and are similar to those found in wheat bread.

Q. Is the Genius bakery range wheat free?

A. Yes it is. There is no wheat in anything Genius! There is no gluten, dairy or soya either in our bakery products.

Q. Does the Genius bakery range contain yeast?

A. Genius bakery products do contain yeast. The yeast plays a very important part in the process as it helps the products to rise. Using other raising agents like bicarbonate of soda tends to leave an unpleasant acidic taste and compromises on the quality of the bread.

Q. Are Genius bakery products egg free?

A. Unfortunately, the Genius bakery range is not egg free. It’s quite a challenge baking well without gluten and egg. We are afraid the egg is central to the product’s consistency as it provides the structure. Without it the result is a much heavier and unstable products, and egg substitutes just don’t compare.

Q. Can Genius bakery products be frozen?

A. Yes, all the Genius bakery products can be frozen. Put them in the freezer as soon as possible after purchase and use within one month of freezing.

Q. What is the best way to store Genius products?

A. All Genius bakery products are best stored in a cool, dry place and kept in their original packaging, re-sealing them where possible using the re-sealable tag.

Q. What is the best way to eat a Genius teacake?

A. It’s completely up to you how you enjoy you Genius teacakes, however we would recommend that you serve them toasted with butter and jam!

Q. Can I cook with Genius?

A. Yes, Genius bread especially is great for cooking with in all sorts of dishes. See our recipes section for lots of ideas. Lucinda also has a cookery book called 'How to Cook for Food Allergies' which has lots of tips and techniques for cooking gluten free.

Q. Are Genius products available outside of the UK?

A. Genius is currently available in the UK, Southern Ireland, Canada and the USA. We hope that it will be available in other parts of the world very soon, so that everyone who is on a gluten-free diet can enjoy it!

Q. Do Genius products meet the new regulations for being labelled ‘gluten free’?

A. Yes, Genius products do not contain gluten or Codex wheat starch and so fall below the Codex Alimentarius standard of 20 parts of gluten per million.

Q. What products are there in the Genius Gluten Free bakery range?

A. At the moment there are several products in the Genius bakery range – white bread and brown bread available as a 400g unsliced loaf or a 600g sliced loaf. We also produce rolls, teacakes and sliced seeded loaf. We also now have a great frozen range for you to try! We are always working on lots more tasty products to add to the range, so why not sign up for our newsletter so we can keep you updated.

Q. Do you supply direct to independent businesses?

A. Yes we do. Please contact us on 0845 874 4000 for more information.

Q. Do you supply direct to individuals?

A. Yes we do. Genius bread can now be delivered direct to your door by ordering from our new online shop. We can supply unsliced brown or white bread by the case (6 loaves). Please click here to have a browse of the shop and check out some of the exciting new Genius goodies that are available.

Q. Could the Genius team do some sampling at my event?

A. We like to get out and about to meet people and sample Genius goodies, so please let us know the details of your event and we will let you know whether someone from the team will be able to attend.

Q. Is Genius available on prescription?

A. Genius brown and white unsliced bread is now available for those entitled to gluten-free food on prescription. It can be prescribed in cases of 6 brown or white unsliced loaves. Please click here for more information.

Q. Where can I buy Genius in the USA and Canada?

A. We have teamed up with a wonderful bread partner across the pond to bring you ‘Genius by Glutino’. Working closely together both white and brown sandwich bread is now distributed across the US and Canada to retailers including Wholefoods, Safeway, Target, Save Mart, Tops, ShopRite, PriceRite, and Ralphs. Find out more about Glutino here.

Q. Where can I buy Genius bread in the UK?

A. At the moment Genius bread is available in Tesco, Waitrose, Sainsbury's, and selected Morrisons and Co-op stores nationwide. We also have a number of other local retailers that are stocking Genius. Enter your postcode in our Store Directory to find your nearest stockist. If you can’t find Genius bread near you, why not buy online from our online shop. Alternatively, we can supply direct to retailers, so if your local store would like to stock Genius bread ask them to get in touch with us on 0845 874 4000.

Q. Why is the price of Genius bread more expensive than wheat breads?

A. Gluten-free products use different ingredients from wheat bread which are generally more expensive to source and production is often more expensive due to the relatively smaller volumes.

Q. How do you get on the Genius Research Panel?

A. We’re always on the look-out for new fans. We recruit new members from time-to-time, so please drop us an email with your details if you are interested in joining.

Q. How do you cook without gluten?

A. There are various substitutes to use when replacing gluten in recipes. For more information about cooking gluten free have a look at Lucinda’s book ‘How to Cook for Food Allergies’ which contains lots of helpful tips on how to cook family favourite dishes without gluten.

Q. What foodstuffs contain gluten?

A. Many of our staple foods contain gluten such as bread, pasta, cakes, biscuits, pizzas and it can also be found in other less obvious products like couscous. Gluten is also present in some drinks made from grains such as beer, and malt spirits. If a product contains gluten manufacturers must always declare it as an allergen on the product packaging so always check the label if you are unsure.