I made the mistake of not packing lunch for my flight back from Crete. Here’s what I found: glutenfree at Heraklion airport.
Duty free
Upon passing through security, the duty-free area is your first stop. Here, the gluten-free offerings are limited to some crisps and chocolates. Make sure to check allergen warnings/ingredients at the back to make sure there is no cross-contamination. I picked up Choco Bites by Hans Gretel, a glutenfree alternative to Smarties that I discovered in Crete.
Unfortunately, none of the sandwich kiosks offered any gluten-free options, so it’s best to steer clear.
Easy grab N go
To the right, there is a waiting area where you can watch the planes. There was a little kiosk shop that had gluten-free chocolate biscuits that were pre-packaged. At about 6 euros, it was pricy, but I was having the classic panic with a lack of options, so I bought it. The biscuits were dry and crumbly but surprisingly addictive.
By then, I had given up hope of finding a proper GF lunch before flying, until I turned the corner and
found…It’s all Greek.
It’s all Greek
They serve hot Greek food, including gyros (with pitta) and hot fries (chips for British people like me).
The server said only the fries were gluten-free. They seemed to be cooked in a separate fryer from the other food, but I had some concerns about cross-contamination, as the prongs used to serve the fries were used to place fries on the pita bread for gyros. I decided to give it a go and ordered fries with ketchup.
In hindsight, I should have asked them to serve me fresh fries straight away with cleaned prongs, but I started feeling anxious about the food situation. Thankfully, it did not give me any bloating or cramping that I usually get when eating gluten, but I would only recommend this for gluten intolerants, not coeliacs. However, as this is not a dedicated gluten-free facility, I highly recommend checking with staff prior to ordering and using discretion where required.
Exploring Wheatless’ Coeliac Rating: 3/5
Overall Taste: 4/5
My advice for future travelers with gluten intolerance or celiac disease is to pack a gluten-free lunch
before your flight. However, if this isn’t possible, there are some options available at the airport.
