Are you looking for a healthy alternative to meat but you're fed up of fish and soya just doesn't make the cut? Well, why not try some gluten, or as Sean Pilgrim would say "Gluttin.""I decided to put my own spin on it, just to play on the words," he says.The 39-year-old vegetarian owns a small family business in Petit Bourg called Cafe Russise Products Ltd (CRE) which specialises in making and selling the local product to customers and supermarkets across the country.Packed with iron, calcium, potassium and protein, Pilgrim says it's the perfect choice for vegetarians, the health conscious, or anyone wanting to "try something different."And for those watching their waistlines, Pilgrim assures that gluten contains no cholesterol, additives, trans or saturated fats.
Determined
The fitness instructor at the Oxford Street Health Centre says he first learnt about gluten as a child while watching his mother make gluten dishes to sell at Church."Everybody really liked the different things she was able to do with it. She eventually wanted to expand because it was only a small group and she wanted to cater to more people," he explains.In 2007, the mother-son team launched CRE and two years year, Extra Foods supermarket gave the green light for the product to be sold at its Grand Bazzar branch."My mother passed away two months after we got it into the supermarket and although she lived to see her dream come true, she never got to see the company grow."
Today, Pilgrim's mother would be proud. Customers can find gluten at Better Deal, West Bees and all Extra Foods and JTA supermarkets in the frozen vegetarian section.Still, his ambitions do not stop there.Stressing that it's an "all natural, all local" product, in the near future, Pilgrim hopes to open a restaurant where he can provide a "better variety" of gluten dishes.He also plans to stage a "health fair" to educate the public on the benefits of gluten.For that, he's appealing to corporate T&T for some assistance."I really need to get sponsors to help get the company more recognised. This is a local product we should really be supporting our own."
Every palate
Stating that gluten will appeal to just about every palate, Pilgrim, who also does catering for various events, says just like any other dish, the power lies in the preparation."Gluten has been around for years but we have combined it with our local seasonings, like sieve, shadow beni, celery and pimentos just like you would season any meat. We flour it and bread it and then fry it" he explains. "We try to make it look colourful by using our own indigenous seasonings."And contrary to popular belief, the Morvant resident says vegetarian meals can be appetising, satisfying and innovative."You can use gluten to make just about anything..Patties, veggie balls, pastels, nuggets, puffs, creamy dressings, finger foods, even lasagna, you name it. It's a very versatile product."
what is gluten?
• Gluten of gluten flour is a flouring creamy powder obtained by wet extraction of non-protein constituents of wheat flour. Wheat gluten can be used to increase the protein content of bakery products, breakfast cereals, meat analogues and pasta. It is characterised by its original property of high visco-elasticity when hydrated (approximately one part of flour to two parts of water).
• For more info on gluten products contact Sean at :713-8634/291-2074.