The Peak District is a national park in central England that’s known for its moorland, and limestone and gritstone ridges. I visited for the first time last year, and I don’t know why it took me so long to get to the Peak District! This gluten free Peak District guide covers gluten free accommodations, and my favorite restaurants from our trip.
I will warn you that this guide is NOWHERE near as exhaustive as my gluten free Lake District guide, and that’s largely because there are just less gluten free options in the Peak District. Saying that, I found two restaurants that went way above and beyond and are truly gluten free paradises (neither are 100% gluten free, but you can have nearly anything on the menu).
So, this guide mostly focuses on those amazing restaurants, plus includes some other restaurants that do have gluten free options but were not on my personal itinerary. If you are gluten free in the Peak District, I would actually advise doing a lot of your own food preparation, and save most of your meals out for the two restaurants I share below.
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Where to Stay in the Peak District if you’re Gluten Free
I always advise choosing where you stay strategically, to help minimize gluten free travel stress. That way you’re not starting your day off struggling on where to find a gluten free breakfast!
Stonecroft Guest House – 100% Gluten Free B&B in the Peak District
Stonecroft Guest House is a 100% gluten free (and vegetarian) bed and breakfast in Edale Valley in the heart of the Peak District. It’s owned by Julia Reid, who is an award winning chef and celiac herself (she is also allergic to wheat)! Stonecroft Guest House has won multiple Free From awards and is accredited by Coeliac UK – both are huge feats.
Breakfast can range from a gluten free full english, chickpea pancakes, Irish potato cakes, homemade sourdough toast, and more. Julia also serves a 100% gluten free multi-course dinner on Fridays and Saturdays, that must be booked ahead.
Dronfield or Holmesfield
Unfortunately Stonecroft Guest House was full when we booked our Peak District trip. We ended up staying in a self-catering apartment in Dronfield, right on the edge of the Peak District. I actually loved the location we stayed in as it was so close to my favorite gluten free Peak District restaurant, The Angel Pub, which is in Holmesfield. Plus, being outside the Peak District means the rates are a bit lower.
Accommodation in Dronfield and Holmesfield that I recommend:
- Apartment 2, Old Bank Apartments ($$): A one bedroom, one bathroom apartment perfect for a couple in the center of Dronfield where we stayed.
- Apartment 1, 81 Chesterfield Road ($$): A two bedroom, two bathroom apartment for up to six people in Dronfield.
- Manor House Hotel ($-$$): Historic hotel in central Dronfield with both double and single rooms. Good option for a solo trip!
- Springwood Cottage ($$): A cute one bedroom cottage with a king bed and sofa bed in Holmesfield, just a mile’s walk from The Angel Pub.
Gluten Free Peak District Restaurants
The Angel Pub | Holmesfield
You MUST eat at The Angel Pub if you are a celiac in the Peak District! This restaurant is in Holmesfield, which is on the eastern border of the Peak District. Almost everything at The Angel Pub is gluten free. However it is also really popular with gluten-eaters too, making this the perfect restaurant for a mixed group of celiacs and non-celiacs.
We ate here a few times (how could we not?!) as it was very close to our accommodation in Dronfield. I HAD to try their gluten free pies, which they are famous for. The steak and mushroom pie, with a crispy gluten free crust, mushy peas, and chunky chips (and a side of cider) did not disappoint. I also had a very good hot sweet potato and leek soup with a side of crusty gluten free bread.
The menu here regularly changes, but you can usually order gluten free fish and chips, the pie of the day, and a whole range of gluten free desserts like sticky toffee pudding, chocolate and cherry roulade, pavlova, crumble, cheesecake, and more.
Bistro in the Barn | Millhouse Green
Bistro in the Barn is another absolute gluten free haven. It is located on the northern border of the Peak District. To be honest, it is kind of out in the middle of nowhere, which is part of the charm. However that means it is not conveniently located. Dan and I spent the afternoon hiking Bamford Edge in Hope Valley, and then drove 27 minutes north to get to Bistro in the Barn for dinner. It was 100% worth the long journey as the food here was AMAZING. (And thanks to Dan for being a good sport and always going on adventures with me to hunt down gluten free food – he loved the food here too).
The menu here is seasonal, and is almost completely gluten free. Every single main course is gluten free, but gluten eaters can get normal bread or crackers if they wish. We visited on a Sunday and I ordered the Sunday roast with turkey and gluten free gravy and yorkshire puddings. YUM.
The desserts here are also totally gluten free and so I took one for the team and tested them out 
I ordered a gluten free lemon cheesecake and Dan ordered a gluten free sticky toffee pudding. Both were amazing but I find it very uncommon to get gluten free cheesecake so that was particularly special. Bistro in the Barn also serves a gluten free Bakewell Tart which would be a festive pick as the Lake District is known for this treat!
Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn | Longnor/Buxton
The other restaurant that we ate at in the Peak District was Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn. There are multiple restaurants with this name in the Peak District (of no relation to each other… I guess this is just a very British name?). We ate at the one in Longnor/Buxton, NOT the one in Castleton.
Dan and I spent the morning and afternoon hiking Chrome Hill and Lud’s Church, both in the southwest area of the Peak District. We randomly stopped at Ye Olde Cheshire Cheese Inn on our drive back to Dronfield and I was pleasantly surprised that they had gluten free options!
There is a dedicated gluten free fryer here so it was safe for me to eat the chips (slathered in cheese). I also ordered a cider and we sat down and played cards for an hour or so in the sun. I spoke to the manager here and he informed me that the gammon, hunters chicken, and a few other dishes could be made gluten free. Nothing on the menu is marked gluten free, but I found the staff very knowledgeable about gluten.
In short, I would not go out of your way to eat here (like I definitely recommend you do for The Angel Pub and Bistro in the Barn), however if you are in the area this is a safe stop to eat for sure.
More Gluten Free Options in the Peak District
Other than those three restaurants (including repeated visits to The Angel Pub), I prepared my own gluten free meals at our apartment in Dronfield. There was a Tesco walking distance away so it was very convenient and stress-free.
This honestly worked very well for me, but I understand if you’d like more gluten free Peak District options. I did a lot of research before my trip to the Peak District. Below I am sharing the restaurants I found with promising gluten free options. Please keep in mind that I have not personally dined at these restaurants, so I can’t vouch for their cross contact protocols. As always please check before you eat!
- Roaches Tea Rooms & Restaurant: A restaurant and tearoom in the southwest Peak District, in a great area for walks. There is a separate gluten free menu with gluten free breakfasts, sandwiches, gluten free sausages, gluten free sticky toffee pudding, and more.
- Byways Tearoom: A tearoom in Bakewell where I saw a sign advertising gluten free options. Online reviews state there are gluten free sandwiches and cakes, but I’m not sure about cross contact.
- The Woodyard: A large pub/restaurant in Bakewell that we actually tried to eat at but it was very crowded (so we ended up going to The Angel Pub again… lol). There is a separate gluten free menu with quite a few options such as penne pasta, risotto, homity pie, pizza, burgers, and more.
- Eyre Arms: A pub in Calver, which is in central-east Peak District. There is no gluten free menu online but I have seen reviews that they have gluten free bread and there is a separate gluten free menu at the pub.
- Eyam Tea Rooms: Located in Eyam, this tearoom has gluten free cakes available.
- Tilly’s of Castleton: When we were walking through Castleton, I noticed this place had a gluten free sign in their window. I’ve since seen online that Tilly’s has gluten free breakfasts (including toast and black pudding!), gluten free sandwiches, cakes, scones, and more.
BONUS: Gluten Free Restaurant for your Drive to the Peak District
As a ~bonus~ I thought I’d share a tip for where to eat on your way to (or home from) the Peak District.
LEON is a “natual” fast food restaurant. I’ve loved LEON for years, but they mostly have locations in London. However they have expanded and now also have some locations conveniently off the motorway. The closest LEON to the Peak District is located off the A61 south of Chesterfield. There are quite a few others off the major motorways on the route south. A few are located north and northwest of the Peak District. Check all LEON locations here to find which one works best for your route.
When we visited the Peak District, LEON had recently introduced gluten free chicken nuggets – swoon – and gluten free waffle fries. They also have tons of other gluten free options.
Happy gluten free traveling to the Peak District! I hope this post is helpful to you. Now you know the absolute best spots for gluten free food in the Peak District! Oh… and don’t forget the 100% gluten free bed and breakfast!!
Please let me know in the comments if you go to any of these restaurants during your Peak District trip. I will also be sure to keep this post updated.
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