Spelt....where to buy!?

MegandNicsmum

Does anyone know if ANY of the high street supermarkets or health food shops stock Spelt barley!???!? I've done a load of searches and can't seem to find it other than Mr Harriot's version and I loath paying more for postage than I do for the item!!!! Or can anyone recommend a grain that I can use to substitute it with successfully?!?!? Thanks x

Karena_3

Hi.
Some branches of Waitrose in London stock Sharpham Park Organic spelt.Shapham Park Organic also sell direct via their own web site.

Karen.

redlady_1

I believe pearl barley can be used but dont take my word for that. The only reason I say that is HFW has a receipe that uses either so I guess it would be a fair subsitute?

hotcookie101

My local waitrose (essex) sells pearled spelt. (the sharpham park stuff) I recently made speltotto (A HFW recipe) and it was lovely, but I reckon you could easily substitute pearl barley for it (in fact HFW says you can in the recipe)

alec_eiffel

If you live anywhere near a Booths supermarket they sell it there. I have subbed pearl barley but soak it for a bit first so it cooks nice and quickly like spelt.

Karena_3

Waitrose have also brought out a quick cook four grain mix in the own brand'' love life'' range.It contains precooked pearl barley,rye,spelt and wheat.It may be a suitable substitute.
Karen.

imogen-p

Spelt is an ancient variety of wheat dating back to at least the Bronze Age, and probably to the Neolithic and the very start of agriculture. I've not heard of spelt barley though. (Is rather geeky on old cereal type as my Archaeology dissertation at uni was on Iron Age farming - and it's nice to be able to use something I've learnt once in a while). I've seen spelt flour for sale in H0lland and Barret.

Are you looking for whole grains of spelt, like pearled spelt? - which look a lot like pearl barley.

Not particularly cheap, at nearly £3 for 500g, but waitr0ses sell it, a make called Sharpham Park. There are probably cheaper retailers of it though online. Sussex whole foods has 1kg bags for 3.99, but the delivery costs are high.

I think you could probably substitute pearl barley for it without too much problem. The only real differences between spelt and moderns grains (wheat, barley etc) it that it has a higher levels of protein and lower levels of gluten.

MegandNicsmum

Oh thank you for all the information...VERY useful....we have a Waitrose near us...will pop there tomorrow...x