EXCLUSIVE: GF lobster roll lands in St Andrews after Courier ask

When I asked Dune’s Lobster Shack in St Andrews if they could make me a gluten-free version of their famous lobster roll, I never expected that moment would spark a small revolution.

But now, thanks to that conversation, everyone can get their claws on a gluten-free lobster roll – no special requests needed – and for the same price.

And let me tell you, it is phenomenal.

the exterior of the lobster roll shack at Dune restaurant in St Andrews has a white on red sign saying lobster rolls and a wooden booth with a blackboard on the front of is showing the menu for the day. — The Lobster Shack at Dune in St Andrews now offers a gluten-free version. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

I’ve always had a love for shellfish. It goes back to childhood holidays, when my dad would lift me up to peer into the glass tanks at seafood restaurants abroad.

Learning to tackle shellfish

He taught me how to crack open crab claws, navigate a plate of prawns, and tackle a whole fish. I was hooked.

As an adult, I’ve continued that obsession with fresh, local shellfish – especially lobster and langoustines – on travels around Scotland, seeking out the best coastal restaurants and fish shacks.

A woman with short blond hair is handed a lobster roll by a young male chef with brown hair. — Chef Adam Kidd hands Rachel her lobster roll. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

So you can imagine the pang of longing I felt the first time I spotted those beautifully overstuffed lobster rolls being handed out from the hatch at Dune, a wonderful offshoot of celebrity chef Dean Banks’ St Andrews restaurant empire.

The Lobster Shack opened in the summer of 2024 and has been going strong ever since.

Missing out on lobster rolls

There they were – plump, toasted, dripping with indulgence – and utterly off-limits to me as someone who has to eat gluten-free. I could have just asked for the filling, sure, but that always feels like accepting second best.

The same blond woman stands in front of the lobster shack holding the lobster roll and smiling at the camera. — Holding the coveted lobster roll. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

Instead, I finally got round to asking: Could you make one gluten-free? And the answer from chef Adam Kidd wasn’t just “yes” – it was “let’s make it great.”

That spirit of inclusion is part of what makes Dean’s venues like Haar and Dune stand out. Whether it’s a tasting menu or a takeaway, if you say you’re gluten-free, they don’t just remove the gluten – they reimagine the dish.

As Adam put it: “Everyone deserves to have a great experience.”

Making gluten free taste good

That attitude shows. When I went back to Dune recently to try the newly official gluten-free version of the lobster roll – I arrived with high hopes but a healthy dose of scepticism.

Gluten-free bread is famously tricky. So many versions are dense, crumbly, dry, or oddly sweet. I usually avoid it entirely. But what came out of the kitchen blew me away.

A close-up of a lobster roll being held by a woman with pink nail varnish. The roll is filled with a large lettuce leaf which contains the creamy seafood filling. — The gluten-free lobster roll from Dune’s seafood shack. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

The bun looked perfect – lightly golden, crisp at the edges, with a soft, springy interior.

“I toasted it in lemon oil,” Adam explained later, “because gluten-free bread needs a little help. That oil adds flavour and softens it up.”

It worked. The hint of lemon sang through and lifted the entire roll. Honestly? If you didn’t know it was gluten-free, you wouldn’t guess.

What is in the roll?

Inside the roll was a generous heap of lobster meat, nestled into a crisp lettuce leaf to help hold everything together. But this was no ordinary seafood salad.

It was a mix designed for depth and heat: chunks of sweet, juicy lobster from Yule Fisheries in Arbroath (delivered fresh by Tommy, who supplies all Dean Banks’ venues), kissed with chipotle for smoky heat, a touch of Arbroath Smokie for richness, and finished with a silky Katy Rodgers crème fraîche from Fife.

The blond lady smiling while eating the lobster roll. — How to make a gluten-free foodie very happy. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

Every bite was cool and creamy, smoky and spicy, fresh and just a little decadent.

I took my roll to the sun-drenched terrace at Dune and ate it overlooking the medieval spires and university buildings of St Andrews.

It was one of those lunches that makes you want to text everyone you know and tell them to go there immediately.

Thoughtful act means so much

And it means so much more than just being able to eat a lobster roll. It’s about not being left out. It’s about being seen as a customer who deserves the full experience – not the “safe” version.

In so many places, saying “I’m gluten free” still leads to eye rolls, missing sauces, dry bread, or meals that feel like afterthoughts. But not here. Not with Dean Banks’ team.

A blond lady smiles up at the camera while she is being handed a brown cardboard box containing a lobster roll. — Picking up the gluten-free roll from chef Adam Kidd. Image: Steve Brown/DC Thomson

In fact, the gluten-free approach seems deeply personal. Dean’s son Felix is coeliac, and until now, he’s never been able to have one of these rolls. “I’m so excited to make him his first lobster roll,” said Adam with a grin.

And it’s not just the roll. Dean Banks’ business is quietly making sure that more and more of its offerings are coeliac-friendly without compromising on quality. Their home-delivery wagyu burger kits are also now available gluten-free.

And I’ll be back very soon. Because as much as I loved that one roll, I could have easily eaten three.