First Look: Canberra’s newest (and only) 100 percent gluten-free café and bakehouse

Posted on 18 October, 2023

We recently broke the news that a completely gluten-free bakery is opening in Canberra but now we have an update – it’s also a café.

Did the earth move or did all of Canberra’s coeliacs suddenly start cheering?

Officially open in Belconnen, popular wholefood café Eighty/Twenty has partnered with Gluten Free 4 U for the ultimate collaboration – Canberra’s very newest (and only) 100 percent gluten-free café and bakehouse, Gluten Free Café & Shoppe.

Serving the complete Eighty/Twenty menu all totally gluten-free (so there’s no need to awkwardly ask if you can have the GF option. EVER. AGAIN) – as well as a few new additions – owner Aakash Shah says the idea for the café and shop born from his desire to create a safe space for people to enjoy delicious meals without the fear of cross-contamination.

“My daughter has multiple allergies and the places that we go to eat, in the back of our mind there’s always those thoughts of whether it’s going to be safe for her this time or not…that’s why we wanted to do something that’s 100 percent gluten-free,” he explains.

“All the supplies are gluten-free; all of the back area is gluten-free and with everything happening in there [the kitchen], there’s no gluten and no wheat. We can surely say that you’ll have nothing to worry about.”

And with all the mouth-watering treats from Gluten Free 4 U also available (which have something of a cult-like status among the gluten-free community) the dreams of those living with coeliac disease and gluten intolerance really will be coming true – because there will also be an astonishing range of over 200 gluten-free products available for delivery and pick up.

Think: cakes, bread, pastries, biscuits, dim sims, pies, quiches, Danishes, lollies, pasta, croissants…the list literally goes on.

Pictured: Gluten Free 4 U Chocolate Mousse, Cherry Danish and Tiramisu…drooling yet?

Dreaming of opening the Gluten Free Café & Shoppe for over three years, Aakash says that when he began to introduce more gluten-free recipes into his Eighty/Twenty menus and began to research all gluten-free suppliers, he came across Gluten Free 4 U and knew it would be a perfect fit.

“We realised they have a large range that they can supply…but they have nothing in Canberra. We thought it would work well because people could just come in and buy the stuff they need – they don’t need to worry about going to Coles or Woolworth’s because it’s a one-stop shop,” he says.

“And while they’re here they can also have a coffee and cake!”

You can never go wrong with a Croissant, Rocky Road or a Brekky Roll with double bacon, double egg, cheese and homemade tomato relish.

Open seven days a week (Monday morning breakfast? Sorted. Midweek sweet treat? Hello, GF jam donuts. Sunday brunch? I know where to go), there will also be plenty of vegan, dairy-free, egg-free, fructose-friendly, soy-free, and low FODMAP products available.

Oh, and coffee. And matcha lattes. And sticky chai. You get the idea.

Along with the Eighty/Twenty classics, Aakash has also added a few new additions to the menu – including seven pizza options (ranging from the Vege Delight to Chilli Chicken) and four burgers all served with house-baked potato wedges. And if that wasn’t enough, there are even puppichinos and home-baked vegan and gluten-free treats, so your four-legged friends don’t miss out.

Are you excited yet?

Choosing to transform the Belconnen Eighty/Twenty location into the Gluten Free Café & Shoppe based on its size, the large ovens and prep area in the kitchen, and the ability to hold the large amount of stock that they know they will need to keep up with demand, there are also distant plans to eventually open a Southside location.

“We want one on the Southside for sure. If everything goes well here, the next plan is to have the base range of Gluten Free 4 U available at all the Eighty/Twenty locations,” says Aakash.

“So, people living in Greenway, if they want sourdough, they can go to the Greenway store and go to a dedicated freezer and buy products from it. That will be the first roll out…in the next three to six months, at least two or three of our bigger locations like Greenway, Kingston, and Coombs will have the range of Gluten Free 4 U products available.”

“We will make sure Gluten Free Café & Shoppe will become the one-stop destination for gluten-free people”.

Personally, I plan on rolling myself home after eating everything – and I mean everything. Vanilla Slice? Gimme. Sausage roll? It’s literally been years, load me up. Croissant? Oh la, la, I’ll take 10.

Who’s with me?

I also apologise in advance to anyone who is not gluten-free – because if you know someone who is, you can bet your bottom dollar you’ll suddenly be spending a lot of time on Lathlain Street in Belconnen.