4me Gluten Free

On a tiny shopping strip on Kooyong Road in Elsternwick is 4me Gluten Free – a little bakery with a white facade, and often a queue that stretches over to the laundromat next door. The bakery is so small that customers can’t really step inside, but a cabinet in the window displays a colourful array of cakes and cupcakes.

Baking is co-owner Yinon Hacham's family trade – his father and uncle ran a large bakery in Jerusalem for decades, and Yinon worked on the business side, managing sales and developing products. (Fun fact: leavened bread and products made from wheat are prohibited during Passover, so most Jewish bakers and chefs have a repertoire of gluten-free cakes for the holiday.)

When he and wife Sharon moved to Australia from Israel (Sharon grew up in Melbourne) the pair noticed the demand for gluten-free baked goods– especially in Melbourne’s Jewish community, where gluten-free versions of traditional breads and cakes were hard to find – so they decided to open 4me.

People with coeliac disease or an intolerance for gluten, or those who just prefer to avoid it, will travel far to 4me for a suitable lamington. All of the products are also dairy- and nut-free, and kosher certified.

In the savoury department, there are pizza bases; focaccias; wraps (reminiscent of laffa flatbread); bagels; challah; samosas; and more. When it comes to cakes and desserts, 4me’s range is equally robust and impressive. Standouts include the watermelon mousse cake, chocolate babka, tiramisu, and lamington cake filled with house-made jam.

4me takes custom orders, so if you’re after a particular flavour or size – or a vegan adaptation sans eggs – Yinon may be able to accommodate your request. Also, keep your eye on Instagram for festive specials.