Wholegreen Bakery isn’t a newcomer to its fresh retail outlet in Alexandria. The shop is an extension of the gluten-free trailblazer’s existing bakery warehouse and came, in part, due to customer demand for its ever-increasing range of 100 per cent gluten-free goods.

“It just made complete sense to us to open a takeaway here, because everyone kept asking us, ‘Do you have a shop? Do you have a shop?’” says owner Cherie Lyden.

While the business previously offered click-and-collect, the new shopfront window serves Colombian Connection coffee and takeaway products including bread, pies and pastries – all certified by Coeliac Australia – and includes an outdoor seating area.

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“We opened the doors … and we had queues down the road,” Lyden says.

While service continues at the original bakery in Waverley and the CBD outlet on Clarence Street, the Alexandria outlet offers better parking options for those wanting to stock up on baked goods or cakes on-demand.

Lyden, a former nutritionist, has coeliac disease herself – and she’s just been named an ambassador for Coeliac Australia, a national charity supporting people with the disease and associated conditions.

While gluten-free food is essential for the approximately one in 70 Australians with coeliac disease, other customers follow a gluten-free diet for health and lifestyle reasons, she says, and can travel a long way for their Wholegreen fix. “For me, it’s not just about the product and having a shop … I’m trying to create awareness.”

To that end, Lyden is launching her first cookbook, Gluten-Free Baking Made Simple, through Murdoch Books on April 4.

“I really want to empower people in the kitchen who have to be gluten-free for whatever reason. Really empower them and educate them about their ingredients and how to combine them.”

There are big plans ahead for the Wholegreen brand, too. “I’ve got this bigger picture of what I want to turn Alexandria into: a gluten-free hub”, Lyden says, hinting at in-person cooking classes and other services.

“We want to be able to get our food to the people who need it.”

Wholegreen Bakery & Cafe Alexandria
25 McCauley Street,
Alexandria

Hours:
Mon to Sat 7am–2.30pm

wholegreenbakery.com.au