After building a following at the Adelaide Showground Farmers’ Market, Just Gluten Free Bakery is attracting sell-out crowds at its first bricks-and-mortar store in Ascot Park.

Gluten-free food has long held a reputation for being a sub-par variation of its traditionally made counterpart, but those who know where to look are aware this is no longer the reality.

One producer working to overturn gluten-free’s unfair rep is Sabine de Vuono, who founded Just Gluten Free Bakery in 2010.

She was inspired to create the business after learning about coeliac disease, deciding to help people intolerant of gluten to have access to the same Australian bakery favourites the general population regularly enjoys.

After more than a decade building her business in pop-up form at the Adelaide Showground Farmers’ Market, Sabine has opened Just Gluten Free’s first bricks-and-mortar bakery in Ascot Park.

The bakery opened on 30 April and has seen customers coming from near and far for a taste of Sabine’s coeliac-inclusive fare.

“The customers walk in and say, ‘Oh my goodness, this isn’t real, I’m in heaven!’” Sabine says.

“People thank me when they come in, as their children and parents have gone their whole lives without trying a lamington or a calzone.”

Just Gluten Free has sold out every day between opening day and when we speak with Sabine, and it’s comments like the above that convince her the hard work she puts in is worth it.

Sabine and the JGF team

Sabine earned her chef qualifications back in Italy, growing up surrounded by amazing cuisine in Italian food hotspot, Bologna, before moving to Australia in 2006.

When she launched Just Gluten Free, working against the common understanding of gluten-free food was a challenge. Consumer expectations were set quite low due to some businesses jumping on the GF bandwagon without giving proper consideration to quality.

To Sabine, this was a way to differentiate, but it didn’t come without a significant amount of work.

“I researched, and tried something, it failed so I chucked it in the bin, tried again and chucked that in the bin; it was so much trial and error,” she says.

Sabine travelled the world when conducting her research, discovering high-quality ingredients she still uses to make flavourful pastries, breads, and pastas.

“I buy the best produce and quality ingredients and that makes a huge difference,” Sabine says.

“I searched everywhere for the perfect flour, now blending my own personal flour mix for each item; for breads I have a specific flour, for gnocchi I have another.

“I don’t think I’m a superstar at all, but I know what others don’t. Gluten-free foods often taste like cardboard, and it doesn’t taste good most of the time. My food as been perfected over the years, to give people good experiences and food made with love and patience”.

In addition to being gluten-free, Sabine’s food is also soy-free, and majority of food items offered are also dairy-free. Sabine has also included some vegan items on top of this already diverse menu.

Just Gluten Free is very popular

Sabine doubled her staff in preparation for the hotly anticipated grand opening of Just Gluten Free Bakery, but that was still not enough to handle the inundation of love from Adelaide’s gluten-free community.

Catherine Woods, the marketing manager for Just Gluten Free, says the queue was dozens of people long at all times on opening day, selling out of everything in the store.

“We have just had another two bakers start, and more shop assistants to hopefully help with the busyness,” Catherine says.

Sabine is grateful to have sold out of food every day so far, but that has resulted in her already looking to expand her kitchen and make drastic changes to cater to the chaos.

Sabine hopes to find a nearby commercial kitchen, which she says will help her scale up, hire more staff, and pick up old business ventures she’d previously shelved.

Just Gluten Free Bakery is located at 26 Daws Road, Ascot Park, and opens Tuesday through Sunday.

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Shelves are restocked every day