Derry woman pioneering gluten free café experience

It’s in the genes and the proof of the pudding is definitely in the eating, judging by the success of Derry’s Gluten Free Artisan Bakery Co.

Owner Rebekah Hill began baking to support her dad, chef Declan Moore, proprietor of the city’s Claude’s Café, when he received his later-in-life coeliac diagnosis.

Rebekah, a practising solicitor, smiled as she said had embraced baking during her current maternity leave - her second baby is now nine months old.

“I started baking because my dad is coeliac and a very fussy coeliac. He found it really, really hard to find nice, gluten-free food. Some of the offerings contain a lot of preservatives, which mean they last for weeks, but there was nothing tasty out there, nothing that would be fresh on the day that you could eat the same day,” said Rebekah.

Rebekah Hill with her gluden free produce.

“Being in the cooking industry, dad was spoiled, always having good food available, and, because he was only diagnosed coeliac about seven or eight years ago, he had a lifetime experience of bread and biscuits, which he loved. He still remembered how good things tasted.

“When he was given a packet of something that looks like it is from wartime, he just wasn’t having it,” laughed Rebekah, “so after years of trial and error, we finally succeeded.

“Dad was a very honest critic. He would have told me, ‘That’s not good, maybe try again. It’s too sweet or not sweet enough’. Then we just finally got there with the freshly made baked goods.

“It started off here in Claude’s. I made him cinnamon rolls. We now stock them in the cafe every Saturday. I am up early with the baby, so early morning baking, so far, is going well.

“Everything just snowballed from there. The cinnamon rolls were super popular. They sold out every weekend. That’s when I realised there was a broader market than my dad. I was getting messages saying, ‘I didn’t get one or how can I get one?’ and I was baking more and more.

“I got in contact with a couple of other coffee shops who were looking for different bits. Gráft Café in Rosemount stocks my cookies and there are some baked goods in Hang Ten on Strand Road - all gluten free,” said Rebekah, who added, “I found, people with food allergies now want more than factory-made gluten free food. It has been great.”

The Gluten Free Artisan Bakery Co has now expanded its range to include bread and sausage rolls.

“I hold a pop up bakery with a full range of goods in Claude’s on a Saturday, every three weeks,” said Rebekah.

“The next one is on Saturday (November 29) from 4.00pm to 6.00pm. At the last one, there was a queue round the corner,.

“I would be very keen for people who felt they had no option but to take away their gluten free goods - maybe at markets - and have to eat them at home, to be able to enjoy the whole café experience.

“So, every three weeks on a Saturday afternoon, Claude’s is open for coffees and teas and people can sit in and have a lovely time.

“Derry’s Gluten Free Artisan Bakery Co is going really well. I can just about keep up with the demand. I am loving it and am excited to see where it will go. I really enjoy baking and it doesn’t feel like work.

“One thing in particular I love is baking little birthday cakes for people who maybe weren’t able to eat cake ever in their lives. I have heard such lovely stories from people who are coeliac. After my cinnamon rolls, my next most popular product is the cream fingers. People just go mad for them. Again you don’t realise how deprived with a coeliac diagnosis are,” said Rebekah, who blends her own gluten free flour.

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“Every one is different depending on the bakes,” said Rebekah “The cinnamon rolls will have a different blend of gluten free flour than the cream fingers.

“What I don’t want is my baked goods to be ‘good for gluten free’. What I really want is for them just to be good - so anyone can eat them.

“At the minute I am playing the baking by ear and taking onboard any and all feedback. I am keen to find out what people want in this space and see what I can do. One day I would like to have my own gluten free baker or premises.”

Derry’s Gluten Free Artisan Bakery Co can be found on Facebook and Instagram.