A few dreams have come true in Mount Gambier with the opening of a new gluten-free bakery, Yummy Bunny.
The first being for people living with coeliac disease, who have been eyeing off bakery food but haven’t been able to dig into the treats. The second is for Janni Vanderheul, a 16-year-old girl with the lifelong goal of owning her own bakery.
Although she herself doesn’t have a gluten intolerance, two of her siblings live with coeliac disease and, since she is the self-proclaimed baker of the family, she knew she wanted to create a space where everyone can safely enjoy delicious treats without worry.
“Having so many people in the family with coeliac disease, I’ve adapted my baking to gluten-free flour and gluten-free-based things,” Janni said.
“Opening a bakery has always been my dream, because I’ve been baking since I was so young and it’s just a passion of mine.”
“When it came around to it, I thought, I do so much better with gluten-free foods because I’ve been baking with it for so long.”
There’s nothing like it in town or out of it, with Janni saying it’s the only gluten-free bakery from Mount Gambier to Adelaide and Mount Gambier through to Melbourne.
“There are no other major gluten-free bakeries on the way, so people have to drive five-plus hours to get a homemade loaf, and it’s just not very sound.”
On the morning of the bakery opening, there was one problem. They sold out too quickly.
The next day, customers braved the cold to get their hands on the freshly baked goods, which Janni is now encouraging locals to pre-order for.
It’s not just gluten-free eaters that are coming in; anyone and everyone is welcome.
“We’ve had lots of people try it and say, “Wow, this is the best scroll I’ve ever had,” because it’s made so it would be as fluffy as a regular one,” Janni said.
The bakery’s countertop is filled with gluten-free comfort classics, from slow-roasted beef pies, pasties and sausage rolls to cookies, cupcakes, breads and fluffy scrolls.
Located in the Compton Street shopping complex, the bakery was first announced back in February, and there have been plenty of trials and errors to get the best recipes.
“We’ve been working on the blends for a very long time, because we have our own flour blends,” she said.
“We use a mix of corn starches, potato starches, tapioca starches, rice flours and buckwheat flours.”
These homemade flour mixtures are what make the baked goods higher quality, and more like something you’d find in traditional gluten-filled products.
Nearly one in 70 Australians are living with coeliac disease, and for many it can be difficult to find safe and reliable baked goods. Yummy Bunny is already welcomed addition, and giving the community an easy way to cater to dietary requirements without sacrificing flavour.
Yummy Bunny
When: Weekends from 7am until 12pm or sold out
Where: 3/7 Compton Street, Mount Gambier
For more info, click here.
