After winning the hearts of gluten-free foodies in Shellharbour, the culinary minds behind Barrack Heights cafe Matthew Marcs are ready for their next venture: Wollongong's first entirely gluten-free bistro.
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Illawarra chefs Corey Keating and Caleb Cooper will welcome their first diners to Bistro on Beaton at Wollongong Tennis Club on Tuesday, replacing the former tennis club venue Bistro 37.
With a background in fine dining from celebrity chef Matt Moran's hatted Sydney restaurant, Aria, Mr Keating is putting gluten-free food on the map in the Illawarra, and he is determined to squash the 'gluten-free stigma'.
Through hours of experimentation, help from food scientists, and many, many, baked and discarded cakes, Mr Keating said the team have created recipes that diners would never guess were gluten-free.
"It's more than cooking - there's a lot of science behind it," he said.
"We've really gotten into the food science part, how to make a copy of gluten to see how we can mimic it," he said.
"The cakes we make, the pasta we make, it's all handmade - it's never been done before in this area."
Mr Keating found a willing and committed customer base after opening his gluten-free cafe in Barrack Heights, and relished the chance to serve a community who were usually limited to one gluten-free option on a menu.
"We decided to make the change and really market to that group of people, and they were ecstatic about it," he said.
"We've had customers cry when they walked in because they've never been able to eat this food safely."
The bistro doesn't stop at gluten-free - it's considered 'coeliac safe', meaning there's no gluten on the premises at all, minimising the risk of anaphylaxis for people allergic to wheat.
The bistro menu will feature pub favourites like a chicken parmi and battered fish and chips, with a "something more" section featuring more adventurous dishes, like the pork cotoletta with smashed chats and sage butter, and a vegan chargrilled eggplant with smoked almond ricotta.
Gluten-free beer and wine will also be available.
Mr Keating and Mr Cooper's expansion plans don't stop at the Bistro - the pair hope to soon open a gluten-free venue in Sydney.
"We want to be known state-wide as the founders of gluten-free cooking," Mr Keating said.
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Rosie Bensley
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
Illawarra Mercury trainee journalist and newest recruit.
