Dolls Point-based business, Beach Buns Burgers has become Sydney’s first business to be accredited by Coeliac Australia for its gluten free options.
The gourmet burger café met the stringent requirements including an on-site audit, staff training and laboratory testing of food samples to have its menu accredited by Coeliac Australia.
People living with coeliac disease can’t eat gluten, a protein found in wheat, barley, rye and oats. Symptoms of coeliac disease include gastrointestinal upsets, anaemia, nutrient deficiencies, fatigue and joint pain.
The opening of Beach Buns Burgers was a personal mission for owner George Vavayis who is gluten intolerant.
“From around the age of 25 I found that every time I ate bread and pasta my stomach would blow up like a balloon and I would have stomach pains,” George said.
“We have a long family history of autoimmune disease and so can’t eat gluten.
“Both my sisters can’t eat gluten because of an autoimmune disease and my mother, Sally died at age 37 because an autoimmune illnesses. My late grandmother, also suffered for coeliac disease.
“This caused me to do a lot of research. My sister, Marie is a nutritional therapist and has a business Nutrified and has had a big input with our menu.”
George said many of his recipes and menu ideas are provided by family members who have coeliac disease and other autoimmune diseases that require a gluten free diet.
“A lot of our menu is about gut health. We want to be able to eat there ourselves,” he said.
Beach Buns Burgers is one of only a handful of restaurants that have received accreditation from Coeliac Australia.
“It was a very stringent process,” George said. “We had to send our food to the laboratory for testing. Overall, the process took over six months.”
Coeliac Australia started its restaurant accreditation process about 12 months ago.
Coeliac Australia president Michael Bell said that eating out was one of the biggest challenges
faced by people with coeliac disease today.
“With Coeliac Australia Accreditation, gluten free customers can dine with confidence
knowing that a business follows best practice for gluten free food preparation,” he said.
George said that living with coeliac disease can be a big strain not only on the sufferer but also on their family
“My dream when I opened this business was to offer a menu that everyone could enjoy, no
matter what their dietary restrictions.”
“We want our gluten free customers to share a meal that tastes great with friends and family without fear of cross contamination,” George said.
“Part of our normal lives is going out, eating dinner and having dessert amongst friends and family at restaurants.
“These things are what keeps us sane in life and is healthy for the mind, body and soul.”
Coeliac Australia has created a range of initiatives to help the hospitality industry meet the needs of the growing gluten free market.
These resources offer practical information on how foodservice can meet the gluten free challenge and offer meals that are free from gluten.
Coeliac Australia’s Gluten Free Accreditation Program and Gluten Free Online Training module are suitable for all areas of food service. For more information go to
coeliac.org.au/food-industry.
Beach Bun Burgers is located at 3/31 Clareville Avenue, Sandringham.