Lots of gluten free options!
Australia is one of the most celiac friendly countries in the world. How could Gluten Free Traveller not include information on what it’s like living and travelling in Australia as a celiac. My sister in law is Australian and she and my brother plan to move there with my beautiful niece in a couple of years. I look forward to visiting them and getting in about all the wonderful gluten free products this country has to offer!
Australia isn’t a country where celiacs need to worry about finding safe things to eat. It is very celiac aware and this is apparent through their fantastic gluten free legislation and the huge variety of restaurants and grocery stores you can find there with gluten free options.
As Sydney is a big city, with so many celiac friendly supermarkets and restaurants, I couldn’t possibly mention all of these great gluten free places. I do however want to provide readers with a taste on just how celiac friendly Sydney is. To do this I spoke with my friend and fellow gluten free traveller, Conor Brady about what it’s like living and travelling in Australia as a celiac. Conor lives in the Surry Hills area of Sydney, a metropolitan area near the centre of the city. In this area gluten free eaters are surrounded by a large number of gluten free options, both in terms of supermarkets and places to dine out. This area isn’t an extra celiac friendly area. It’s representative of the abundance of gluten free options the entire Sydney area has to offer. Â The following are gluten free places Conor can reach within a five minute walk of his apartment. Within five minutes he can find this fantastic selection of gluten free goodies. Envious? I know that I definitely am. Now you see just how awesome and celiac friendly Sydney is!
Porterhouse Irish Bar
Iku Whole Food
Gluten Free Mexican
Iku Whole Food on Oxford Street (and various other locations in the Sydney area) is a great place for gluten free lunch. They have a variety of gluten free options and customers are encouraged to look for the gluten free stamp on their menu for which dishes are suitable. Every dish clearly states which allergens are present in it which makes it easy for customers to choose safe options. Gluten free options include casseroles, lasagnas, salads, curries, soups and wraps. They also have gluten free desserts including fruity tofu cheesecake, orange and raspberry tart and sesame fudge tart.
Gluten Free Deli Options
Gluten Free Bread
Thomas Dux on Crown Street (and various other locations throughout Australia) is a grocery store which stocks lots of gluten free goodies. Their website states that “gluten free products are  designed to be coeliac friendly by not containing wheat, barley, rye, malts or gluten additives of any kind.” Celiac friendly products in the store are clearly labelled with a big red ‘Gluten Free’ symbol. Gluten free products include bread, pastas, crackers, deli options, frozen meals, sauces, dips, chips, popcorn and many other things. The photos above and below show some of the extensive gluten free options available at Thomas Dux.
Gluten Free Frozen Foods
Lots of gf crackers
Woolworths on Bourke Street also has a gluten free section. They don’t have the huge variety of products that Thomas Dux has but it’s another store to check out if you’re looking to pick up a few gluten free items.
Mad Mex on Crown Street (and various other locations around Australia) is a Mexican fast food place with gluten free options. It’s a make your own meal kind of a place where you choose your dish, your filling and your salsa. Gluten Free options are clearly marked on the menu and these include a naked burrito (in a bowl without a wrap), soft tacos, crispy tacos and nachos.
Porterhouse Irish Pub on Riley Street has a few gluten free options clearly marked on their menu with ‘gf’.  They don’t do a whole lot of gluten free dishes but on their dinner menu one entree and two mains are gluten free. Gluten free entrees include scallops marinated in basil pesto and a couple of delicious sounding risottos.
Sitar Indian Restaurant on Oxford Street (and various other locations in the area) has a bunch of gluten free options both on their sit in and take out menu. Gluten free options are again clearly marked with ‘GF’. Almost all of the main curry dishes (meat, fish and vegetarian) are gluten free and also many of the sides.
Woolworths gf section
So it sounds like Australia is pretty much a gluten free paradise and definitely one of the best countries to be if you’re celiac. I look forward to gluten free travelling here. Coeliac Australia are another great resource if you’re planning a gluten free trip to Australia. They provide national resources such as a quarterly celiac magazine, ingredients list booklet and a pocket guide to reading labels. They also provide state specific resources such as info on local restaurants which cater for gluten free diets and local gluten free events and expos.
Do you live gluten free in Sydney or another part of Australia? Have you travelled there, gluten free? Share your experiences in the comments below.
Gluten Free Mrs D
Mar 5th, 2012Great post! Lucky, Conor eh?!
Although I’ve been to Australia 5 times (I met my husband in Sydney and much we later got engaged on the steps of the Sydney Opera House!), I haven’t been for a couple of years.
We’ll be going next year so I will using this post for ideas on gluten free shopping and dining, thanks!
Laura
Mar 5th, 2012Thanks! I know, right? Very lucky 🙂 Here’s hoping that someday soon everywhere will have this many gluten free options.
Karri
Apr 7th, 2012Hi, I live about an hours drive out of Melbourne (in Victoria) and yes absolutely even in a large ‘country city’ Australia really is Celiac friendly. I’m able to live a very happy normal life with everything I love and not feel like I’m missing out. Most of my grocery shopping is just done at my local supermarket – they dont call Australia the lucky country for nothing 🙂
Laura
Apr 9th, 2012Fantastic, Karri. Australia really does seem to be the gluten free paradise for celiacs. I can’t wait to visit! 🙂
Deb
Apr 10th, 2012Hi I also live out of Melbourne and yes you can find lots of gluten free products, have a favorite gluten free fish & chip shop that is run be a lady who has CD, so if you are heading down to Phillip Island to see the penguins call in there on the way down, It’s called the the Boardwalk and is right next to the Bakery in Tooradin Victoria also try the IGA supermarkets as they stock products that you don’t find in Coles or Woollies Don’t just look in the Health Section you will find alot of GF products in the main stream products aisles as well
Laura
Apr 12th, 2012Thanks for commenting Deb! When I’m in the area I will definitely be stopping at this fish and chip shop. I rarely find gluten free fish and chips these days, sometimes at home in the UK but definitely not in the States.
Katherine
Jun 24th, 2012Great post! And yes, Australia is great for GF! I live in Canberra, and actually think that Sydney is one of the least friendly places in Aus – yet it is still really good as above! The best thing is that even really small country towns generally have good awareness. And Canberra – if you’re ever visiting is AMAZING for GF.
Alan
Oct 29th, 2012New to CD since April 2012 and just back from a business trip around Australia October 2012. I was very impressed by the choice and awareness. I used the Accor Hotels chain in Brisbane, Adelaide and Ocean Beach Hotel in Perth all had gluten free bread and breakfast options with a selection of evening meals. On the evening meals I did need to ask what was available excepted in Adelaide (Sebel Playford) where there was a whole separate gluten free menu I was gob smacked. Both Adelaide and Perth had gluten free chocolate brownies on the regular menu as well!
Barbara
Feb 23rd, 2013I’m new to gluten-free this year. We are getting ready to travel to Brisbane to spend time with our son and his family. Anyone know how available GF is in the Brisbane area?
Laura
Feb 23rd, 2013Hi Barbara! My cousin lives in Brisbane and she tells me that every coffee shop or cafe has gluten free cakes and cookies, most lunch restaurants offer gluten free bread for your sandwiches, or breakfast and the supermarkets are great too! I also have a post coming soon on Brisbane, as part of the “My Gluten Free Town” series, so I’ll make sure you see that too. Happy travels!
Gretel
Apr 15th, 2013Hey, just thought I would let everyone know not to eat at the Green Gourmet restaurant in Newtown, although half it’s menu claims to be gluten free, unfortunately they do not understand the concept. I was glutened very badly by ordering something that was clearly stated as gluten free. It was delicious at the time, but soon after I was throwing up 🙁 great restaurant for people who don’t have a problem with gluten though.
Diana
May 1st, 2013Hi Laura, luckily we have found this site. Thank’s a lot!!! Since our daughter was diagnosed (2011) with celiac desease, travelling is more difficult for us. We will have our first trip to Australia and Singapur this summer. Hopefully with your suggestions and experiences we will have an unbelievable time there….My daughter is really impressed!!!On your homepage everything seems so easy :0).
Colin
Aug 19th, 2013Hi Laura,
Nice post, good to hear about what is going on in Surry Hills. I find Sydney generally to be great for gluten free options. I’ve been here for 8 years and have just started recently blogging about my experiences. Hopefully some of my entries will be useful for you and your gluten free followers while in Sydney. Thanks again!
Colin
@glutenfreesyd
Ellen
Sep 12th, 2013This sounds great, we are 3 out of 4 celiac in our family and will be travelling to Sydney in 3 weeks! At the moment we are living in Shanghai, a city that will never be awarded as a gluten free friendly!
/Ellen