The Gluten Free Treasure of Newcastle: The Lily Tree Bakery
Usually, visiting a bakery makes me feel uneasy or anxious, it serves as an unfriendly reminder that all the food in there has the potential to make me ill. However, at The Lily Tree Bakery, I never feel like I’m missing out and neither will anyone else with a dietary requirement.
With a handful of exclusively gluten free places scattered round the North East, The Lily Tree Bakery is Newcastle’s only 100% gluten free bakery – and it has won over the hearts of Geordies.
Located slightly out from the centre of Newcastle in the popular suburb of Heaton, this bakery is dedicated to gluten, nut, and soya free baked goods – featuring some delicious vegan recipes too.
Here is an interview with Jasmine Haden, the owner of the bakery, where she discusses her favourite baked goods, costs of production and more!
For those who have visited the bakery and understand the struggles of eating gluten free, they surely must wonder how it tastes so ‘normal’. Personally, many of the treats have me wondering how it is possible they taste so perfectly glutenous, and I just cannot get past their cookie sandwich which I strongly recommend, as it is a pure luxury for those of us cursed with the gluten allergy.
Open Tuesday through Saturday, the aroma of freshly baked goods welcomes in customers – both the hungry and the allergic. The free-from delicacies are prepared right in front of your eyes – you can watch the magic happen as if a culinary ballet. From sweet to savoury, the shelves are filled with novel and innovative gluten-free foods that cannot be found elsewhere.
“at The Lily Tree Bakery that weight is taken off ones shoulders and the worry of contamination disappears.”
On one side there are savoury sausage rolls, pies and more, with pastry that does not and will not fall apart – new flavours are constantly introduced. On the other side, there is pasta shaped in ways that the free-from aisle cannot compete with, and bread that goes beyond a small plain loaf. Then, rightfully displayed front and centre, are the sweet stars of the show; donuts, muffins, cookies, eclairs, cakes, cake pops, pains au chocolat, croissants, scones, cheesecakes – and unbelievably the list continues!
The baked goods are unmatched, the recipes flawless, and the friendly customer service is delivered. The owner, Jasmine Haden, suffers from coeliac disease and believes in a safe, inclusive environment for all with allergies – embracing individual customizable orders for those specific allergy and diet requirements.
The immense struggle of navigating an allergy is endless, but at The Lily Tree Bakery that weight is taken off ones shoulders and the worry of contamination disappears.
Being coeliac, there are often limited options for a free-from treat in stores, though the gluten free industry is definitely expanding. A grocery shop can leave people with the diagnosis swamped from deciphering numerous labels to confronting the price hikes on gluten free products.
The true novelty of going to The Lily Tree Bakery lies in the endless options, where you can trust that the food is completely safe. It gives a sense of peace that coeliacs everywhere are often unfamiliar with when walking into a bakery.
Yes, going to the bakery everyday could break the bank with an average price range of £3 to £10. Yet, those with the auto-immune disease widely recognise the ‘gluten free tax’ found in the supermarkets. The food at the bakery is 100% worth it, it is nothing like store-bought free-from treats and the variety of homemade choices are honestly overwhelming.
The baked goods – or should I say the baked ‘greats’ – taste just as good as gluten-containing treats, a consensus reported by those who can eat gluten. Despite the cost, going for the occasional treat at The Lily Tree Bakery truly brightens my day with a canny conversation with the lovely owners. No one is more excited than I am for their festive season bakes, which bring the nostalgic taste of Christmas tradition.
Make sure to check out The Lily Tree Bakery and comment your favourite Christmas treat!
“they surely must wonder how it tastes so ‘normal’.”
This is the holy-grail of vegan alternatives too 🙂 OK, I want to visit. You had me at ‘sausage rolls’.
“Baked goods or should I say baked greats” – they should stick that quote on their advertising!