'Take your pick': The Griffin Takeaway offers variety for those avoiding gluten

This story was originally published on Nov. 23, 2022.

In collaboration with CBC Radio's Saskatoon Morning, writer Naomi Hansen is exploring the stories behind Saskatoon's eateries.

Monster cookies, savoury scones, pastries drizzled in chocolate and cupcakes topped with colourful swirls of icing: for someone avoiding gluten, these are typically digestive disasters.

But if you grab these goodies from The Griffin Takeaway in Saskatoon, you can eat them with ease.

"People constantly say, 'What's gluten-free?' and we say, 'everything,' and they [point at the display case] and go, 'This? And that one? And this?' And we go, 'Yeah that's still gluten-free!'" said Nicole Barr, who co-owns The Griffin Takeaway (located at 741 7th Ave. N.) with her husband, Derek Barr.

The Griffin Takeaway has more than 80 items on the menu, including staples such as bread, buns, a lunch menu, meals-to-go (the chicken pot pie is a customer favourite) and holiday features, like pumpkin pie and gingerbread decorating kits.

Choosing what to order can be overwhelming, especially for those with dietary restrictions who are used to having fewer options when dining out.

"I had a gentleman cry once when he found out he could have a sandwich again," Nicole said. "I felt really bad for him, but I made him a sandwich and he was so happy."

The inception of a gluten-free bakery

The Barrs met while working at Prairie Ink Restaurant & Bakery in Saskatoon, where Derek was sous chef and Nicole worked as head baker.

Although neither of them have an issue eating gluten, they had a close friend with celiac disease and began experimenting with gluten-free recipes.

"We used to all get together for brunch and if you have a celiac in the group, you have to cook for them and make it good for everybody else too, so that's where it kind of started," Derek said.

A desire to operate their own business led them to open The Griffin Takeawayin 2012, initially with both gluten and gluten-free items on the menu. They quickly realized, however, that for customers with celiac disease or gluten intolerance, cross-contamination was a concern.

"Nobody felt comfortable coming in here knowing that we still had some gluten on the premises," Nicole said.

Celiac disease is an autoimmune condition, meaning the body's immune system responds abnormally to gluten, a protein found in cereals like wheat, barley and rye. An estimated one in every 100 to 200 people in North America are affected by it. For those with celiac disease, even a single crumb containing gluten can result in symptoms like bloating, fatigue and abdominal pain lasting hours or days.

People who do not have Celiac disease may also avoid gluten as a dietary choice, or have a gluten sensitivity also known as gluten intolerance which results in symptoms that vary depending on the person's sensitivity level and how much gluten they consume.

The Barrs decided to switch to a strictly gluten-free menu.

Derek said probably the most common thing they hear now is "you can trust eating here; you don't have to worry about getting sick."

The secret to good gluten-free baking

Derek said there has been plenty of trial-and-error in developing gluten-free recipes, but their secret lies in a gluten-free flour blend they make in-house. The blend includes white rice flour and xanthan gum, which is a common stabilizer added to gluten-free baking to mimic the elasticity of gluten. Derek said most recipes translate well in terms of swapping out regular flour for the blend.

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Additionally, most of their menu is vegetarian and nearly half of it is vegan.

"As a vegetarian, I always felt like there weren't a ton of places to go and get vegetarian food," Nicole said. "This was 11 years ago and things have changed quite a lot in the city since then, but I just wanted to have a place where people felt comfortable to come in and eat."

That much has been achieved. As a go-to spot in Saskatoon for all things gluten-free and vegetarian, Derek said they're happy to provide such a wide selection.

"If you're used to being relegated to the [gluten-free or vegan] option at whatever place you're going to, that's fine," he said, "but it's nice to come in and just take your pick. We got it all."