The Gluten Free Kitchen Company
WE’VE come a long way from the days when gluten-free eating was confined to tasteless bread on a single supermarket shelf – and one woman to the forefront of that evolution is Tralee’s Doireann Barrett.
Founder and owner of The Gluten Free Kitchen Company at Ivy Terrace, Tralee, the young business woman prides herself on having established Europe’s first and Ireland’s only entirely gluten and wheat free restaurant.
The Gluten Free Kitchen Company officially opened during the summer of 2012, but the idea had been in the pipeline for years – ever since Doireann was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease in 2004.
Having found it increasingly difficult to find somewhere completely SAFE for Coeliacs to eat in, Doireann soon began to put her own business plan together.
In November 2011, she opened a temporary stall in Tralee selling her own gluten free baking and it wasn’t long until she was supplying her homemade bread to the local health food shop, Seanchara.
Soon after, the orders began to flood in from local restaurants and eateries – Prompting a bigger kitchen in March 2012 resulting in the lease of a fully functional kitchen of a former vacant well known restaurant at 3 Ivy Terrace which resulted in the "pop up" restaurant during the rose of Tralee festival 2012 – which eventually became the fully-fledged restaurant that thrives today.
In the two years since opening its door, The Gluten Free Kitchen Company has experienced unprecedented success. Not only has its customer base increased dramatically but it has also been honoured among the best in business.
In 2013, the restaurant won a gold star in the Great Taste Awards and in January 2014 was
DINERS FLOCK FROM ALL CORNERS OF IRELAND AT WEEKENDS JUST TO SAVOUR A 100 PER CENT GUARANTEED GLUTEN FREE DINING EXPERIENCE.
awarded the Georgina Campbell Guide to Ireland’s quality places to eat in. The restaurant has also recently received a Certificate of Excellence from Trip Advisor and was nominated in the Best Casual Dining category at the 2014 Irish Restaurants Awards (Munster).
Such is the reputation of The Gluten Free Kitchen Company that diners flock from all corners of Ireland at weekends just to savour a 100 per cent guaranteed gluten free dining experience. The restaurant has also attracted vast amounts of tourists who, having searched for such a restaurant online, specifically include Tralee’s Gluten Free Kitchen Company in their itinerary.
Given the success of the restaurant thus far, Doireann is currently developing the licensing and franchise model with a view to opening a second Irish outlet in the near future.