One of the gluten free classics of Sydney is expanding. At the end of last month, Wholegreen Bakery, which has operated out of a warehouse doing wholesale orders and online pickups, threw open the doors of its new retail store. The new store in Alexandria, Sydney, joins Wholegreen outlets in Waverley and Sydney CBD.

The brand-new retail outlet extends from the warehouse that Wholegreen has been operating out of. It came about as owner Cherie Lyden recognised the demand there was in Alexandria, Sydney, for quality gluten free baked goods.

“It just made complete sense to us to open a takeaway here, because everyone kept asking us, ‘Do you have a shop? Do you have a shop?’,” Cherie told Broadsheet.

Bolstered by these inquiries, Cherie decided to open the retail store, which was met with a glowing reception.

“We opened the doors, and we had queues down the road,” she continued.

Everything made and sold at the store is gluten free and certified by Coeliac Australia. Customers no longer have to pre-order their baked goods online to pick up via click-and-collect. The new store allows for walk-in customers and also has an outdoor sitting area.

Customers can also pick up a cup of Colombian Connection coffee to enjoy with their gluten free bread, pies, and pastries.

“I really want to empower people in the kitchen who have to be gluten free for whatever reason. Really empower them and educate them about their ingredients and how to combine them,” Cherie said.

The bakery means a lot to Cherie, who suffers from coeliac disease herself and has recently been named an ambassador for the charity Coeliac Australia.

“For me, it’s not just about the product and having a shop. I’m trying to create awareness.”

But the new retail outlet isn’t the end for Wholegreen, Cherie has written a cookbook Gluten-Free Made Simple, which is set to come out early in April. There are other things in the works as well, she said.

Cherie said, “I’ve got this bigger picture of what I want to turn Alexandria into: a gluten free hub. We want to be able to get our food to the people who need it.”