Coeliac & Gluten Free Dining
Order Like Everybody Else
A fully coeliac friendly kitchen on a vineyard thirty minutes from Canberra and fifteen from Bungendore — where twenty-five of the thirty-two dishes are gluten free, and the seven that are not are marked before you order.
The Short Answer
Most of the Menu, Not a Corner of It
Coeliac diners are used to a menu with two safe options on it, usually a salad and a steak. That is not how this kitchen is built. Of the thirty-two dishes on the à la carte, twenty-five contain no gluten at all. The seven that do are the five woodfire pizzas, the Ultimate Garlic Bread and the Popcorn Chicken — all of them marked G on the menu, so you can see them coming.
How the Kitchen Works
Controlled, Not Hoped Against
“Gluten free” on a menu usually describes a recipe. For a coeliac the recipe is the easy part — what matters is everything the food touches between the cool room and the table.
Aranya Acres runs separate preparation areas, separate equipment and separate handling for gluten free orders. The chefs know which dishes carry gluten without looking it up, because the allergen coding is built into how the menu is written rather than added afterwards.
Built That Way
Not Adapted on Request
Four dishes are gluten free as standard, for everybody, with no substitution and no asking:
- Crab Lasagne — gluten free lasagne sheets
- Kids Pasta — gluten free pasta
- Salmon Achaar Tart — gluten free puff pastry
- Charcuterie & Cheeseboards — gluten free crackers
Which means a coeliac guest and the rest of the table are eating the same thing.
Every Dish, Every Allergen
Read It Before You Arrive
The whole menu is coded for gluten, crustacea, mollusc, fish, egg, dairy, peanut, tree nuts, sesame, soy, lupin and sulphites, with vegetarian and vegan flagged as well. Nothing is hidden behind “ask your server” — though the chefs are happy to be asked.
Good to Know
Common Questions
Is Aranya Acres safe for coeliacs?
Yes. The kitchen runs separate preparation areas, separate equipment and separate handling for gluten free orders, so cross-contamination is controlled rather than hoped against. Tell us when you book and tell your server on arrival, and the chefs will confirm your choices before the order goes in.
How many dishes are gluten free?
Twenty-five of the thirty-two dishes on the à la carte. The exceptions are the five woodfire pizzas, the Ultimate Garlic Bread and the Popcorn Chicken, which all contain gluten and are marked G on the menu.
Are the gluten free dishes substitutes, or made that way?
Several are built gluten free as standard rather than swapped on request — the Crab Lasagne uses gluten free sheets, the Kids Pasta gluten free pasta, the Salmon Achaar Tart gluten free puff pastry, and the cheese and charcuterie boards come with gluten free crackers. Nobody has to ask for a different version.
How do I know what is in a dish?
Every dish on the menu carries its allergen codes, covering gluten, crustacea, mollusc, fish, egg, dairy, peanut, tree nuts, sesame, soy, lupin and sulphites, plus vegetarian and vegan flags. You can read them before you arrive on the menu page.
Do I need to tell you in advance?
It helps, but it is not essential. Add a note when you book so the kitchen can plan, and remind your server when you sit down.