Professionals Serendipity 
For those with severe food allergies, it can be hard to find meals that cater to their requirements they can still enjoy. Enter Wilderflower and Wanderberries, Tamborine Mountain’s signature cakery who specializes in providing delicious— and allergen-friendly— treats for all ages. Owner Rebecca Bennett opens up on what makes Wilderflower and Wanderberries so popular not just among those with allergies but the general public as well.
by Kyle Hitchmough
How did Wilderflower and Wanderberries get started?
My son, my eldest daughter and I all have food allergies, so I’ve been baking for us our whole lives. There was a café down on Gallery Walk that offered to stock some of our stuff. It seemed to sell really well, so we picked up a few other cafes, and then I decided to do the markets. That was getting pretty popular so we thought it was time to move into a shop.
For those who might not understand, can you explain the unique angle of your allergen-safe food?
Everything here is free of what they call the top 8 allergens, but we cover more than that. People will call and ask “I’m just wondering if you’re sesame-free—” Yes, we are. “Do you do nightshade-free—” We do. I’ve got someone who’s having a rice-free cake next weekend, which means the whole kitchen will be totally cleaned out and nothing will be made until their cake is made, put together, boxed and sealed to make sure they’re purely safe. That’s what we do!
You offer a variety of services here beyond simply providing baked goods. Can you describe them?
We do cater! We do morning teas, catering for parties and events. We also do custom cakes to order. We have lots of different cakes. We did a Yoda cake not that long ago… We had a family from Sydney ask me to do a Stormtrooper cake. It was so good even I was proud! I’ve done a few wedding cakes as well. For me, it’s a case of because so many people with allergies don’t get to have what other people have, I’m more inclined to go out of my way to make sure that they have the cake they want.
Where do you source your ingredients from?
Local suppliers on the Gold Coast. I don’t use a lot of distributors, I generally stick with ones I know that are safe and have everything checked to make sure they don’t have any cross-contamination issues. I’m very mindful of “may contain” and “may be present” statements, which is a really big thing when you have allergies.
You’ve also recently started offering frozen meals. Can you explain more about this new venture?
We started the frozen meals when COVID started. People needed meals. They’ve worked really well, we now feed a lot of elderly people since they get at least two meals out of each one. People just come for them because they don’t want to cook, basically! They’ve worked out to be very good. We also do coffee and milkshakes because being all-inclusive is all important. When families get to come out and their allergy-free kids can actually come out for the first time, it’s really important that all the family can sit and enjoy cakes and coffee or milkshakes that they can’t get at other places. When you go to another café, the majority of them if you say you have allergies you can see them rolling their eyes in the back of the head. You can tell that you’re a ‘problem person’ for them, whereas here you can come in and there’s no hassle.
What goes into the average day for you here?
I start at the shop after my kids go to school, so I’m usually here about 8:30. I’ll work through until I have to get them at 3. Then I try and get a rest if I can, then I’m back to work at about 8pm, and I’ll work right through till about 3am. Then I sleep between 3 and 7. So that is my day! But I think if you really enjoy what you’re doing, it doesn’t feel so bad.
Are there any particular trends in your clientele?
We get a lot of vegans that come in, because all our food is vegan-friendly except for the meat pies and the meat meals— though we do vegan meals as well. We do get a lot of families with allergic kids, a lot of elderly people as well. They do like the ambience here. I think we have that old-fashioned vibe that they like, we play them all the old-fashioned music and they just like to come and sit and enjoy the space. It’s nice.
Is there anything you personally like to do on the mountain?
I generally like to sleep! My kids and I like going to the markets, we wander around together and I take my kids for coffee and cake. It’s always good to go somewhere else. That way I don’t have to prepare it, which is nice!
What do you think Wilderflower and Wanderberries really provides to the area?
We provide something different. We’re not like any of the other cafes up here. Our service is very different. People will come in and buy one of our salads and say “If I go next door and buy an avocado, can you add that?” Sure! It’s that kind of service that you don’t get everywhere, and I think, apart from the food itself, that’s what makes us stand out.
What do you enjoy most about doing this?
What I love the most is when families come and get their cakes or they come in with their kids who have allergies and they’re told they can have anything in the cabinet. You have no idea the excitement in these children. Kids have their own personal way of amazement, and just to see their happiness is enough for me.
What’s been your most memorable moment working here?
There was a family that travelled quite a distance from Townsville, and their son had never had any cake before in his life because of allergies. He was allowed to pick whatever he wanted and he essentially got one of everything in the cabinet! It was like a smorgasbord of cake for him and he was just so ecstatic. Obviously, his family helped him eat it all but he was just beside himself. It was so good.
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