UPDATE: APRIL 24, 2020 — This pizzeria in Melbourne's north is serving its gluten free and vegan slices and pastas for takeaway and delivery. You can order via the website.
Italian might not be the obvious choice when you're hunting for vegan or gluten-free eats, but Shop 225 is pretty keen to shake up that thought process entirely.
Up in Pascoe Vale South, this neighbourhood pizzeria is dishing up a rare culinary combination: it's championing simple Italian fare, while also specialising in both vegan and gluten-free dishes. Boasting Coeliac Australia accreditation, the restaurant's got all the proper processes in place to minimise cross-contamination and ensure long-suffering diners can finally sit down to a whole menu filled with choices.
A hefty range of traditional pasta dishes also includes a plethora of plant-based alternatives — from mushroom fettuccini to a rigatoni bolognese — with gluten-free casarecce, spaghetti or gnocchi interchangeable for most.
And when it comes to woodfired pizzas, the options are even more bountiful, thanks to a wide-ranging lineup of vegan ingredients and Shop 225's signature coeliac-friendly bases ($4 extra). It swaps the usual wheat situation for a blend of Ardor gluten-free flour and rice, tapioca, maize, soy and pea flours. For toppings, plant-based options abound, crafted with lactose-free Local Craft cheese and vegan-friendly meat alternatives.
And, of course, they haven't forgotten about the discerning dessert fiends out there either — you'll spy Nutella-loaded pizzas and calzones, creamy panna cotta and proper Sicilian cannoli, all available in both vegan and gluten-free variations.
Images: Hi Sylvia Photography.