A Tale of Two ‘Gluten-Free’ Pizzas – Fernwood vs Willows
Victoria Gluten-Free Pizza Lovers! The Celiac Scene reports on Fernwood Pizza Company and Willows Pizza! 1
Fernwood Pizza Company
I met with the General Manager of Fernwood Pizza Company who agreed with The Celiac Scene that while they do serve a gluten-free crust, their practices DO NOT produce a pizza that is safe for celiac consumption.
- Commercially-produced gluten free crust
- Prep staff use the same ingredient bins to dress both gluten and gluten-free pizza crusts
- The same sauce and ladle is used to scoop into and spread across all crusts.
Fernwood Pizza is great for the gluten light crowd but given the high risk of cross contamination with gluten, celiac diners should proceed with utmost caution. Kudos to them for their transparency.
Find them at 2009 Fernwood Road (778) 430-4446 (hours not posted) Facebook • fernwoodpizzacompany.com
Willows Pizza
As the daughter of a celiac, Willows Pizza owner well knows the precautions necessary to build a gluten-free pizza from the bottom up.
- Crusts are sourced from a dedicated gluten-free manufacturer ($3 surcharge – 10″ or 12″)
- Fresh tomato sauce and a separate ladle is used to dress gluten-free pizzas
- Fresh cheese, vegetables, ham and chicken toppings are taken from unopened containers to prevent cross contamination through double dipping
- Pizzas are baked on sanitized pizza pans, in the same ovens as regular pizzas
- Gluten-free pizzas are cut on a dedicated, gluten-free cutting board
Willows’ only proviso is that GF pizzas may take a few more minutes to prepare than regular pizzas. Call ahead and ask about wait times. They want to take the very best care of us.
Find Willows at2571 Cadboro Bay Rd (250) 595-9991 Monday – Thursday: Noon – 10pm Friday-Saturday: Noon – 12pm Sunday: 4pm – 9pm willowspizza.ca • Facebook
Other Celiac Scene Endorsed Pizzerias!
The Joint Pizzeria (NOTE: Under new management starting November 1, 2022. Commit to same practices but The Celiac Scene will confirm.)
The Joint Pizzeria & Deli has been serving the gluten-free, dairy-free and vegan communities with integrity for more than ten years using the finest ingredients and the very best protocol. Yes, The Joint delivers – and how! 10″ and 14″ GF Sizes.
• Find the Joint at 1219 Wharf Street.
• Call (250) 389-2226 for special gluten-free requests.
• Sunday: Noon – 11pm (Delivery 4 – 10:30pm) Monday: Closed Tues-Wed: 11am – 11pm (Delivery 4 – 10:30pm) Thur-Sat: 11am – 3am (Delivery 4 – 10:30pm) Custom orders available to 10:30pm
900 Degrees Pizzeria Langford • 900 Degrees Bistro Sidney
“I think the most innovative thing we have done is bringing really good gluten-free pizza to our customers. My son was diagnosed celiac when he was 5 years old … and he loved pizza. It broke my heart thinking that he could no longer have pizza, so I developed a gluten-free pizza dough just for him. It was a real challenge, a labour of love.” Owner, Adrian Ortiz-Mena
900Langford New! 900Sidney
Find 900 Degrees Langford at 101B 2401 Millstream Avenue in Langford.
250-590-4493
Find 900 Degrees Bistro at 2360 Beacon Ave in Sidney.
778-426-7900
Art of Slow Food Cafe – Celiac-Friendly Sourdough • Breakfast, Lunch, Pizza & Baked Goods
Owner, Kaitlin Chamberlin, uses local organic ingredients and traditional methods of food preparation to make unique, delicious creations that nourish your body. Using minimal equipment and prepping in small batches, Art of Slow offers colorful and delicious food that is local, sustainable and accessible.
- Tuesdays to Sundays – 10am to 5pm
- Stone-baked sourdough pizza available after 11am
- Sourdough and all baking are always vegan
- Almost everything on the menu is already vegan or can be made so, courtesy of The Very Good Butchers, Nabati Coconut-Based Cheezes et al.
• Contact form • [email protected] • 902.476.7732
• theartofslowfood.com • Facebook • Instagram
• View The Art of Slow Food Photo Gallery
1View the Celiac Scene’s ‘Questions Specific to Pizza Restaurants’ from How to Order a Gluten-Free Meal
