Gluten-Free Events Calendar
If it’s gluten free and happening in Victoria, Vancouver Island or the Gulf Islands, you’ll find it listed here! From tastings to contests, farmer’s markets to food trucks – this is your calendar to Gluten-Free Paradise! Join Victoria’s Gluten-Free Foodies and add a new restaurant – and possibly a new gluten-free friend – to your repertoire!
The event runs Sunday May 5th from 11am – 3pm and is intended for people of all ages and is their yearly kickoff to Emergency Preparedness Week.
Look for their table with food bar samples and sample products. Ask about Certified Gluten-Free Legacy Freeze-Dried Meals.
NEW LOCATION NOW OPEN – 5471 Hamsterly Road – Pat Bay Highway at Sayward – next to Elk Lake Garden Centre.
Hours: Mon – Wed 9:30-5:00 Thurs 9:30 -7 Fri 9:30-5 Sat 11-4 Closed Sundays & Stats
Watch the TOTAL PREPARE Video Here!
TOTAL PREPARE Goes Gluten Free
In the event of a disaster, we may not be able to depend on outside agencies to supply us with food, let alone gluten-free food, for up to seven days – or more. Enjoy peace of mind knowing that your family, especially those with special dietary requirements, will have the food they need to survive. Their Legacy brand of certified gluten-free gourmet entrée options have been designed specifically for those who cannot consume gluten and other food allergens. Ingredients are 100% GMO Free, freeze-dried, easy to prepare – and delicious! Choose from the following products in a variety of combinations and quantities, all with a 25-year expiry date. Click on images below for more information. Complete details here.
- A Word of Wisdom from Reva: “We were evacuated during the Fort McMurray wildfire. Due to road closures we were forced to head north to “nothingness” While the oil sand site was amazing and fed everyone steak dinner from their cafeteria, they had nothing gf except juice boxes. My then 3 year old only had juice for 24 hours until we lucked out and made it south through a 15 minuted window where the fire stopped crossing the road and it was opened. The evacuation centres were fantastic with providing gf food once they knew it was needed, but that only helped when we could reach them. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE learn from my mistake and have ready to eat gf food handy to grab at a moments notice. We now have a stash of energy bars, sesame snaps, etc that are high energy, but light and easy to transport. Don’t assume you will have access to electricity for preparing things. I will forever have mom guilt for putting my little one in such a precarious situation.”
Prepare for Tomorrow – Play Today! A New Way to Think About Total Prepare!
You may not know it but plenty of West Coast Trail trekkers, kayakers, campers and island-hopping sailors do! Take advantage of having Canada’s #1 Emergency Preparedness Purveyor right here in Victoria!
Head on over to their retail outlet and let staff amaze you with their comprehensive inventory of emergency preparedness survival gear that is also perfect for camping, hiking and sailing. Think of it as a great way to make good use of these innovative, smart products while they stand ready to go into action should there be a disaster. Check the slider above for pictures.
Freeze-Dried Emergency Food
Total Prepare also carries a large selection of single-ingredient, freeze-dried fruits and vegetables and plain canned meats that contain just chicken and/or beef and salt that transcend any need for gluten-free certification. Great as school snacks, holiday nibbling or the convenience that processed foods offer – but with the quality of freshly-picked, flash freeze-dried produce. What’s not to love about freeze-dried strawberries, blueberries and more. See Freeze Dried Emergency Food.
Backpacker’s Pantry is the world’s foremost producers of freeze-dried meals, bringing inspired cuisine to the furthest reaches of our planet. Used by backpackers, sailors, extreme athletes, explorers, the military, hunters, campers, vegans and even the US Ski Team, Backpacker’s Pantry has added gluten-free to their line up of delicious meals. Tested to a 20 ppm threshold and with a certified gluten-free seal on the front of the packaging, all are easy to prepare in a cook-in-pouch. Learn more here.
Backpacker’s Pantry – Shepherd’s Pie with Beef
- Looking high and low for a filling gluten free comfort food that will stay with you throughout the day? Try the Shepherd’s Potato Stew with Beef from Backpacker’s Pantry! Packed with all-natural ingredients and real freeze dried beef this is a family favourite for all ages. Solid meat protein and hearty, feel-good potatoes make up the bulk of this meal, and are complimented by tomato, onion, cheese, and butter.
Backpacker’s Pantry – Santa Fe Style Chicken with Rice
- Send your taste buds south of the border to enjoy the full tastes of this Santa Fe Rice with Chicken. Full of fresh flavour this entrée option is packed with protein and real, all-natural ingredients. Bring a fresh avocado on your adventure to dice on top! Yum!
Backpacker’s Pantry – Pad Thai
- A best seller from Backpacker’s Pantry, this Vegan Pad Thai is high protein and comes with optional lime & siracha sauce so you can spice it up to suit your tastes. The protein in this meal comes from organic non-GMO textured soy. Dairy-free, gluten-free, and vegan!
Backpacker’s Pantry – Chicken Cashew Curry
- Take this easy to prepare cook-in-pouch meal with you whether you’re bugging out or hitting the trail. Packed with real chicken, cashews, onions, mushrooms, and celery, this meal is full of excellent healthy calories, fats, and protein that will stick with you throughout your trails and adventures.
Enchilada Beans and Rice
Cheese and Broccoli Bake
Cheese and Broccoli Soup
Cheesy Potato Soup
Potato Soup
Vegetable and Rice Soup
Spicy Corn Chowder
Classic Chili
White Bean Chili
Additional Features:
- Average of 320 calories per serving
- Manufactured in controlled setting with strict cross contamination measures
- Simple to prepare – just add water
- No MSG, No Trans Fat, Low in Fat, No Cholesterol, Good Source of Fiber
- Lowest cost per serving and calorie in the food storage industry
- Meals come packaged in 4-serving Mylar pouches with an Oxygen Absorber and a Nitrogen Flush
- Mylar pouches stored in a stackable, heavy-duty, BPA-free plastic bucket
Total Prepare is Canada’s #1 Source for Emergency Preparedness, Self-Reliance and Longterm Storage
Living in an earthquake zone that is also vulnerable to tsunamis and wild fire, it is critical for those living in Victoria, Vancouver Island and the Gulf Islands – or anywhere else for that matter – to take the time to put together a supply of water and food for emergencies. Everyone needs to put together a grab-and-go bag that will last for 72 hours. In earthquake zones (that’s us!), we need supplies for 7 days.
- Water purification kits and tablets.
- Heat and shelter: foil sleeping bags and stoves in a can.
- Light and communication: crank flashlights and radios.
- First aid and complete toilet set
- Store your supplies in your car, office, camper, outside in a shed, or at the front of your garage. NOT in the basement, which you may not have access to.
- Don’t forget food and supplies for your pets.
TOTAL PREPARE offers a wide range of other survival products and can put together a package to meet your particular needs. Their personal attention can’t be beat. You owe it to yourself to visit Total Prepare (48 Crease Avenue in Victoria), or check out their website for online orders at https://totalprepare.ca.
- Facebook Updates
- Educational Information
- 72 Hour Quick Kit Supplies
- Food Storage Containers
- Camping Supplies
- Water Storage – Filtration
- 72 Hour Emergency Survival Kit
- Heat – Stove – Cooking
- Light – Communication
- Outdoor Survival Gear
- First Aid – Disaster Response
- Sanitation
- Flood Prevention
Review in Canadian Celiac Association Newsletter, Victoria Chapter. July 2015
‘Dining-in’ is back at 900 Degrees Wood-Fired Pizzeria Langford 4:30 to 8pm
Introducing 900° 2 Go! Contactless Take-Out & Curb-Side Pick Up.
900 Degrees offers delivery up to 7km distance. Enter your address at https://900degrees.moduurn.com for eligibility and to calculate your delivery charge (between $3.50 and $5.50.)
Build Your Own
Organic tomato sauce, house-made lemon olive, aged balsamic reduction, brie cream sauce, chilli oil, house-made pesto, fresh mozzarella cheese, basil, & pizza dough, to go!
Phone orders 250-590-4493. Special COVID-19 hours, open daily from 4:30 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. Order online here
- 900 Degrees Wood-Fired Pizza 101B 2401 Millstream Avenue, Victoria (250) 590-4493
- Menu • Facebook • Instagram
- Contact Executive Chef & Owner Adrian Ortiz-Mena
My curiosity about 900˚ Wood-Fired Pizzeria was piqued when I read in the September Edition of Eat Magazine (page 27) that the owner’s son was a celiac. Executive Chef and Owner, Adrian Ortiz-Mena was quoted as saying,
- “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.”
The Celiac Scene needed to learn more!
I popped into this warm and inviting restaurant on a cold and rainy September night, hoping for the opportunity to speak to a chef or server about their gluten-free options.
I was pleasantly surprised when Adrian himself bounded from the back of the restaurant only too eager to share his son’s health journey and how he had worked at home to create a gluten-free crust that met his discerning chef standards. Using one of the best all-purpose gluten-free flour mixes on the market and few extra-special ingredients, he was able to create a crust that pleased his son – and one that Adrian believed would please his customers.
The details.
As our community well knows, it takes more that a crust to create a gluten-free pizza. Adrian set about to contact the manufacturers of every ingredient used in his entire operation to ensure that the components used in all of his pizzas were celiac-safe. Apart from the wheat flour used for his regular crusts and the garlic bread, every ingredient that 900˚ Wood-Fired Pizzeria in house is gluten-free.
What about the process?
Adrian brimmed with enthusiasm as he explained that gluten-free pizzas are entirely prepared in a dedicated gluten-free area, in a room away from the regular production area. Sauces and toppings are stored in dedicated containers and applied with dedicated utensils that are never used to dress regular pizzas.
When a gluten-free order is processed, the chef washes his hands – up to his elbows – before starting work on an the order. When complete, the pizza is placed on a dedicated gluten-free pizza peel (handle) and transported to the 900˚ pizza oven where it is cooked to perfection.
Here’s where it gets complicated.
At 900˚ Wood-Fired Pizzeria, pizzas are cooked directly on the hearth of their single pizza oven, where other gluten pizzas have also been cooked. The concern on my face prompted Adrian to escort me directly to the oven itself where he proceeded to sweep to the side the burnt, charcoal dust of the pizza crusts that had been cooked.
While Adrian whole heartedly agreed with me that deep frying food at a standard 325-375˚F does not destroy gluten, he maintains that incinerating to 900˚residual gluten crumbs and flour from previously cooked pizzas and then sweeping them aside, most assuredly does.
That said, 900˚ Wood-Fired Pizzeria is pleased to cook gluten-free pizzas on sanitized pizza pans for any gluten-free diner’s peace of mind. As a wood-fired pizza purist however, Adrian cautions that cooking pizza on a pan may generate different results.
Final consideration.
900˚ Wood-Fired Pizzeria is most assuredly a pizza lover’s pizzeria. Gluten pizza dough is thrown into the air with gusto, wheat flour coats the kitchen floor like dance dust and a fine coat of flour is evident on surfaces throughout the main preparation area.
That said after two years’ serving gluten-free pizza, Adrian shared that there have been no reports from gluten-free diners that they have experienced gluten contamination.
As Adrian is quoted as saying in the EAT Magazine article, “I don’t think we really did anything new – we just did it better!”
I would have to agree: for celiac diners who are comfortable with these practices or those who avoid gluten as a lifestyle choice, 900˚ Wood-Fired Pizzeria sets the gluten-free bar as high as I have seen it on Vancouver Island.
Love Pasta?
900˚ Wood-Fired Pizzeria stages occasional pasta specials and always offer the option of Italy’s Schar Gluten-Free Pasta to gluten-free diners!
Gluten-Free Beer?
900˚ Wood Fired Pizza is pleased to serve 100% gluten-free Forager Beer, made in Whistler from sorghum and rice.
“Where to Eat in Canada” adds @900.degrees to it’s list of worthy restaurants, calling their pizza “as close to perfection as it’s possible to get,” and one of only a handful of restaurants here in Victoria named “Good Buys”. Check out the full review on page 306 of the 2017-18 guide published by Oberon Press. Pick up your copy today!
Join Victoria’s Gluten-Free Foodies for the finest in authentic, Italian dining!
Click here for 900 Degrees’ Gluten-Free Menu & Pricing. In person, ask for the ‘Red Menu!’
Thursday, November 23 from 6 – 7:30 PM
RSVP to ellen@theceliacscene.com
NOTE from The Celiac Scene: Only gluten-free flour is used on the prep line and to dust the oven floor. Flour is denatured at a temperature of 900˚. In the event that residual flour might remain, it would be gluten free.
Open 7 days per week 11:30am to 8pm.
Reserve online or call (250) 590-4493
Order Takeout – Pick up at 101B 2401 Millstream Avenue.
Gift Certificates
900degrees.ca • Facebook • Instagram • contact@900degrees.ca • Regular Menu
Watch 900 Degrees on CHEK NEWS Order Up!
Deli Products – Enjoy 900° quality products and ingredients at home! 900° offers a variety of top-quality deli products, from our house-made organic and gluten-free pizza dough, organic tomato sauce, fresh pesto and house desserts. More info
See also 900˚ BiSTRO in Sidney!
Great gluten-free news from owner, Adrian Ortiz:
“We have now launched a dedicated FULL GLUTEN-FREE MENU! There are over 30 GF items on our menu, including appetizers, salads and pizzas.”
“We have also COMPLETELY eliminated gluten flour for our pizza prep line – which now significantly decreases the possibility fo gluten cross contamination.”
‘ “In other words, “The only thing that is NOT GF is our regular dough, which is now prepared completely separately. There is absolutely no gluten flour online, which is the main concern for potential cross-contamination.” ‘
“ALL flour used online (even the one we use to stretch our traditional recipe dough) is Gluten-Free. All previous protocols of using separate utensils, tools and equipment for our GF food items are still enforced.”
Click here to view menu
Click here to view menu
Click here to view menu
TESTIMONIAL: We bought 2 GF pizzas(+1reg) here for take out last evening. It was soooooo goooood! Mine was vegetarian with a pesto sauce – yum!!!! Highly recommend this spot! 10/10 maybe even 15/10 😍 … Gloria
Love Pasta?
900˚ Wood-Fired Pizzeria stages occasional pasta specials and always offer the option of Italy’s Schar Gluten-Free Pasta to gluten-free diners!
Read the Reviews!
- https://issuu.com/garyhynes/docs/eat_magazine_sept-oct_2017
- https://issuu.com/garyhynes/docs/eat_magazine_march_april_2017
- https://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=1308429
- http://vancouverisland.ctvnews.ca/video?clipId=615313
Enjoy a delicious Gluten-Free Happy Hour at Six Mile Pub, every day from 3 – 6pm! Have a peek at what is on offer HERE!
Find Six Mile Pub at 494 Old Island Highway in View Royal, British Columbia
250-478-3121 • Free Parking • Accessible •
Six Mile Pub • Menus with ‘GF’ Notations • Facebook • Twitter • Instagram
Saturdays & Sundays! Enjoy a sumptuous celiac-safe a-la-carte brunch from 11am to 2pm. ‘GF’ or ‘GFO options’ are noted on their a la carte menu from Eggs Benny to Desserts. Families welcome! View Menu
Click on image to enlarge
Six Mile Pub Believes in Great Food that just happens to be Gluten Free!
• All of Six Mile’s deep fryers are gluten free
• Proprietary gluten-free flours expertly blended in house
• Contraband flours are stored away from the prep hall
• Gluten-free kitchen guidelines in place
• Gluten-free education / staff training is ongoing
• Menu has GF icons marking house-made, gluten-free products. Enjoy!
Providing us with the gluten-free options we love for Patio Dining, Take Out or Delivery: Bangers • Bean Tacos • Calamari • Crab Cake • Crispy Cauliflower • Fish & Chips • Nasi Goreng • Pan-Seared Cod • Perogies • Poutine • Seafood Paella • Shepherd’s Pie • SixNature Wings • Thai Chicken Salad & so much more! Decadent desserts, too!
Gluten-Free Beer! Whistler Forager in Bottles • Ciders • Glutenberg
Open for Indoor Dining, Take-Out & Delivery
- MON – THURS 11:00am – 8:00pm
- FRI & SAT 11:00am – 10:00pm
- SUN 11:00am – 8:00pm
- BRUNCH Sat & Sun 11am – 2pm
- HAPPY HOUR Daily 3pm – 6pm
- RIVERSIDE PATIO: open for seating between mid-Spring and mid-Fall.
The 160 year-old View Royal pub that served the Gold Rush has set the gold standard for gluten free! It has seating for over 300 guests, including some on the Riverside Patio that overlooks Millstream.
Their pub fare is created with culinary flare. Six Mile is proud to serve ‘SIX-Nature’ chicken wings, deep-fried halibut and – wait for it – safe french fries, yam fries and even onion rings cooked in a dedicated deep fryer!
Six Mile Pub’s Red Seal Chefs and their protégées pride themselves on meeting the needs of celiac diners and anyone with sensitivities i.e. dairy, soy, nuts or shellfish.
Be sure to ask for their ‘Feature Sheet!’
There’s a cozy corner, a sun-drenched patio or a pool table just right for you. Families are welcome with a menu made with the celiac child in mind. The family room also makes a great space for group functions.
- TESTIMONIAL: Just had dinner last night at the 6 Mile Pub on Old Island Highway. Wow! I have eaten here before but was amazed again at the GF menu selection, presentation, deliciousness, and the feeling of safety eating there. We went with another family and it was so awesome that I could share food with others who easily ordered GF even though they aren’t Celiac because there is just so many good things to choose from. The calamari is the best I have had anywhere. All the desserts were gluten free. How is this possible I wondered? I asked the waitress and she told me the chef is Celiac! We need more Celiac chefs that are this creative!! This has got to be best restaurant for dinner for Celiacs in the Victoria area.
Six Mile produces its own light and fluffy gluten-free buns with a Celiac Scene Approved Secret Ingredient!
Six Mile Pub pulls out all the gluten-free stops – every Sunday! Gluten-free hotcake stack, eggs benedict, omelettes, hash browns and amazing desserts! Gots Kids? Ask to be seated in the Family Room and order from the Kids Menu!
Unique at The Six Mile
- We do not own or use microwave ovens
- Only high-quality oil is used in our fryers. While more costly, the quality is in the taste and the value is in its healthful properties
- We serve handmade artisan products including pasta, sausages & bread
- Our apiary produces an abundance of honey that we use in many recipes
- All seafood options are recommended by the Vancouver Aquarium as ocean-friendly
- Patrons of all ages (including minors) are always welcome
The historic Six Mile Pub is the Oldest Pub in BC. It has seating for over 300 guests, including some on the Riverside Patio that overlooks Millstream. All menu items, are prepared from scratch using thoughtfully and responsibly sourced ingredients.
Our Gluten-Free Hero & Industry Pioneer, David Wing is a 2023 BC Restaurant Hall of Fame Inductee! !
Owner of the Oldest Pub in British Columbia, the Six Mile Pub + Eatery, David considers himself an accidental restauranteur.
He was introduced to the restaurant industry by his brother-in-law, Joseph Heng, only as a means to pay for his studies at the University of Victoria. David had always aspired to become a clinical psychologist.
Chandlers Restaurant, a member of the Keg family of restaurants at the time, and where David was working as a bistro cook, offered him a full-time kitchen management position. David took the job, anticipating that he would eventually return to fulfill his dream of becoming a psychologist.
Before long, this accidental choice of livelihood had become a career. Ultimately, both the work of a clinical psychologist care of people, which had always been David’s impetus anyways.
Over the decades since, David has schooled himself across a wide spectrum of the industry – from managing corporate restaurants such as the Keg and Milestones, to running the food and beverage operations for a cruise ship, operating a tiny mom-and-pop wrap and smoothie health bar, and for the past 20+ years, owning and actively operating the oldest pub in BC, the Six Mile Pub + Eatery in Victoria. His focus on warm, authentic hospitality and wholesome foods has earned this heritage pub a “Best Pub to Take a Kid” award, as well as consecutive “Readers’ Choice Awards for Best Pub in Victoria”.
When he is not serving guests at his Pub, David along with his wife, Fancy, serves the community, with their Fancy + David Foundation, which funds charities, programs and activities that help steer local youths towards positive, productive pathways.
While he does not profess to know everything about the industry; In fact, he claims to know very little, he has been conducting weekly classes at his pub, to share what little he knows with his many young, passionate staff who are building careers in our industry.
At this stage of his accidental career, is to give a little back to the industry that has given him so much!
