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!
🌮. Saturday, June 25 from noon to ‘sold out’ at Fernwood Rd & Gladstone Ave
🌮. What are tamales? A traditional Mexican dish made with a (gluten-free) corn-based dough mixture, filled with a chicken, beef, refried beans, then wrapped in a banana leaf. Enjoy with your fave sauce, rice, guacamole or all of the above!
Details • Facebook • Instagram
- Fernwood’s annual neighbourhood celebration is celebrating 25 years of arts, music, and community! We will be grooving with musicians, performers, food, beer, theatre, artists, magic, kid’s zone, face painting,an artisan market, games, bubbles, walking tours, a silent auction, and more! There is no better place to be on the summer solstice weekend – June 24 & 25, 2022. Join us as Fernwood is transformed into a 2-day extravaganza of fun with all your best neighbours and friends! All of Victoria is invited to join us for this free event with activities for all ages during the summer solstice.
“I want to feel proud about the food I produce, and I want people to feel good about what they are eating!” Chef Israel Alvarez Molina
MAiiZ Nixtamal Tortillas are made from certified organic corn grown in Armstrong, BC and lab-tested to be gluten free. Chef Israel Alvarez Molina’s technique, inspired in the traditional Mesoamerican Nixtamalization process is more than just authentic, providing taste and structure. MAiiZ Nixtamal Tortillas have flavour, aroma, texture and elasticity. When eating a Nixtamal Taco you don’t just taste the corn, you taste the process.
• Maiiz.ca • Facebook • Instagram • Twitter • Contact • 778-433-1544
SHOP ONLINE for everything you need to ‘A-MAiiZ!’
CARRYING RETAILERS & RESTAURANTS!
PATIO DINING! Enjoy your take-out and watch the world go by. First come first served. Reservations accepted.
• Education | History | Culture
• MAiiZ’ Recipe Collection
• Subscribe to MAiiZ’ Mail
• MAiiZ Gift Card
• Watch MAiiZ’ Amazing video collection!
• Learn more about MAiiZ …
• Read the Review in the Times Colonist
Testimonials
- “Se siente el sabor de Mexico! I can taste the flavour of Mexico” @gtcanni
- “I love how the tortillas held together perfectly without breaking or getting soggy.” @propitiouspig
Carrying Retailers (call ahead to confirm)
- MAiiZ at 540 Fisgard St (Open Tuesday to Sunday) – see map
- Beauregard Cafe & Provisions
- Charelli’s Cheese Shop & Delicatessen
- Coco’s Provisions
- Cold Comfort Canteen
- Community Farm Store (Duncan)
- Country Grocer (Royal Oak & Esquimalt)
- Fairway Markets (all locations)
- Farm and Field Butcher
- For Good Measure James Bay
- Great Greens Farm Market
- Lifestyle Markets
- Michell’s Farm Market
- Mother Nature’s Market & Deli
- Mt Doug Market
- Neighbourly Store
- Niche Grocerant
- NomadEx
- Old Farm Market (Oak Bay)
- Peppers Foods
- Pomme Natural Markets Nanaimo
- Rock Bay Market
- The Local General Store
- The Market Garden
- The Root Cellar
- Urban Grocer
- more …
What exactly is Nixtamalization?
- Corn holds the memory of culture, tradition, indigenous practices and history for many in Mexico. Nixtamalization, masa, fresh cooked tortillas; these textures and smells are ingrained within the best culinary experiences and come from a place of memory and authenticity.
- Nixtamalization is the process of chemically transforming dried corn kernels into a dough which is then used in a wide variety of Mexican dishes.
- Dried corn kernels is boiled in an alkaline solution using pickling lime (also known as slaked lime or calcium hydroxide) and then left to soak overnight. When the corn is drained and rinsed some of the outer membrane layer is loosened and rubbed off. Corn that has gone through this process is now called nixtamal, or in some cultures, hominy.
- The wet nixtamal is then ground to a dough using a specialized mill. The result is a silky, slightly elastic fresh “masa” dough that squiggles out the grinder. The masa is shaped into small balls called testalitos and pressed to create fragrant, soft, flavourful tortillas with a unique smell of Mexico!
How does this change the corn?
- The nixtamalization process not only transforms corn structurally, but also nutritionally. Corn on its own is seen as a low source of nutrition, often associated with pellagra, a disease caused by vitamin B3 deficiency common to impoverished communities where the process of nixtamalization was not introduced with corn.
- This issue can be traced back to the colonization of the Americas when corn was taken by Europeans to grow as a crop around the globe, but the nixtamalization process was not. This resulted in widespread disease and malnutrition. Through the process of nixtamalization the calcium in corn is increased as is the quality of protein absorbed by the body. Additionally, phytic acid is reduced making it easier for the body to absorb important minerals unlocked by the alkaline solution used during the nixtamalization process.
What is the cultural importance?
- “When you are an immigrant you go through a lot of stages to find an identity in your new home. The part of my life that I could not find was my diet. I could adapt to a different climate, harsh weather, assimilate into the culture and learn a new language, but deep inside of me nixtamal was missing. There is so much history and culture behind this process which is the foundation of Mexican Cuisine. The aroma, texture, flavour and feeling of a fresh Nixtamal Tortilla doesn’t compare to anything else, it’s like freshly brewed coffee when you’ve had instant coffee all your life. This transformative experience is something that everyone deserves.
Almond Shortbread Bunny Cookies & Hot Cross Buns!
B-glutenfreevictoria 100% Gluten-Free European Style Desserts and Artisan Breads will be at the 🌸 Bloom Market 🌸 March 25th 10am-3pm at Langford Station. Hope to see you there 💗
It pays to pre-order!
• bglutenfreevictoria.square.site
• Instagram via DM
• bglutenfreevictoria@gmail.com
• 250-208-3646
• Pick up or delivery arranged when ordering.
Enjoy a selection of baguettes, bars , biscuits, bread, buns, cinnamon buns, coffee cakes, cookies, croissants, filled pastries, loaves (banana bread & orange cranberry,) muffins, pies & sourdough! Best of all! MINI DONUTS!
Listen to Tanja on ‘A Canadian Celiac Podcast!’
Look for the B-glutenfreevictoria’s Booth or ‘Green Gluten-Free Trailer’ at Island Markets:
- Langford Station Market – Saturdays 10am to 2pm – until end of April
- Moss Street Market – Saturdays 10am to 1pm (10am to 2pm in summer)
- Goldstream Market – Saturdays 10am to 2pm – beginning in May
- Esquimalt Farmers Market Gorge Park – Mondays 4:30pm to 7:30pm – June through September
- Westcoast Outdoor Market at Mary Winspear Centre – Thursdays 5:30pm to 8:30pm. Sundays 10am to 2pm – June through August
About Tanja!
Tanja Blondin, Owner / Operator of B-glutenfreevictoria, has been baking for as long as she can remember. Her German heritage continues to inform the food that she creates.
With hospitality in her DNA, Tanja has done it all from baking to catering, always with the best in presentation.
When her daughter was born, Tanja started a cake business that allowed her to work from home. The business was so successful that it grew into a full catering and pastry shop in Ontario. From there, she went on to manage restaurants, including the Starbucks that she transferred to in Sidney, to be closer to family.
Seeking a change from the coffee business, Tanja assumed a position in the bakery department of Sidney Thrifty Foods. It was around this time that she began experiencing health problems that lead her, and her daughter, to be diagnosed with celiac disease. Her employer tried to accommodate her condition with a move to the cake decorating department, but the proximity to airborne gluten flour was too much for her. Tanja had to resign, but that does not mean she stopped baking. Their loss was our gain!
What to do with decades of experience baking European pastries? Tanja reimagined them using gluten-free, organic ingredients, freshly milled at the dedicated gluten-free Millstone Farm Organics in North Saanich:
- almond flour • baking powder • brown rice flour • buckwheat flour • chia • buckwheat flour • eggs (fresh!) • flax seeds • millet flour • potato starch • psyllium husk • oats (pure) • quinoa • sorghum flour • sliced almonds • tapioca starch • teff flour • xanthan gum • white rice flour
Tanja adapted her favourite recipes to gluten free in her dedicated kitchen, and set up a booth on Sunday’s Mary Winspear Centre to test the market. The response has been so positive that she has gone on to create a ‘B-glutenfreevictoria Food Trailer’ – a first for Vancouver Island and beyond!
View the possibilities and order online through bglutenfreevictoria.square.site, or stop by her trailer during her busy market schedule this summer.
B-glutenfreevictoria 100% Gluten-Free European Style Desserts and Artisan Breads.
How to order!
• bglutenfreevictoria.square.site
• Instagram via DM
• bglutenfreevictoria@gmail.com
• 250-208-3646
• Pick up or delivery arranged when ordering.
Enjoy a selection of baguettes, bars , biscuits, bread, buns, cinnamon buns, coffee cakes, cookies, croissants, filled pastries, loaves (banana bread & orange cranberry,) muffins, pies & sourdough! Best of all! MINI DONUTS!
B-glutenfreevictoria appears throughout greater Victoria, including Goldstream Market, Moss Street Market, Esquimalt Farmers Markets, Westcoast Outdoor Markets, Metchosin Farmers Market, Bastion Square Foodie Fridays and seasonal events!
Langford Station Market – 720 Station Ave
Saturdays 10am to 2pm – until April 29, 2023
General Information • Instagram
About Tanja!
Listen to Tanja on ‘A Canadian Celiac Podcast!’
Tanja Blondin, Owner / Operator of B-glutenfreevictoria, has been baking for as long as she can remember. Her German heritage continues to inform the food that she creates.
With hospitality in her DNA, Tanja has done it all from baking to catering, always with the best in presentation.
When her daughter was born, Tanja started a cake business that allowed her to work from home. The business was so successful that it grew into a full catering and pastry shop in Ontario. From there, she went on to manage restaurants, including the Starbucks that she transferred to in Sidney, to be closer to family.
Seeking a change from the coffee business, Tanja assumed a position in the bakery department of Sidney Thrifty Foods. It was around this time that she began experiencing health problems that lead her, and her daughter, to be diagnosed with celiac disease. Her employer tried to accommodate her condition with a move to the cake decorating department, but the proximity to airborne gluten flour was too much for her. Tanja had to resign, but that does not mean she stopped baking. Their loss was our gain!
What to do with decades of experience baking European pastries? Tanja reimagined them using gluten-free, organic ingredients, freshly milled at the dedicated gluten-free Millstone Farm Organics in North Saanich:
- almond flour • baking powder • brown rice flour • buckwheat flour • chia • buckwheat flour • eggs (fresh!) • flax seeds • millet flour • potato starch • psyllium husk • oats (pure) • quinoa • sorghum flour • sliced almonds • tapioca starch • teff flour • xanthan gum • white rice flour
Tanja adapted her favourite recipes to gluten free in her dedicated kitchen, and set up a booth on Sunday’s Mary Winspear Centre to test the market. The response has been so positive that she has gone on to create a ‘B-glutenfreevictoria Food Trailer’ – a first for Vancouver Island and beyond!
View the possibilities and order online through bglutenfreevictoria.square.site, or stop by her trailer during her busy market schedule this summer.
B-glutenfreevictoria 100% Gluten-Free European Style Desserts and Artisan Breads.
How to order!
• bglutenfreevictoria.square.site
• Instagram via DM
• bglutenfreevictoria@gmail.com
• 250-208-3646
• Pick up or delivery arranged when ordering.
Enjoy a selection of baguettes, bars , biscuits, bread, buns, cinnamon buns, coffee cakes, cookies, croissants, filled pastries, loaves (banana bread & orange cranberry,) muffins, pies & sourdough! Best of all! MINI DONUTS!
B-glutenfreevictoria appears throughout greater Victoria, including Goldstream Market, Moss Street Market, Esquimalt Farmers Markets, Westcoast Outdoor Markets, Metchosin Farmers Market, Bastion Square Foodie Fridays and seasonal events!
Langford Station Market – 720 Station Ave
Saturdays 10am to 2pm – until April 29, 2023
General Information • Instagram
About Tanja!
Listen to Tanja on ‘A Canadian Celiac Podcast!’
Tanja Blondin, Owner / Operator of B-glutenfreevictoria, has been baking for as long as she can remember. Her German heritage continues to inform the food that she creates.
With hospitality in her DNA, Tanja has done it all from baking to catering, always with the best in presentation.
When her daughter was born, Tanja started a cake business that allowed her to work from home. The business was so successful that it grew into a full catering and pastry shop in Ontario. From there, she went on to manage restaurants, including the Starbucks that she transferred to in Sidney, to be closer to family.
Seeking a change from the coffee business, Tanja assumed a position in the bakery department of Sidney Thrifty Foods. It was around this time that she began experiencing health problems that lead her, and her daughter, to be diagnosed with celiac disease. Her employer tried to accommodate her condition with a move to the cake decorating department, but the proximity to airborne gluten flour was too much for her. Tanja had to resign, but that does not mean she stopped baking. Their loss was our gain!
What to do with decades of experience baking European pastries? Tanja reimagined them using gluten-free, organic ingredients, freshly milled at the dedicated gluten-free Millstone Farm Organics in North Saanich:
- almond flour • baking powder • brown rice flour • buckwheat flour • chia • buckwheat flour • eggs (fresh!) • flax seeds • millet flour • potato starch • psyllium husk • oats (pure) • quinoa • sorghum flour • sliced almonds • tapioca starch • teff flour • xanthan gum • white rice flour
Tanja adapted her favourite recipes to gluten free in her dedicated kitchen, and set up a booth on Sunday’s Mary Winspear Centre to test the market. The response has been so positive that she has gone on to create a ‘B-glutenfreevictoria Food Trailer’ – a first for Vancouver Island and beyond!
View the possibilities and order online through bglutenfreevictoria.square.site, or stop by her trailer during her busy market schedule this summer.
B-glutenfreevictoria 100% Gluten-Free European Style Desserts and Artisan Breads.
How to order!
• bglutenfreevictoria.square.site
• Instagram via DM
• bglutenfreevictoria@gmail.com
• 250-208-3646
• Pick up or delivery arranged when ordering.
Enjoy a selection of baguettes, bars , biscuits, bread, buns, cinnamon buns, coffee cakes, cookies, croissants, filled pastries, loaves (banana bread & orange cranberry,) muffins, pies & sourdough! Best of all! MINI DONUTS!
B-glutenfreevictoria appears throughout greater Victoria, including Goldstream Market, Moss Street Market, Esquimalt Farmers Markets, Westcoast Outdoor Markets, Metchosin Farmers Market, Bastion Square Foodie Fridays and seasonal events!
Langford Station Market – 720 Station Ave
Saturdays 10am to 2pm – until April 29, 2023
General Information • Instagram
About Tanja!
Listen to Tanja on ‘A Canadian Celiac Podcast!’
Tanja Blondin, Owner / Operator of B-glutenfreevictoria, has been baking for as long as she can remember. Her German heritage continues to inform the food that she creates.
With hospitality in her DNA, Tanja has done it all from baking to catering, always with the best in presentation.
When her daughter was born, Tanja started a cake business that allowed her to work from home. The business was so successful that it grew into a full catering and pastry shop in Ontario. From there, she went on to manage restaurants, including the Starbucks that she transferred to in Sidney, to be closer to family.
Seeking a change from the coffee business, Tanja assumed a position in the bakery department of Sidney Thrifty Foods. It was around this time that she began experiencing health problems that lead her, and her daughter, to be diagnosed with celiac disease. Her employer tried to accommodate her condition with a move to the cake decorating department, but the proximity to airborne gluten flour was too much for her. Tanja had to resign, but that does not mean she stopped baking. Their loss was our gain!
What to do with decades of experience baking European pastries? Tanja reimagined them using gluten-free, organic ingredients, freshly milled at the dedicated gluten-free Millstone Farm Organics in North Saanich:
- almond flour • baking powder • brown rice flour • buckwheat flour • chia • buckwheat flour • eggs (fresh!) • flax seeds • millet flour • potato starch • psyllium husk • oats (pure) • quinoa • sorghum flour • sliced almonds • tapioca starch • teff flour • xanthan gum • white rice flour
Tanja adapted her favourite recipes to gluten free in her dedicated kitchen, and set up a booth on Sunday’s Mary Winspear Centre to test the market. The response has been so positive that she has gone on to create a ‘B-glutenfreevictoria Food Trailer’ – a first for Vancouver Island and beyond!
View the possibilities and order online through bglutenfreevictoria.square.site, or stop by her trailer during her busy market schedule this summer.
B-glutenfreevictoria 100% Gluten-Free European Style Desserts and Artisan Breads.
How to order!
• bglutenfreevictoria.square.site
• Instagram via DM
• bglutenfreevictoria@gmail.com
• 250-208-3646
• Pick up or delivery arranged when ordering.
Enjoy a selection of baguettes, bars , biscuits, bread, buns, cinnamon buns, coffee cakes, cookies, croissants, filled pastries, loaves (banana bread & orange cranberry,) muffins, pies & sourdough! Best of all! MINI DONUTS!
B-glutenfreevictoria appears throughout greater Victoria, including Goldstream Market, Moss Street Market, Esquimalt Farmers Markets, Westcoast Outdoor Markets, Metchosin Farmers Market, Bastion Square Foodie Fridays and seasonal events!
Langford Station Market – 720 Station Ave
Saturdays 10am to 2pm – until April 29, 2023
General Information • Instagram
About Tanja!
Listen to Tanja on ‘A Canadian Celiac Podcast!’
Tanja Blondin, Owner / Operator of B-glutenfreevictoria, has been baking for as long as she can remember. Her German heritage continues to inform the food that she creates.
With hospitality in her DNA, Tanja has done it all from baking to catering, always with the best in presentation.
When her daughter was born, Tanja started a cake business that allowed her to work from home. The business was so successful that it grew into a full catering and pastry shop in Ontario. From there, she went on to manage restaurants, including the Starbucks that she transferred to in Sidney, to be closer to family.
Seeking a change from the coffee business, Tanja assumed a position in the bakery department of Sidney Thrifty Foods. It was around this time that she began experiencing health problems that lead her, and her daughter, to be diagnosed with celiac disease. Her employer tried to accommodate her condition with a move to the cake decorating department, but the proximity to airborne gluten flour was too much for her. Tanja had to resign, but that does not mean she stopped baking. Their loss was our gain!
What to do with decades of experience baking European pastries? Tanja reimagined them using gluten-free, organic ingredients, freshly milled at the dedicated gluten-free Millstone Farm Organics in North Saanich:
- almond flour • baking powder • brown rice flour • buckwheat flour • chia • buckwheat flour • eggs (fresh!) • flax seeds • millet flour • potato starch • psyllium husk • oats (pure) • quinoa • sorghum flour • sliced almonds • tapioca starch • teff flour • xanthan gum • white rice flour
Tanja adapted her favourite recipes to gluten free in her dedicated kitchen, and set up a booth on Sunday’s Mary Winspear Centre to test the market. The response has been so positive that she has gone on to create a ‘B-glutenfreevictoria Food Trailer’ – a first for Vancouver Island and beyond!
View the possibilities and order online through bglutenfreevictoria.square.site, or stop by her trailer during her busy market schedule this summer.
Chasing Sunsets – An Evening of Violins with a Gluten-Free Intermission!
Lucy Toews & Serena Piercey
Saturday, June 10 – 7pm-10pm
Trinity Presbyterian Church
145 Simms Rd, Campbell River
Event Details
Advance Tickets $12. Email lucy.toews@gmail.com for payment options.
Tickets $14 at the door: cash / e-transfer
Kids 12 & under: FREE
Enjoy a Variety of Gluten-Free Cupcakes at Intermission
Celiac-Created in a Gluten-Free Kitchen*
2/$5 with proceeds going to Celiac Canada
*An ingredient list will be displayed for each kind of cupcake. Cash sales only.
Lucy Toews
Lucy Toews, MA was diagnosed with Celiac Disease the summer before she entered university. She completed her Masters in Performance Violin at Memorial University in St. John’s, NL.
Serena Piercey
Fellow violinist, Serena Piercey, BA, has just completed her undergraduate Performance Violin, also at Memorial University.
Both Lucy and Serena will be attending the Conservatoire de musique et d’art dramatique du Québec in September, 2023 for further studies.
Program
Partita No. 2 for Solo Violin in D minor, BWV 1004, J. S Bach
I. Allemanda
II. Corrente
III. Sarabanda
IV. Giga
V. Ciaconna
Sonata for 2 Violins in C major, op 56, Sergei Prokofiev
I. Andante cantabile
II. Allegro
III. Commodo (quasi Allegretto)
IV. Allegro con brio
-Intermission-
Sonata for 2 Violins in A minor, op posth, Eugène Ysaÿe
I. Poco lento, maestoso – Allegro fermo
Sonata for 2 Violins in E major, op. 12, No. 2, Jean-Marie Leclair
I. Allegro ma poco
II. Largo
III. Minuetto. Non troppo allegro
IV. Allegro
2nd annual Lovers Lane Market at The Langford Station
Sunday, February 11th 10:00am – 4:00pm
720 Station Ave
A unique shopping experience filled with handmade arts and crafts, perfect for Valentine’s Day. Shop for unique gifts, participate in DIY activities and craft goodie making. Don’t miss this one-of-a-kind craft market, it’s the perfect way to spend Valentine’s Day with your loved one or family. Learn more …
Order ahead to assure your purchase!
• bglutenfreevictoria.square.site
• Instagram via DM
• bglutenfreevictoria@gmail.com
• 250-208-3646
Enjoy a selection of baguettes, bars , biscuits, bread, buns, cinnamon buns, coffee cakes, cookies, croissants, filled pastries, loaves (banana bread & orange cranberry,) muffins, pies & sourdough! Best of all! MINI DONUTS!
B-glutenfreevictoria appears throughout greater Victoria, including Goldstream Market, Moss Street Market, Esquimalt Farmers Markets, Westcoast Outdoor Markets, Metchosin Farmers Market and seasonal events!
About Tanja!
Listen to Tanja on ‘A Canadian Celiac Podcast!’
Tanja Blondin, Owner / Operator of B-glutenfreevictoria, has been baking for as long as she can remember. Her German heritage continues to inform the food that she creates.
With hospitality in her DNA, Tanja has done it all from baking to catering, always with the best in presentation.
When her daughter was born, Tanja started a cake business that allowed her to work from home. The business was so successful that it grew into a full catering and pastry shop in Ontario. From there, she went on to manage restaurants, including the Starbucks that she transferred to in Sidney, to be closer to family.
Seeking a change from the coffee business, Tanja assumed a position in the bakery department of Sidney Thrifty Foods. It was around this time that she began experiencing health problems that lead her, and her daughter, to be diagnosed with celiac disease. Her employer tried to accommodate her condition with a move to the cake decorating department, but the proximity to airborne gluten flour was too much for her. Tanja had to resign, but that does not mean she stopped baking. Their loss was our gain!
What to do with decades of experience baking European pastries? Tanja reimagined them using gluten-free, organic ingredients, freshly milled at the dedicated gluten-free Millstone Farm Organics in North Saanich:
- almond flour • baking powder • brown rice flour • buckwheat flour • chia • buckwheat flour • eggs (fresh!) • flax seeds • millet flour • potato starch • psyllium husk • oats (pure) • quinoa • sorghum flour • sliced almonds • tapioca starch • teff flour • xanthan gum • white rice flour
Tanja adapted her favourite recipes to gluten free in her dedicated kitchen, and set up a booth on Sunday’s Mary Winspear Centre to test the market. The response has been so positive that she has gone on to create a ‘B-glutenfreevictoria Food Trailer’ – a first for Vancouver Island and beyond!
View the possibilities and order online through bglutenfreevictoria.square.site, or stop by her trailer during her busy market schedule this summer.
