About

We are two sisters who were diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2005, and we started Gluten Free Vancouver in 2009 as a way of sharing our experiences learning how to live gluten free. The focus of Gluten Free Vancouver is to provide gluten free dining and lifestyle information to help others with Celiac Disease or gluten intolerance, as well as friends and family members who wish to learn more about the gluten free diet. Topics of interest to us include gluten free product and restaurant reviews, Celiac Disease and health, how to travel gluten free, recipes, personal care products, and entertaining gluten free.

Our reviews of restaurants, local gluten free bakers, and retailers come from our first hand experiences, and we enquire about safe food handling practices and information on other allergens such as dairy, eggs, soy, and nuts as much as possible. In several cases we have provided input into gluten free best practices in commercial kitchens, as well as menu creation and product recommendations to local businesses looking to develop their gluten free repetoire.

Andrea McLean

I love to cook and bake gluten free with my three-year-old daughter, Pilar, and as a gluten free mom, enjoy posting about our successful creations and baking tips. My focus and interest in starting Gluten Free Vancouver was primarily to create a trusted resource for those recently diagnosed with celiac disease, especially since there were so few resources when I was first starting out on the gluten free diet. When I am not working on the blog, I run my own design company, so one of the things that I enjoy writing about are gluten free restaurants that also have interesting architectural and graphic elements such as The Judas Goat and Latitude. 

Robyn McLean

Since I am admittedly not the best cook or baker like Andrea is, my focus on the blog is primarily about finding gluten free on the go. My interest in starting Gluten Free Vancouver was to increase awareness about the gluten free diet and celiac disease, and to hopefully encourage the mainstream market to provide gluten free alternatives. My field of work as an environmental planner has also greatly influenced my approach to the blog. I support local food sustainability initiatives like the Vancouver Farmers Markets and UBC Farm, and enjoy finding gluten free products that also have a low environmental footprint such as Nature’s Path Organic.