Greenhill Vegan Bakery

The bright idea…

I’m Whitney, owner of Greenhill Vegan Bakery, and here’s how the business çame about! When my elder daughter was a newborn, she had cow’s milk protein allergy, a very common allergy among infants. Because I was breastfeeding her, I had to give up all dairy myself in order to control her allergy. Suddenly, outings like meeting a friend at a café, or going to the beach and trying to find lunch, became rather difficult because I often couldn’t eat anything! And of course, it isn’t just mothers of CMPA babies; there are plenty of people of all ages with allergies to dairy, egg or gluten, all of whom want to dine out without risking a reaction. Add to that the growing number of people (including myself) following a plant based diet for ethical or health reasons, and the market for cafe-style vegan and gluten free options seemed sizable.

Fast forward 7 years–and a few lockdowns in which to reinvent menus–and nearly all cafes and venues now try to cater for those dietary needs. I aim to bridge the gap for dining outlets and event organisers looking for fresh, locally made baked goods to bring every customer to the table!

Learning the new old-fashioned way

I come from a family of bakers, so I learned at my grandma’s knee. She always had time to teach me how to measure and mix, roll and cut, bake and decorate. With a well-earned reputation for quality and customer care, a bakery can be a real staple of the community. That is my vision for my own business: that it will grow as part of a local business community that it helps to nurture, to everyone’s mutual benefit.

Learning to bake without dairy products, gluten, or eggs is a constant project of trialling and improvement. Some of my recipes are ‘veganised’ versions of family recipes from America, while others are my own edits of Northern Irish classic favourites. All of them are unique to Greenhill Vegan Bakery and creatively delicious!