A ladle of ... gluten-free enjoyment

What’s the concept behind Café Venue in Bielefeld?

‘Our target group is young people, whom we see more as friends than customers,’ says Christin, one of the founders of the café in Bielefeld. It’s important to her that her guests feel at home. With success: just a few months after opening, they are delighted to have numerous regulars who visit the café every day to meet and work. ‘A key part of our concept is the look and feel of the shop,’ says Christin. She and her co-founder Madleen furnished Café Venue, harmoniously coordinating everything with great attention to detail. ‘We want to be more than just a place where people eat and drink,’ says Madleen. Eating is important, of course. And the café in Bielefeld does stand out in this regard. All dishes are gluten-free and many are vegan.

Why do you only serve gluten-free food?

‘I am gluten-intolerant myself and want to give people who share the same issue a café experience where they don’t have to miss out,’ explains Madleen. ‘I wanted to create a completely gluten-free menu.’ The menu is not only gluten-free, but also includes vegan and sustainable options. The founders of the Bielefeld café use dates as a sweetener instead of industrial sugar, for example, and offer cow’s milk alternatives based on oats or rice from METRO Chef. ‘We don’t compromise on the products,’ says Madleen. Once a week, METRO delivers a variety of gluten-free, vegan, and organic products to Café Venue at Klosterplatz in Bielefeld.

What are the benefits of a gluten-free diet?

‘We place great importance on living a healthy, happy and mindful life. Nutrition impacts our daily well-being, our performance, and our mental and emotional equilibrium,’ says Madleen. Gluten-free and vegan products often require less water and land, and they are less processed. In many countries, they also face fewer regulations than animal products and often have a longer shelf life. Demand is also growing, whether due to intolerances or consciously chosen diets.‘We make trendy food accessible to everyone. Gluten-free ingredients can be used to create innovative dishes, such as our Fluffy Waffles, Ayurvedic Buckwheat Porridge, Feelgood Pasta, or Bliss Balls,’ says a delighted Christin.