Eating is one of the most fundamental social activities. When we get together with friends or family, food and drink are almost always part of it.

For some, however, every outing or gathering brings isolation. Medical conditions beyond our control such as Food Allergies or Celiac Disease, to name a few, turn the simple, joyful experience of eating into a guessing game full of doubt and anxiety. Despite the assurances of friends or staff at restaurants, there is always doubt as to whether the food is safe or not for someone with a strict dietary restriction.

Often the only choice is to not risk it and awkwardly sit among friends and family with an empty plate. Being there and unable to join in the breaking of bread is an isolating experience.

That’s been the story of Chelsea and her husband Miguel, foodies who considered food to be the best part about travel. That is, until she was diagnosed with Celiac Disease in 2022 and eating became a sad, lonely experience. For two years, despite cutting out gluten from her diet, she was still getting sick and hospitalized. It wasn’t until she met her Gluten Detection Service Dog, Tucker, that we discovered how much gluten was hiding where it wasn’t clearly labeled. We are now even more cautious over what ingredients are used in our food. With the lessons learned from personal experience and struggles with Celiac Disease, and a life-time of food service background, Gather Freely came about.

Gather Freely exists to be a safe haven. It’s a place for people who’ve had nowhere to go to finally have somewhere they can gather among friends. It’s a place where people who miss the convenience of take-out can pick from a menu inspired by the comfort foods they’ve not had in a long time. It’s a place for busy caregivers to pick up a ready-made dinner casserole to reheat for an easy dinner at home. No second-guessing, no feeling left out.
Our kitchen is 100% Gluten-Free, and are Allergy-Aware.

We’re not just for those with restrictions. We’re for everyone.
As former world-traveling foodies who had to transition to eating gluten-free, we know the negative reactions and connotations people have when they hear the words “Gluten Free”, but we also remember how good food should taste. We’ve been hard at work working on recipes that are not only safe, but taste good like it should.
Whether you have dietary needs or none at all, the goal is the same: good food, shared comfortably.