Project Salubrious

New Burpengary cafe Project Salubrious is worth a trip north, especially for gluten and dairy-free foodies. Head chef and owner Kurtis Lovell, who has previously worked in European Michelin Star restaurants as well as several iconic Queensland venues, is a follower of the paleo diet, free from gluten, grains, dairy and refined sugar, and wanted to create a venue that aligned with his own food philosophy. 

Open for breakfast and lunch, Project Salubrious makes use of the local area's plentiful produce in a menu that is entirely free of gluten, grains, dairy and refined-sugar, yet still full of flavour. Expect nourishing breakfast options like pumpkin pancakes, croque monsieur and sardines baked in tomato sugo with basil pesto and hemp seed toast, all of which you can enjoy in the airy, light-filled space overlooking a nature reserve. 

If it's lunch you're after, options include a massaman mussel curry, duck crepes and chicken kiev, and you can also just make a pitstop for coffees, smoothies and keto-friendly toast, as well as ready-to-heat meals to take home. Plus, as of February 2023, Lovell will kicking off a gluten, diary and refined sugar-free cooking school, with the first classes focusing on Greek feasts and Spanish cuisine such as paella, churros and even sangria mocktails. 

Basically, if you're gluten or dairy intolerant, keto, paleo or just health-focused, this cafe should be on your hit list.

Image credit: Lewis Lotherington