Spotlight on: The Baroutsis family of Grandma's Pantry

This week we sat down for a cuppa with local heroes Janine and Peter who, along with daughter Chloe, own and run Grandma’s Pantry Online (GPO).

We wanted to talk about their frankly enormous range of wholefoods and specialty gluten free and allergen safe foods, and find out a little bit more about this gem of a store based in the Redlands.   

So, just what is so special about this local stalwart? If you’re already a fan, you’ll be well aware that their product range is second-to-none, and if you need baking supplies and/or to avoid gluten and other allergens, this is the place to find yourself some wonderful substitutes for items you once thought were banished forever – hello gluten free donut pre-mix, we’re looking at you!

But "Granny’s" is more than that, operating since 2008, it has stood the test of time, becoming a household name across the Bayside, and much further afield. As one of the first wholefoods retailers on the scene, GPO has continued to stay ahead of the curve, switching to an online only store in 2021 during the pandemic.

Cooking is in Janine's blood, however being prescribed a gluten free diet a couple of decades ago proved a challenge, as there wasn't much of an understanding back then and nowhere near the range of items available that there are today.

Janine sought out Grandma's Pantry, which was then owned by founders Neale and Sandra Royal. Janine loved the store so much that she began working there one day per week. 

At this time, Peter had spent 30 years in the big box retail industry and had reached senior management level. He was looking for something that would allow him to spend more time with his young family and satisfy his drive to take a business in his own direction. 

Over a few drinks (of course) with Neale and Sandra at Janine's 40th birthday, Peter and Janine discussed purchasing Granny's... and the rest is history! 

Today, GPO continues to provide a wide selection of items, including a vast range of quality basic and specialty baking ingredients, pre-mixes, herbs and spices, snacks and confectionary. 

Shoppers favourites are the range of breads and cake mixes - from a regular soft or crusty white mix, dark rye or their "sourdoughish" loaf through to multiple gluten free options.

Janine loves it when customers tell her that the gluten free pre-mixes they bought went completely unnoticed by friends and family who thought they were eating regular versions of the goodies!  

Spices are also a popular product - and the range is huge. Janine says "we are very proud of our massive spice range!  We have taken our time and sourced our herbs, spices and blends from the best suppliers. We are so much more affordable than the supermarkets and the freshness is amazing!".  

Whilst Janine says she still can't make apple pie as good as her Nanna's, daughter Chloe has definitely been gifted the family cooking genes and she regularly wows the family with her delicious creations! Come March, Chloe will be heading to uni, so Mum and Dad will be back in charge at GPO!

Janine and Peter say the switch from a physical store to an exclusively online store was a big and difficult decision. Like so many businesses, GPO was hit hard during the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. The switch made good sense with more and more people turning to online shopping and home delivery.  

Grandma's pantry has been part of the BBG collective since early September last year. Janine and Peter say it fits in with their vision of making life a little easier for people to support local businesses, so it's a 'hand in glove' partnership.  

We asked if they have any favourites from the other stores in the collective - it was a tough call for them, but Janine and Peter have been Costa's fans for many years! Janine is also excited to hear that gluten free specialist bakery Australian Wildflour Pastry Co (AWPC) have opened a retail space and she'll be paying them a visit soon.

GPO's range is so huge, we at BBG are still playing catchup to get their wonderful products onto our store!! Check out our growing range of Grandma's Pantry Online items here.