Well & Good — A Family-Built Gluten-Free Brand That Became a Trusted Name in Allergy-Friendly Food
What started in a Melbourne garage 20 years ago can now be found on retail giants’ shelves,
in foodservice kitchens, and even has an international footprint.
23 May 2026
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Australian brand Well & Good owes its product quality to founder Sam Barak, an experienced baker, chef, and pastry chef | Photo credit: Well & Good
Australian brand Well & Good owes its product quality to founder Sam Barak, an experienced baker, chef, and pastry chef | Photo credit: Well & Good
When Sam Barak converted his family garage into a makeshift food production space in 2005, gluten-free food in Australia was still a niche; considered flavourless, texturally challenged, and largely treated as a medical necessity rather than a culinary choice. Twenty years on, his Melbourne-based family business Well & Good has helped rewrite that narrative both in quality and scalability.
Today, Well & Good’s products carry Coeliac Australia, Vegan Australia, Kosher and Halal certifications, and meet HACCP and SQF food safety standards, with every batch independently tested for gluten, dairy and peanuts.
Built On Craft, Not Compromise
What differentiates Well & Good in today’s crowded free-from market is its product development capability. Founder Sam Barak’s background as a baker, chef, and pastry chef shaped a manufacturing approach centred on taste and texture from the outset, addressing the two areas where gluten-free products have historically underdelivered. These were what determined the product’s success in both the B2B and direct-to-consumer spaces.
The brand is a go-to partner for foodservice operators across Australia. “If you have been served a gluten-free pie, cake, sandwich, or baked treat at your café, bakery, or restaurant, there’s a good chance it’s made using one of Well & Good’s gluten-free flours or premixes,” says Shila Barak, Sam’s daughter and Well & Good’s Business Development Manager. The brand works with operators ranging from boutique independents like Eat Cannoli and Simply Gluten Free through to most major foodservice chains. In terms of product inclusivity, many of their mixes are free of dairy, eggs, soy, and nuts, making them well-suited for those following purely plant-based diets. Many mixes are also certified kosher and halal.
The original product, a mud cake mix, remains a bestseller to date | Photo credit: Well & Good
A Proudly Australian Family Business
Well & Good is proudly Australian-made and owned, with in-house product development, an industrial, gluten-free, allergen-free bakery, and a tight-knit, family-led leadership team. Alongside Sam, longtime colleague Mark Tunchon has led the technical side of the business since its earliest days. Sam’s daughter, Shila, has driven retail growth, and his son, Ben, is also part of operations. This gives the business the deep institutional knowledge and family continuity that larger corporate manufacturers simply cannot replicate.
Keeping manufacturing on Australian soil is a deliberate choice and a point of genuine pride for the team at Well & Good. Every product is developed in-house, every recipe is owned by the family, and the team works closely with a broad network of local suppliers and partners. That commitment to local manufacturing supports Australian jobs and ensures a level of quality control the family stands behind personally.
That structure also translates directly into capability for foodservice customers. Sam’s expertise and product knowledge mean the team can work closely with operators and distributors looking to launch or improve their own gluten-free ranges—not just supply off-the-shelf product.
Twenty years since its inception, Well & Good has become one of Australia’s most trusted names in allergy-friendly food
| Photo credit: Well & Good
Market Opportunity and Hard Realities
The tailwinds behind free-from food are substantial. Shila tells us that “roughly 1 in 70 Australians has coeliac disease, with estimates suggesting up to 80% remain undiagnosed. As awareness and diagnosis rates climb, so does demand.” Additionally, The Australian Allergen Free Food market is estimated to be worth USD 130.9 million by 2025 and is projected to reach a value of USD 513.8 million by 2035, growing at a CAGR of 14.7% over the assessment period 2025 to 2035. Globally, the appetite for allergy-friendly, dairy-free, and free-from products continues to grow, driven by both medical need and broader shifts in dietary preferences.
For B2B partners, that translates into a category with genuine headroom. The brands and suppliers best positioned to capture that growth will be those with the manufacturing capability, product range, and quality credentials to scale alongside it.
Their product range spans retail and direct-to-consumer offerings, as well as solutions tailored for the foodservice sector | Photo credit: Well & Good
Well & Good has followed that demand internationally. Products are currently stocked at Lulu Hypermarket in Dubai, Central Market in Texas, Healthy U in Kenya, and across specialty retail in New Zealand, Singapore, and Malaysia. For a family-owned manufacturing brand that started in a suburban Melbourne garage, that is a meaningful global footprint built entirely on quality and reputation.
But Shila Barak is clear-eyed about the challenges of building on home soil. The Coles–Woolworths duopoly places persistent pressure on supplier margins—additionally, Australia’s minimum wage ranks among the highest in the world. Freight costs across a vast geography are substantial, and compliance requirements are rigorous. Add competition from lower-cost imported products, and the operating environment for local family manufacturers is genuinely difficult.
Yet, they persevere. “We focus on differentiation and quality rather than competing purely on price,” the team says— a strategy that has clearly paid dividends over two decades, but one that requires constant innovation to sustain.
Shila Barak is Well & Good’s Business Development Manager
| Photo credit: Well & Good
Shila Barak is Well & Good’s Business Development Manager
| Photo credit: Well & Good
Hungry and Growing
What is perhaps most remarkable about Well & Good is the energy still driving it. Even after 20 years, this proudly Australian family business describes itself as only just getting started. While their ‘OG product’, the Chocolate Mud Cake Mix, is still a bestseller, new product ideas keep emerging, and the passion for improving gluten-free food shows no signs of slowing. The product range has grown to include Seriously Low Carb for those on a low-carb diet, savoury vegan meals with low-GI rice such as Thai Green Curry and Vegan bolognese, and a range of ready-made gluten-free breads that mimic the usual counterparts in taste and texture.
“If you have been served a gluten-free pie, cake, sandwich, or baked treat at your café, bakery, or restaurant, there’s a good chance it’s made using one of
Well & Good’s gluten-free flours or premixes,” says Shila Barak | Photo credit: Well & Good
Well & Good is for foodservice buyers, distributors, and retail partners seeking a proven Australian manufacturer with genuine culinary credibility in the free-from space.
Photo credit: Well & Good
Author: Priyanka C. Agarwal
Priyanka is a writer, editor and storyteller. Her words have appeared on the print and online pages of The South China Morning Post, SilverKris, Her World, The Michelin Guide, Time Out, and more. She has also created custom content for leading brands like Sentosa, Mediacorp Special Projects, Asia’s 50 Best, IKEA, and Meat and Livestock Australia. Her expertise includes food and drink, wellness, luxury and travel.