Cape Town gluten-free bakery creates jobs and a sense of belonging for adults with disabilities

People often place limitations on what adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities can achieve. But in a quiet neighbourhood in Bellville North, Cape Town, a small bakery is challenging those assumptions, one brownie, loaf of bread and dog treat at a time.

At Down With Dough Bakery, adults living with intellectual and developmental disabilities are not simply being given something to do. They are being allowed to work, learn, socialise and, most importantly, belong.

Some of the adults struggle to read or write, yet they have mastered the skill of following recipes and measuring ingredients to produce gluten-free baked goods for customers.

Their work challenges the widespread barriers faced by adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities, who often experience exclusion from formal employment and limited access to specialised support, training and community-based opportunities.

Last week, the Sunday Times visited the bakery, where the smell of freshly baked brownies could be detected metres away.

Inside, the atmosphere was warm and lively, with smiling faces, laughter and the occasional giggle.

“This is where the magic takes place,” said director and owner Lynne Rutherford.

The kitchen is divided into different workstations. On one side, brownies were being prepared, while on the other, employees were busy making dog treats. Everyone had a role and focused on the task assigned to them for the day.

Rutherford said the bakery began in 2018 after her son, Joshua, 27, who has Down syndrome, completed school at a special-needs school.

“We were quite undecided about what we were going to do with him after school, and because there aren’t many opportunities, we thought we could start something,” she said.

The family initially collaborated with another Cape Town organisation that trains young adults with intellectual disabilities and prepares them for the workforce.

“We actually thought that would be a good idea for Joshua and then, of course, thought we would include some friends with us. So that is actually what we did,” Rutherford said.

Down With Dough Bakery was established in 2019, specialising in gluten-free products because both Rutherford and her son follow a gluten-free diet.

“Obviously, the ‘down’ is a play on Down syndrome. So Down With Dough just sounded like a good name for a bakery,” she said.