Welcome &  Allergy Friendly Greetings to you!

I’m Zilka, and I run Cultured Bakehouse, based in Northern Ireland. Once a made-to-order bakery, it has now grown into a creative space for Free From workshops, cookbooks, and digital resources: all designed to help you cook and bake safely at home. Everything I share is Free From the top 14 allergens, including Gluten Free, Dairy Free, and Egg Free, made with care so everyone can feel included at the table.

I was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and moved to Dublin - Ireland in 2002. Today I live in Glenullin, Coleraine; with my husband and our BIG family. My Christian faith shapes how I live, work, and serve others. It guides the way I approach food, people, and community.

For years, I baked everything myself in a dedicated Free From facility, fulfilling local (and not so local)orders for brownies, cookies, cakes, and sourdough breads. Each batch was made with love and care.

Over time, and because of many reasons,  I felt called to something new, to move away from production and towards teaching, writing, and creating digital resources that reach and support more people. Now, Cultured Bakehouse is focused on helping others cook confidently and inclusively, wherever they are.

I don’t enjoy spending too long in the kitchen, I'm always ever so busy! so I focus on simple, quick, and nourishing recipes. I believe good food shouldn’t be complicated. It should be accessible to everyone.

Now, my work at Cultured Bakehouse centers on three things I love deeply:

Workshops

My Free From workshops are hands-on cooking sessions that bring people together to create full meals that are completely Free From the top 14 allergens.

We cook, talk, and share stories. My goal is that every participant leaves feeling calm, capable, and inspired: knowing they can make safe, nourishing food for themselves and their families.

Cookbooks

My cookbooks are where my heart and heritage meet. They bring together Free From recipes and personal stories from my journey, from Caracas to Ireland and everything in between. I write the way I cook, simply, honestly, and with love. Each recipe is one you can make easily, feed your family with, and feel good about. More books are on the way, each one blending life, memory, and food.

Digital Products

Through eBooks, guides, and online lessons, I share the same warmth and inclusivity that define Cultured Bakehouse. These resources are for anyone who wants to cook better, live healthier, and feel included at the table, no matter where they are in the world. In other words, I basically share the same warmth and inclusivity that defined my bakery — now in a format anyone can enjoy from home.

Cultured Bakehouse has evolved, but the heart of it remains the same: to make food that’s safe, natural, inclusive, and delicious for everyone. Whether you join a workshop, download a recipe, or read one of my books, I hope you feel part of a community built on care, faith, and flavour.