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OUR STORY
Thread & Toast was never just about coffee and cake. It was built from friendship, loss, resilience, and the simple belief that everyone deserves a place where they feel safe, welcome, and included.
Tory grew up knowing Lisa as more than just her mum’s best friend. Lisa had been part of the family story since they were little girls themselves, woven into birthdays, celebrations, hard times, and everything in between. Their families had always been connected, but neither of them could have imagined that years later they would build something together.
In November 2024, Tory was diagnosed with Coeliac Disease after becoming seriously unwell. Life changed overnight. Foods she once took for granted suddenly became unsafe, and even simple things like going out for breakfast became stressful and isolating. At the same time, Tory made the incredibly difficult decision to step away from her role as Managing Director of a marketing agency to focus on her health and recovery.
Around the same period, Lisa experienced unimaginable heartbreak. She lost her dad, and then just two weeks later, her husband passed away suddenly. In the middle of grief and change, both Lisa and Tory found comfort in something unexpected… puppies.
The two spent more and more time together walking their dogs, going to puppy training classes, laughing about the chaos of teenage puppies, and supporting each other through a difficult chapter of life. Somewhere between muddy walks, coffee catch-ups, and puppy tantrums, conversations began to change.
Tory started talking about a dream she had carried for years: opening a café that truly catered for people like her. Time and time again they found themselves in cafés where there was little or nothing Tory could safely eat. Gluten free options felt like an afterthought, and inclusive spaces were surprisingly hard to find. They knew there had to be a better way.
Lisa, an incredible baker with a love for feeding people, immediately threw herself into the challenge. She was determined to create gluten free cakes that didn’t feel “gluten free”, cakes that were indulgent, comforting, and genuinely delicious. What followed were months of trial-and-error baking sessions, recipe tweaks, flour-covered kitchens, honest taste tests, and lots of laughter until they finally perfected recipes Tory could safely enjoy.
Slowly, the idea became something real.
Over the following months, Thread & Toast was born.
Together, Lisa and Tory poured their life savings, energy, and hearts into creating the kind of café they wished had existed when they needed it most. A place where coeliacs and people with dietary requirements never have to question whether they belong. A place designed to feel calm, cosy, and welcoming. Somewhere neurodiverse-friendly, accessible, and thoughtfully created for comfort as much as community.
Thread & Toast is about more than food. It is about connection. About slowing down. About creating something beautiful from life’s hardest moments. It is a café built on friendship, resilience, creativity, and care, where everyone deserves a seat at the table.
