Meet the family behind Laois’ first lactose and gluten free café!

In the April/May edition of Laois Life magazine, we sat down with local chef Indra Sermuksle, founder of Daily Dose in Abbeyleix. Bringing you the latest fashion, culinary and community stories, keep an eye out for our latest June/July edition!

In the summer of 2023, the Sermuksle family in Abbeyleix opened up Daily Dose, the county’s first café dedicated to providing delicious treats suitable for those with lactose and gluten allergies.

Indra Sermuksle runs the business with her husband and three children, who all share a passion for good food and tasty treats.

“Cooking and baking has always been important to my family, my mother was a housewife supporting four children on a farm in Latvia,” Indra explained.

“Growing up, everything was homegrown, and the milk was straight from the farm. I was the eldest daughter, so I grew up standing beside my mother and helping her cook, she taught me everything she knew,” she said.

Indra moved to Ireland in 2006, and has worked in the hospitality industry for most of her life. Her idea for Daily Dose came from her sudden intolerance to gluten and dairy.

“When I caught Covid during the pandemic, it changed my body completely. I developed an intolerance to gluten and dairy, and I didn’t know what to do. I remember looking through my kitchen cupboard after I found out, and realising that I was now allergic to almost everything,” she laughed.

“I love cakes, and cakes love me, so this was a big problem at the time- I felt so defeated and thought I would have to survive on ricecakes for the rest of my life!” she joked.

Faced with this issue, Indra set out on a mission to create tasty meals and desserts her family would enjoy, that would also be suitable to her diet.

With a plethora of family recipes passed down from her mother, Indra began to tailor her baked goods and dishes to be suitable for everyone.

“I am not a professional chef or baker, I am just passionate about what I do. I would love to have had the chance to do a course or to network with other chefs, but I haven’t had that opportunity. I am just trying to provide something for people in the same boat as me, to make their lives as easy as possible,” she said.

“Those with allergies understood the concept of the café straight away, but some people without allergies didn’t. Our products are made for everyone to enjoy, not just people with allergies- we are proving that gluten and dairy free food isn’t just cardboard! If it’s made with love and thought towards flavours and textures, it’s delicious,” Indra said.

“I want to deliver products for everyone to enjoy, where people can’t tell the difference.”

Indra has since taught most of what she knows to her eldest daughter, and the pair spend their time baking together in the café’s kitchen. Her 18 year old son helps her on the cash register and at markets, along with her husband.

“My youngest children are still of the age where helping out is boring,” Indra laughed.

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“My eldest daughter is my right hand woman, and my brain sometimes! We share tips with each other and just understand each other, we work great together in the kitchen.

“My husband is great with the maintenance of the café, and attending markets with our 18 year old son. Our 14 year old daughter is so brilliant for helping too, I’m truly blessed to have them,” she said.

A particular source of pride for Indra is her ability to create delicious delicacies that are suitable for everyone.

“We cater for events such as weddings, communions and more, my biggest source of pride is when I deliver one of my signature cakes to these parties,” she said.

“I could make a cake for 200 people, and a smaller separate one for 20 people who have allergies at the party. None of my cakes are the same, every single product I deliver makes me proud,” Indra finished.

See below for Indra’s easy-peasy three ingredient recipe sponge cake!

Ingredients:

4x eggs

75g caster sugar

85g plain gluten free flour

Method:

-Preheat oven to 180’

-Line a 8” round baking tray.

-In a stand mixer, add eggs & sugar, mix for 10-15min until the mixture is foamy and tripled in size.

-Sieve and fold in the flour.

-Pour mixture into a lined pan and bake for 10 minutes.

-Decorate with jam, cream (if suitable) and fresh berries.

-Most importantly, enjoy!