A bakery with a recipe for changing lives – and it’s all gluten-free!
Cape Town, South Africa (30 July 2026) – A group of radiologists and radiographers from SCP Radiology ditched their scrubs and scanners for a day, and came home with (gluten-free) flour on their sleeves and a fresh appreciation for the people they’d come to help at a Bellville bakery.
Not only does Down with Dough produce some of the best gluten-free goodies on the block, the non-profit bakery trains and employs adults with intellectual disabilities, instilling a sense of confidence, independence and dignity in the young adults who call the kitchen their workplace.
It started because Lynne Rutherfoord, founder and CEO of Down with Dough, has a son with Down syndrome. When he reached adulthood, she came face to face with the reality that there weren’t enough places for young adults with intellectual disabilities to go, grow and belong once school ended.
So she built one. It began as a solution for her own son, Joshua, but has grown into a lifeline for an entire community in Cape Town’s Northern Suburbs, giving young adults between 18 and 30 a real shot at meaningful work.
Every year, the SCP Radiology team picks a cause close to their hearts to support over Mandela Day. This year they chose Down with Dough. SCP’s Alana Lategan discovered their brownies being sold after a church service and knew it was the organisation her colleagues would want to back.
So on Mandela Day, 15 SCP staff members rolled up their sleeves, tied on aprons and became part of the Down with Dough kitchen crew for the day, learning the tricks behind the bakery’s famous white chocolate and double chocolate brownies from the very people who make them best.
“It was inspiring to meet the employees and see their enthusiasm, capabilities and pride in their work,” says Lategan. The day carried extra weight for Lategan. As someone with a sister who has special needs, watching the bakery team at work hit close to home. “Seeing firsthand the care, patience, dignity, respect and support for the baking team was incredibly moving,” she says.
Donations made to the bakery from SCP will bring some relief to the bakery’s monthly operating costs. Beautifully wrapped party packs were also handed to the young adults, which brought all the joy! Inspired by the experience, SCP Radiology has also since placed an order for 800 brownies to be shared with staff during Breast Cancer Awareness Month in October.
As demand continues to grow for quality gluten-free products, every brownie purchased will help create more work opportunities because, at Down with Dough, every batch represents dignity, inclusion and opportunity! If you’d like to show your support – and stock up on delicious gluten-free goodies – follow this link!
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