Genius, the gluten-free brand, will now be available in Australia, after the company struck a deal to export frozen loaves to the Coles supermarket chain.

Frozen crusty white bloomers, sliced seeded loaf, white sliced bread, brown sliced bread, seeded rolls, shortcrust pastry, fruit loaf and pizza bases have been shipped Down Under and will be retailed frozen for consumers to defrost at home.

Melbourne-based manufacturer and distributor Gourmet Gluten Free Bakery arranged the deal with Coles. The gluten-free market in Australia is very new, with a limited range of products currently available, but the potential for growth is huge, believes Genius chief executive Roz Cuschieri.

“We wanted to bring our innovative gluten-free food to Australian consumers because demand for great-tasting gluten-free food is rising, as are the numbers of people being diagnosed with coeliac disease and those consumers following a gluten-free diet as a lifestyle choice,” she said. “We see a lot of potential within Australia’s free-from category, and we have successfully driven rapid category growth in the UK and are optimistic about doing the same in Australia.”

Dean Kruger, co-founder and director for Gourmet Gluten Free Bakery added: “We worked really hard to bring Genius to Australia and its arrival in Australia is a transformational step for the gluten-free market. We’re excited to have the opportunity to launch the Genius range with Coles.”

Genius was launched in UK supermarkets in 2009 by chef Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, and now has a turnover approaching £50m. The company also exports to the US, the Netherlands, France and Spain.

The new-style Genius branding, revealed in the UK earlier this month, is not yet available in Australia.