How Bella Paella Brings Gluten-Free Spanish Cooking to Brisbane's REKO Rings

By Eleisha Ruiz Zambrano

When REKO Australia profiled Bella Paella in August 2022, it told the story of a Spanish food business finding a new home with new owners. Eleisha Ruiz Zambrano and her partner Daniel took over Bella Paella that year, acquiring the existing business from its original founder, a friend of theirs. The recipes they inherited are described as authentic Spanish, built around pans, a stock recipe and a paella recipe brought from Spain and refined over roughly 40 years.

For Eleisha, the business sits close to a longstanding interest in food. She describes herself as a foodie who loves amazing food, and says good quality, healthy food is a major passion for her and Daniel. That focus on quality shows up in how the dishes are prepared. Eleisha says Bella Paella makes all its stock from scratch, tailored to be gluten-free and vegan, because stock usually contains gluten and animal products. The result is a traditional Spanish dish adapted for diners who often find it off the menu.

Eleisha's professional background adds another dimension to that attention to ingredients. She works as a naturopath and is based in the Brisbane and Southeast Queensland area, an experience that informs the care taken over what goes into each recipe.

At the time of the REKO article, Bella Paella was selling through the Samford, North Lakes, Bardon and Dayboro REKO rings, connecting directly with local buyers across the region. For Eleisha, it is a way to carry a decades-old Spanish recipe forward while opening it up to people who want paella made without gluten or animal products.