By Nick Bildner, Founder of Dillon Organic
I started Dillon Organic in 2021 with a simple ambition: to make bread with thoughtfully chosen ingredients that people would genuinely enjoy eating.
After 14 years in the natural food industry, including my experience as a co-founder at Pulsin, I had learned a lot about building a food business. From sourcing ingredients and managing supply chains to getting products onto shelves, I had experienced the practical challenges of bringing an idea to life.
But one lesson stayed with me above everything else: people care about what goes into their food, and they still want it to taste good.
When I looked at the gluten-free and low-carb bread available, I felt there was room for something different. Something organic, made with seeds, with a satisfying texture and an ingredient list I could feel proud of.
That became the starting point for Dillon Organic.
Seeing an opportunity for better bread
For me, choosing bread should be about more than finding something that fits a particular dietary requirement. You should look forward to eating it.
I wanted to create a gluten-free, low-carb loaf that could stand on its own merits: enjoyable flavour, a substantial texture and carefully selected ingredients.
Organic was also important to me from the beginning. It was a personal passion, and I wanted it to shape the business as much as the recipes.
The challenge was bringing all of those things together. It was easy enough to write down what I wanted the bread to be. Making it work took considerably more patience.
It started with Original Flax
The first bread I developed was our Original Flax Keto Bread.
There were more than 40 iterations along the way. I would get one element right, change something else, and find that the texture no longer worked. Then I would start adjusting again.
One of the hardest decisions was making the bread without eggs. I wanted the recipe to be suitable for vegans as well as people avoiding gluten, which meant finding another way to hold everything together.
Gluten gives traditional bread much of its structure and elasticity. Without it, getting a loaf to slice well and feel satisfying to eat becomes a different kind of baking challenge.
I worked with combinations of ground seeds and psyllium husk, gradually finding a balance that gave the bread the structure and texture I was looking for.
It took experimentation, feedback from friends and family, and a willingness to keep going when a recipe still wasn’t quite right.
Why I chose seeds
Seeds became the foundation of the bread because they brought both flavour and useful properties to the recipe.
Flaxseed helped bind the mixture when combined with water. Chia seeds also contributed to that binding effect, while sunflower seeds brought a pleasant, nutty flavour. Psyllium husk played an important role in creating structure.
Each ingredient had a purpose.
Together, they helped me create a loaf with its own character: substantial, seeded and closer in texture to a dense German-style rye bread than a light, airy sandwich loaf.
That difference is something I enjoy. Especially toasted, when the seeds begin to sizzle and their flavour comes through.
I wanted people to experience the bread for what it was, with an open mind and a good topping.
Taking the recipe beyond my kitchen
Developing a recipe at home was only part of the work.
Turning it into bread that could be made consistently in a bakery was another challenge altogether. A recipe that works in a small batch needs careful attention when the quantities, equipment and production process change.
That stage reinforced something my earlier experience in food had already taught me: the details matter.
Ingredient sourcing, preparation and the balance of the recipe all affect the finished loaf. Getting those things right takes time, and the learning doesn’t stop once a product launches.
What “a meal in a slice” means to me
I often describe our bread as “a meal in a slice” because I wanted to make something substantial.
For me, that phrase captures the experience I was aiming for: a slice with texture, flavour and enough character to become the centre of a breakfast or lunch.
It might be toasted with avocado, served with soup or topped with something simple from the fridge. However you enjoy it, I want the bread itself to be a part of the meal you look forward to.
What our customers have taught me
Customer feedback has reinforced the reason I started.
People want food that suits their preferences and dietary needs, but they also want an enjoyable everyday experience. They care about how bread tastes, how it toasts and whether they would choose to eat it again.
That keeps me focused on the balance between ingredients and enjoyment.
You don’t need to follow a strict keto diet to be curious about a different kind of bread. You might be looking for a gluten-free option, choosing more organic food or simply wanting to try a seeded loaf.
My job is to make that first slice worth trying - and the next one worth coming back for.
Why I’m still passionate about it
Dillon Organic began with an idea about what bread could be. Bringing it to life took more than 40 attempts, plenty of feedback and a lot of persistence.
What keeps me motivated is the same thing that got me started: making food with care, choosing ingredients for a reason and creating something people enjoy.
If you’re curious about where it all began, try our Original Flax Keto Bread. Toast a slice, add your favourite topping and make it your own.
