The gluten-free bakery has won the Leadership and Innovation Award at the Regional Victoria Living Expo in Melbourne last week.  

More than 350 guests attended the gala event, which included nine categories of awards. 

Winners were able to choose from $2000 from the Bank of Melbourne or an air time package on PRIME7.

Freedom Bakery owner Terry Hunter opened his business after he won the Bendigo Inventor Awards for his revolutionary gluten-free dough in 2010.

The Bendigo resident started making the gluten-free bread some 20 years ago at his kitchen bench. 

Mr Hunter set himself the task of creating a gluten-free dough for a friend who had coeliac disease.

It was his tru-dough, gluten-free bread mix that won him the Bendigo Inventor Award about four years ago.

 The bakery features a range of gluten-free brads, pastries, cakes and slices.

Other winners include the Creekside Hotel of Warracknabeal with the business achievement award, Alan Stuart of Mount Taylor with the regional achiever award, Ritz on Hotham of Traralgon with the customer service award, Community Leadership Loddon Murray with the super community group of the year award, Dunkeld Kindergarten Bush Kinder with the environmental sustainability award, Swell Mamas of Bass Coast with the Medibank healthy participation award, Vicki Jellie and Peter's Project of Warrnambool with the regional achiever award and John Maher of Brown Hill with the VACC regional safety award for Carmen's Safety.

This year's Bendigo Inventor Awards are set to be announced in November. 

Inventions are judged on their originality and how they will promote job creation in the Bendigo region. 

The top awards are the Inventor of Year and Innovator of the Year, both of which come with prizes of $10,000 in cash.

There's also a $5000 People's Choice award and six $2500 encouragement awards.

For more information about the awards, visit www.bendigo.vic.gov.au