Interview with Owner of Island Gluten Free Bakery

Earlier this year I was fortunate to visit a fantastic 100% gluten-free bakery in Sarasota, FL. My article about the area and all it’s gluten-free glory is in the current issue of Delight Gluten Free magazine. However, the interview I did with Karen Wilkinson, one of the owners of Island Gluten Free Bakery, was a little too long to get into the magazine. The other owners of the bakery are Kim Back and Vickie Shenk. My questions are in bold type.

How did Island Gluten-Free Bakery come to exist?

In November 2006, we had started a holistic bakery.  A lady, Stella Peters, came into the bakery one day.  She had just found out she had Celiac disease and asked if I would bake something gluten free for her. Although I do not have a culinary degree, know nothing about chemistry, I love to experiment. So I said I would try.  I did not have a clue what gluten was, much less what xanthan gum does for gluten-free baked goods!  She gave me a list of flours she could have. I purchased them, used an old recipe and she loved it.  “This is great, not dry or crumbly”, she said.  More people came and since that day we hear the same from everyone…including gluten eating spouses!  After researching the stats I got chill bumps thinking about how huge this market could be.  We knew baking solely gluten and wheat free would limit our market, but after reading about the contamination issues, we decided to continue as an exclusively gluten free/wheat free bakery.    

It seems that in addition to everything at the bakery being gluten-free, many things are also dairy free. How do you create such amazing baked goods without butter?

It has everything to do with the formulation.  At first we used butter, milk and egg.  As time went on the demand for dairy free, casein free and egg free arose.  Although we don’t make everything egg free we are able to make some of our products either way.  We made our first gluten, wheat, egg and dairy free cake for a little 2 year old girl two years ago.  She had never had a birthday cake.  The formulation is so great all I did was leave out the eggs and dairy and increase the water.  Another little boy we bake for has 26 food allergies- egg, dairy, canola oil, coconut, and rice among them.  His mom was in tears when she came in. Since brown rice and coconut flour is in my all purpose flour mixture, I declined.  My sister Kim suggested I try using the bread formulation.  It turned out great and we now use it for some of our sugar-free customers who have cancer.  We have become somewhat a specialized bakery.  Almost every day we get a new request. Generally speaking, baking gluten free & wheat free is easy compared to the challenges many parents and kids face due to multiple food allergies.   

Do you sell your mixes so that people who can’t get fresh products from you can make fabulous treats at home?

We do sell our mixes, although the greatest demand is for fresh baked goods.  We have several people inquiring about purchasing our flour mix in bulk so they can use it in their own bakery back home.  We ship our mixes, fresh baked products and some frozen items all over the U.S.A. The farthest to date is California and Canada.  We ship two day service anywhere out of state, except Georgia.  The majority of Georgia residents are able to take advantage of the ground shipping rate and receive the product in one or two days.  In state shipments are sent UPS ground and received next day. 

You use a lot of healthy grains in your products but those tend to cost more than the most commonly used gluten-free flours and starches. What prompted the decision to spend more on ingredients, making your products cost a little more than some others on the market?

From the beginning we decided to use healthier ingredients primarily because of our ethics.  Researching the statistics that stated so many unhealthy gluten free items are on the market, this reinforced our decision.  I was astonished by the fact that so many products consisted solely of carbohydrates.  Our emphasis is and always has been on creating healthier, holistic gluten-free products.  Had this not been our objective our unique formulation may not have transpired.   We have not faltered from our original goal, to keep it healthier, use whole grains, unrefined sugars and organics when feasible. Since many in the autistic group are on the gluten/wheat/dairy/casein/egg free diet, this has been a wise choice.  Additional requirements are no preservative, unrefined sugars, no food coloring, etc…all of which we adhere to.

 

Island GF Bakery waffle

Special thanks to Karen for her time and to the entire dedicated crew at this phenomenal bakery! If you are in GA or FL, ground shipping will get these incredible Island Gluten Free Bakery treats to you in 1-2 days. Our favorite items are the cinnamon raisin bread (think Sun Maid gluten bread), mini muffins, carrot cake (ships unfrosted only), French bread, buns and new waffles.  The buns are the only version I’ve ever been able to eat unheated. We use the French baguettes for Philly cheese steak sandwiches and the waffles are like gluten versions in high end restaurants.

The products from this bakery are exceptional and the key lime pie is the best version I’ve had, including all gluten versions. I’m just wondering when Five Guys is going to start offering the Island Gluten Free Bakery’s amazing buns. Then we can have a burger WITH a bun and gluten-free fries all at one place!