THUNDER BAY -- Jennifer’s Gluten-Free Kitchen recently opened a bustling storefront on Red River Road, offering several types of baked goods and savoury items all made without gluten.
Owner Jennifer Childs said the benefit of gluten-free food is it can be enjoyed by those who have a gluten-intolerance as well as anyone else – and when it’s made correctly you can’t tell it’s gluten-free.
“It sounds cheesy, but I do put a lot of love into it because I'm a foodie,” Childs said.
“I love to eat - and that was really my inspiration for starting this business.”
Diagnosed as gluten-intolerant roughly a decade ago, Childs graduated from the culinary management program at Confederation College in May 2020 and in the same month she started the business out of her home.
“When I found out I was gluten intolerant, I was concerned. I love to dine out. I love to cook at home.
“That’s why I've experimented a lot with different flours – I use different ones depending on what I'm making. It has to taste good to me. If it doesn't taste good to me, I'm not going to sell it.”
Fast forward a few years – now Childs has opened the Red River Road storefront. She’s impressed with how steady business has been so far. More customers have been coming in every day since she held her grand opening on Dec. 9.
“It was a wild first day,” she said in an interview from her kitchen, located across the street from the Sovereign Room.
At the grand opening, Childs and her staff gave away free cupcakes and coffee to the first 50 customers – and the free food was all gone within an hour.
“The rest of the day just got busier and busier. All of December was extremely busy - more so than I ever could have imagined.”
With her business taking off, Childs is excited to bring tasty treats to those who have a sensitive tummy – whether they are gluten-intolerant, have celiac disease, or they simply wish to enjoy some yummy treats.
Customers can choose from more than 100 items on the menu. There are breakfast items like egg bites, pancakes, waffles, and sausages.
There's lunch meals such as soups, sandwiches, salads, power bowls, energy bowls, and dinner items as well.
“If I can do a custom meal for somebody, I love doing that. I love accommodating someone who wants a dish that they didn't think they could have anymore because of their celiac disease or sensitivity.
“I really enjoy being able to re-create that in a way they can eat it safely.”
And then there’s the desserts. Childs bakes gluten-free cupcakes in multiple flavours, including everyone’s favourite – one is Persian-flavoured. She also offers tarts, pies, loaves, cakes and more, as well as catering.
For more information including the hours of operation, visit this page.
