Halifax businesses serving up freshly-made gluten-free fare

Natalie Van Dusen adopted a gluten-free diet three years ago after feeling exhausted and “incredible unwell” a year after having her daughter.

“I discovered I couldn’t eat gluten, and I didn’t even know what gluten was,” says Van Dusen. “It was very sad to all of a sudden not be able to eat 75 per cent of what I was used to eating.”

An avid baker, Van Dusen was especially disappointed she couldn’t find a gluten-free cookie recipe that wasn’t gritty or bland. But over Christmas, she came across one that tasted better than any regular cookie she’d ever eaten.

“My family and friends were my guinea pigs, and they kept saying ‘These are phenomenal! You should be selling them!’” says Van Dusen.

She had recently moved back home to Nova Scotia after years living in Yellowknife, and was struggling to find full-time work in her field. So she decided to open her own business in the Head of St. Margaret’s Bay: Glacé (Iced) Gluten-Free Confections.

Within days of testing the waters, she had hundreds of “likes” on Facebook and orders were rolling in for parties, weddings, corporate functions, and baby showers.

“The demand for gluten-free products has really skyrocketed in the last five years, thanks to books like Wheat Belly,” says Van Dusen. “People are cutting out gluten and realizing they feel so much better, so they’re choosing to eat this way even if they don’t have Celiac Disease.”

Jennifer Laughlin agrees that gluten-free foods are arguably one of the fastest growing sectors in the food industry, and that it’s not just people with sensitivities and allergies who are choosing gluten-free products.

“Those without allergies or intolerances seek gluten-free foods as a healthier option, recognizing the impact that a gluten-heavy diet may have for them,” says Laughlin.

She and her husband, Aidan Brunn, got the idea for a gluten-free company after Brunn was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, and they were spending a lot of time driving back and forth to Halifax for hospital appointments and assessments.

Even trace amounts of gluten would trigger Brunn’s painful symptoms, and struggled to find gluten-free products to eat on the go. So Laughlin was constantly dropping him off at the hospital, buying ingredients, rushing to a friend’s kitchen, and preparing something he could eat safely.

Before long, Brunn and Laughlin were selling their products at farmers’ markets under the name Gluten-Free Goodies, and they focused on cookies, brownie bites, and granola. But customers kept asking for more — breads, muffins, pies, stuffing — so they increased their offerings and rebranded as Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet.

They’ve gone from baking in their home to running a commercial operation in Martin’s Point, Lunenburg County, with six employees — and they currently supply more than 50 retail vendors, restaurants, and cafes throughout Nova Scotia, including Pete’s Frootique, The Wooden Monkey, and Morris East. Customers rave about their potato millet bread, decadent brownies, flaky biscuits, and gooey butter tarts.

“We regularly get calls from people all over the world who have tried our products while visiting Nova Scotia and can’t believe the quality of our food,” says Laughlin. “We believe in fresh whole, natural food made without preservatives or chemicals, and our customers appreciate that.”

Wedding cake designer Tony Countway worked with gluten every day, and he didn’t realize it was negatively affecting his health. When he decided to go gluten-free, he lost 40 lbs., his joint pain went away, and his insides were running smoothly for the first time in years.

He started experimenting with baking gluten-free products in his second kitchen, and developed a knack for creating delicious food that was safe for him to eat. After nearly two years of working out of his home kitchen, he moved Odell’s Gluten Free Bakery & Café to its current location on Robie Street.

Countway researches every ingredient before bringing into the kitchen, and gets spec sheets from manufacturers to be sure there’s no chance of cross-contamination. He says food is to be enjoyed, not feared, and he enjoys running a business where every single item on the menu is 100 per cent gluten-free.

“People will look at the display case and say ‘Oh my God, I can seriously eat that?’ because they don’t usually have the luxury of ordering anything on the menu,” says Countway. “A good complaint is that everything looks so good, they can’t decide what to get!”

The diverse menu at Odell’s Gluten Free Bakery & Café includes grab-and-go lunches like samosas, pockets, and sandwiches. They update their website weekly to reflect changing lunch specials like lasagne, quesadillas, perogies, donairs, and fish and chips — foods that Countway says are “treats” for gluten-free people because they’re hard to find.

He says it’s important for gluten-free customers to ask questions about the food they’re about to eat — whether it’s a restaurant or a retail location.

“Don’t be scared to ask for details about the ingredients, or if it’s a gluten-free facility,” says Countway. “If they hesitate about anything, put up a red flag and don’t eat it, because it means they’re sure.”

While Countway is passionate about providing tasty gluten-free fare, he says he’s not doing it to get rich — he’s doing it because there’s a need for it.

“I’ve seen customers come in, order a sandwich, take a bite, and start crying because they haven’t had a decent sandwich in 30 years until now,” says Countway. “That’s why I do what I do.”