For those looking for a gluten-free cake mix, look no further, said Jennifer Johnson, creator of Gluten Free Please, LLC.
From chocolate cake to Irish soda bread, Johnson makes and sells gluten- and nut-free baking mixes for people to use. Some mixes also do not contain other ingredients such as milk or sugar.
“For someone like me who gets very sick, it’s very important to avoid them,” Johnson said. I have.”
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Health issues, positive feedback create business inspiration
Johnson started having digestive issues in 2005 and went gluten-free on the recommendation of her doctor, but that didn’t cure all her problems. Diagnosed with lymphocytic colitis and IBS in 2017, I had to assume a gluten-free as well as a low FODMAP diet.
“I love baking, so I knew I needed to figure out what to do,” Johnson said.
But the store-bought mix didn’t cut it.
“Especially in 2005, it’s very limited to what you have to find that’s gluten-free,” she said.
She instead started developing her own base mixes and used them to bake products for years. was after using
“They said, ‘This is so good. Give me the recipe.’ ‘Make it again.’ And since these people weren’t gluten-free, the fact that they loved it meant a lot.
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And a year ago she discovered the FAST Launch program in South Dakota. This is a program designed to help entrepreneurs and small businesses start and scale their businesses.
Her new dream began to come true when Johnson approached Sioux Falls chef Ellen Doerr and asked if she would be interested in selling the mix in her store. Chef Ellen said so.
Later, Johnson knew he needed more space to create his mixes. Then came April Smith of Heart of the City Bakery.
Her industrial kitchen, which is gluten- and allergen-free, was the perfect place for Johnson to create mixes on a large scale without worrying about cross-contamination.
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“Both of these girls are amazing as far as supporting my little adventure,” Johnson said. “I couldn’t do this without them.”
Where to find new mixes and gluten-free
Gluten Free Please currently offers 12 mixes including banana bread cakes, biscuits, blueberry muffins, donuts, cookies, pancakes, waffles and more. There are also sugar-free cornbread mixes that can be used for cornbread stuffing. This is the perfect item for Thanksgiving.
Each mix comes with recipes on the back and recommendations for add-ins for an extra twist.
“It was a great experience and a lot of fun,” she said. “I learned a lot along the way, and I’m still learning.”
Part of that learning was creating accurate nutrition labels and getting them FDA certified. This is a critical part of her business process, she says, Johnson. She’s also developing a new egg-free puff pastry mix and plans to come up with other mixes in the future.
Customers can purchase mixes at Chef Ellen at 2210 W. 69th Street and Harvey Family Chiropractic and Wellness at 3220 W. 57th Street.
The goal is to eventually sell the mix in other stores, Johnson said, but for now, he’ll meet people buying his products at events like the Brandon Winter Farmers Market, which starts Nov. 12. I want to focus on
“I was simply visiting people and seeing what they liked and what they didn’t like and learning what I could do to help,” she said.
Johnson will also be selling mixes at the 605 Made Holiday Market on December 3rd.
Gluten Free Please will also soon have a website where people can order online. For now, people can follow us on Facebook and Instagram.