Introducing Nathan’s Gluten-Free, Home-Based Bakery in Campbell River
It was with a sense of trepidation that I learned of Nathan’s Gluten-Free, Home-Based Bakery, offering ‘gluten-free’ baking in Campbell River. Nathan had apparently been gaining quite a reputation from within the gluten-free community for his delicious baking.
- Could it really be gluten free?
- Did he also bake with gluten ingredients?
- Does he source truly ‘gluten-free’ ingredients?
- Does he have protocols in place to prevent any possibility of cross contact with any gluten in his home?
With these worrying concerns at the fore, I arranged to speak with Nathan. I have no doubt that you will be as amazed with his baking as with his family’s long back story with celiac disease.
Nathan first explained that he is a Red Seal Certified Baker who follows the gluten-free lifestyle, with a secondary focus on the keto diet. He began working in a bakery at the age of 17, as their designated (gluten) donut maker and delivery person. They sold like hot cakes!
He decided to get serious about baking and undertook 3 years of comprehensive training to become a Red Seal Baker. He worked in that professional capacity for 17 years in total, until his growing family demanded a work life more amenable to raising his daughter and after that, boy / girl twins. Bakers essentially work permanent nights.
Two years after this switch, at the age of 36, Nathan was diagnosed with celiac disease through familial screening after his brother received the diagnosis. While Nathan is an asymptomatic celiac, he immediately adopted the gluten-free diet, and found that his anxiety was easier to manage and that his overall health improved.
I casually inquired whether anyone else in his extended family might also have the disease. That lead to the show stopper!
His mom had been diagnosed decades earlier, all three of his siblings share the diagnosis and 2 of his 3 children have also been diagnosed. His fraternal twin son has so far tested negative, but the family is vigilant.
Given his incredible background, my original concerns about his baking more or less fell by the way side! His home is 100% gluten free, he meticulously ascertains that all of his baking ingredients are gluten-free and the health of his thriving, in-house committee of taste tasters is a testament to the celiac-safety of his baking!
Given his skills as a baker and the impetus to cook and bake delicious food for his gluten-free family, Nathan set out to ‘make over’ the traditional baking he had been trained to prepare and come up with facsimiles that he believes transcend the originals! Much of his baking is also keto-friendly.
In June of 2021, with the encouragement of his family and a growing circle of friends who were loving his GF treats, Nathan began baking out of his kitchen and offering a small inventory of items for sale to the public. With the help of his wife, Candace, a registered nurse, a Facebook ‘group’ was created that would operate as his marketplace.
As word of mouth grew about his amazing, celiac-safe baking, so did the size of the group (1000 members and counting) along with his desire to expand his offerings!
His changing weekly menu can include butter tarts, a selection of cookies, bagels, bread, hot dog buns or seasonal delicacies like hot cross buns. Treat Boxes with four of one item ie Nanaimo bars, cranberry cheese cakes are also available.
Nathan works hard to make his baking accessible to customers who require or desire GF/DF, GF/Sugar Free, GF/Keto, GF/DF/Keto & No added Sugar/Diabetic/ made with Monk Fruit & Erythritol to name just a few combinations
Nathan’s proudest accomplishment to date are his fluffy cinnamon buns! He thinks he may have perfected gluten-free perogies that are par-boiled, frozen that customers can then stir-fry to perfection. He has his sights set on the ever-elusive, mile-high, gluten-free bread but stay-tuned. Nathan has already exceeded all expectations.
Every Monday, Nathan posts the week’s menu on his Facebook page. Customers place their orders in the comment section. Payment takes place by e-transfer and folks pick up their goodies in person at his residence in the Willow Point area of Campbell River on Friday afternoons.
For complete details on how it all works, see his announcement page.
If you are fortunate enough to live in the Campbell River area or are fond of long drives, be sure to make arrangements to partake of ‘Nathan’s Gluten-Free, Home-Based Bakery.’
