By Berly Thomas
The story behind The Bread Essentials is a deeply personal one. Founder and CEO Josée Gosling’s journey into the gluten-free world began with her own health discovery.
Today, The Bread Essentials and other dedicated gluten-free bakeries play a vital role in Toronto by providing essential food options for individuals with gluten sensitivities.
The bakery’s transition to a completely gluten-free and nut-free facility in July 2019 was met with positive response from the Gluten-Free and Celiac community. The Bread Essentials offers a wide range of products, including breads, desserts, and even traditionally gluten-containing items like pizza crust and Pierogi. Josée’s commitment to using clean ingredients without preservatives and additives and her dedication to innovate new items make The Bread Essentials a trusted source for those requiring gluten-free and nut-free foods in Toronto. The fact that customers travel from across the city and even beyond highlights the importance of these specialized bakeries in the Toronto community.
Josée changed her bakery into gluten-free as an experiment and that was only for Tuesdays and Wednesdays. Then she was diagnosed with celiac disease and she changed the bakery into completely gluten free so that other celiac patients and gluten sensitive customers can purchase from the bakery without the fear of cross contamination. “It was very hard because I had to clean everything. The ventilation, the ceiling, the walls, everything needed to be cleaned because there’s always particles of flour everywhere,” she says, emphasizing the meticulous process needed to eliminate cross-contamination. There were also concerns about how it would affect existing customers.
Josée’s baking background and her own experiences with eating gluten-free and continuous experimentation have helped her create delicious gluten-free bakery products. This dedication has led to the creation of popular products like gluten-free croissants and honey crullers. She educates consumers about the shelf life and misconceptions about the amount of sugar in gluten-free products. “We only have one tablespoon of sugar per bread,” she explains.
According to Josée, the high cost of gluten-free ingredients is a big barrier. She says, it is three times more expensive. Despite these high costs, she tries to keep the products affordable, even at the expense of her own finances.
The Bread Essentials’ commitment to being completely gluten-free and nut-free has made them a trusted and valuable resource for Toronto’s celiac community. Her dedication and the existence of bakeries like The Bread Essentials signal a positive shift towards greater inclusion and understanding for those with celiac disease in Toronto.
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