Gluten Free Bakehouse
by raleigh, March 27, 2009 | Permalink
Did you know that Whole Foods Market has its own dedicated Gluten Free Bakehouse? These delicious baked goods are made nearby in Morrisville and sent to Whole Foods Markets across the country.
The Gluten Free Bakehouse is led by Lee Tobin, who started as a baker in the Chapel Hill store. When he discovered that he was a celiac (had an intolerance for wheat) he began to develop gluten free recipes and offering them to the Chapel Hill customers. These breads and muffins were fantastic and people started flocking to the store to take advantage of his skill. They became so popular that he began to start baking only gluten free items one day a week, cleaning the kitchen from top to bottom before each shift to ensure that the product would have no wheat contaminants.
The quality and demand for Lee’s baked goods became so big, in fact, that they built a Bakehouse and allowed him to bake in his own facility, with his own team, all the time. This dedicated group of bakers work hard every day to continually develop new recipes and improve on old ones to provide a really delicious product for people that may have thought that they could never enjoy a good muffin, biscuit, brownie, bread, scone, or pie again.
The items that are produced by the Gluten Free Bakehouse are located in the freezer aisle and each one of them is made with love. Lee Tobin will also be at the Gluten Free fair tomorrow in the store, so make sure that you stop by and say hi!
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4 Responses to “Gluten Free Bakehouse”
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March 30th, 2009 at 1:21 pm
My wife also suffers from Celiac Disease, and has learned much about what (and where) she can, and cannot eat these days. She would very much like to sample what we’re told are your excellent gluten-free breads, but there’s a problem from which many CD folks also suffer, and that is a parallel intolerance to lactose. IF….IF Lee and his crew could come out with a GF line that utilizes lactose-free milk, my wife will be delighted at the prospect of trying, and hopefully enjoying Whole Foods’ GF breads. Just let us know when (or if) such a product exists.
Thanks, Sam Florance
April 1st, 2009 at 12:42 pm
Hi Sam, thanks for your comment.
We have heard this comment before and I wish that I could offer more insight into the lack of gluten and lactose free products. The Gluten Free Bakehouse maintains a very clean bakery to ensure that no wheat/gluten is allowed near the production area. The desire to create an allergen free product is a big one, but they have not yet been able to develop a process that would also exclude lactose. I will be sure to pass this along to Lee, and will be more than happy to report on any new developments from the Gluten Free Bakehouse.
April 1st, 2009 at 5:15 pm
I am allergic to wheat which means I can eat some things that are gluten free but not others. For instance normal vanilla is distilled with wheat. Since it is distilled a person with celiacs can consume it safely, but the allergin is still there. Do you make your own vanilla using a spirit that is also wheat free (gin & vodka are also distilled with wheat as part of the process) or do you use a commercial vanilla extract?
April 17th, 2009 at 12:05 pm
Hi,
The natural grain alcohol used in our Vanilla is derived principally from corn and some wheat starch. However, during the production of alcohol, the grain is converted to fermentable sugar, which is in turn, converted to alcohol. Following further distillation, the alcohol becomes purified resulting in a corn-free, grain-free, protein-free — hence gluten-free — product.
Thanks,
Kelly
WFM Gluten Free Bakehouse