Today we’d like to introduce you to Sam Bartshe
Hi Sam, we’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
We are Sue and Sam, the owners of Bee Gluten Free Baked Goods. We started our gluten-free business in August of 2022, but our love for baking goes back a lot longer.
Sue has been baking her entire life it seems. From spending time in the kitchen with her grandmother, mother, and Aunt growing up here in Ohio, she learned a lot about the science of baking. From there, after spending years raising her 3 kids in California, she grew a passion for cake decorating, took some classes, and the rest is history.
Everything I know about baking is what I have learned from my mom, Sue. I watched her bake my entire life and thought it was amazing what she could always whip up! In 2015, I was diagnosed with Fibromyalgia and was recommended to look into a gluten-free lifestyle. This made sense at the time, because a few years prior I learned that I had a wheat allergy, but it was too difficult to fully immerse in the gluten-free lifestyle since the items available were scarce plus did not taste good at all! Once I finally switched to a 100% gluten-free diet, all of my pains, aches, and issues nearly disappeared. It was a life-changing experience for me.
After moving to Tallmadge, OH from San Diego, CA, I had a difficult time finding gluten-free treats that I enjoyed. Not to say there wasn’t a selection, but from what I could get my hands on, I wasn’t too impressed. It was then that we decided to take matters into our own hands and make gluten-free desserts without compromising the flavor or texture so they taste like the real deal! In our minds, there was no reason someone with a gluten intolerance or Celiac disease should not be able to enjoy the first airy and moist bite of a cupcake!
So far, we have had a wonderful time introducing our business to the community. We are forever grateful to the Haymaker Farmers Market in Kent for opening the door to our business as they were the first Farmers Market to accept us! We brought cupcakes and cookies to our first-ever farmers market and sold out! We were in disbelief at the sheer amount of people who came to our booth excited about gluten-free items. From then on, we have been baking like madmen! We are currently attending the Haymaker Farmers Market in Kent, OH about twice a month throughout the year and more recently we started attending the Hudson Farmers Market in Hudson, OH during the summer season. In addition to the markets, we have extensively updated our menu as well as introduced online ordering with pick up at our home in Tallmadge plus delivery!
Alright, so let’s dig a little deeper into the story – has it been an easy path overall and if not, what were the challenges you’ve had to overcome?
Our current biggest obstacle is keeping up with the demand! Our business has grown exponentially in the last 2 years and we have done everything in our power to keep up with it. What started in a little kitchen with very limited counter space has turned into converting our entire downstairs to a dedicated gluten-free kitchen. This remodel has provided us the space we need to pump out hundreds of cupcakes at a time plus created safety for celiac customers as we now have a 100% dedicated gluten-free kitchen.
Another obstacle we face is unpredictable weather during farmers’ market attendance. The weather in Ohio is substantially different than in California. From thunderstorms in the summer to snowfall in the winter, we had a lot of adjusting to do personally and professionally. Predicting the weather is more difficult than it seems but what is even harder, is figuring out how to bake the correct amount during these times. We do not want to bake too much and risk throwing out inventory but we also want to supply enough baked goods for those that brave the weather.
Great, so let’s talk business. Can you tell our readers more about what you do and what you think sets you apart from others?
The (gluten-free) bread and butter of our business is that we make our own gluten-free flour blend. We created our flour blend with all the qualities of a perfect baked good by choosing not to use any nut flours because of the dense and crumby effect those flours tend to have on gluten-free desserts. Instead, we use a variety of rice flour and potato starches that create a moist, airy, and delicious baked good!
We are always trying to keep things exciting and fresh with our baked goods. Since we started, we have added a large selection of gluten-free items to our menu such as buttermilk biscuits, cake donuts, decorated sugar cookies, cookie cakes and so much more. We also love it when we reach a new season or holiday because that means seasonal desserts! Some items will only be around during that specific season. For example, we sell traditional holiday cookie boxes at Christmas time which include crinkle cookies, gingerbread men, thumbprints, and more! In the summertime, you will find us creating a lot of items with lemon! We have a Blueberry Lemon loaf that is our #1 best seller and our customers count down the days until they will be available for the summer. Another seasonal item is our Apple Cider Cake Donuts in the fall. Those only come out for about a month and there is a frenzy for them!
Besides our regular menu items that can be ordered weekly, we also accept custom cake and cupcake orders. We have an online order form where customers can select the size and flavor options for the cake or cupcakes but can also upload any photo inspirations for the decor.
Are there any books, apps, podcasts or blogs that help you do your best?
I have always been a big Pinterest fan for flavor and decoration inspiration!
Pricing:
- Custom Cupcakes starting at $3.50 ea
- Custom Cakes starting at $40
- Farmers market items range from $3-$8
Contact Info:
- Website: https://www.BeeGlutenFreeBakedGoods.com
- Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/beeglutenfree_oh/
- Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/BeeGlutenFreeOH/
- Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/bee-gluten-free-baked-goods-tallmadge
- Other: Online Cake Order Form – https://form.jotform.com/beeglutenfreebakedgoods/custom-cake-order-form
Online Order Form – forms.gle/7dHfxmyxR1duDZta9
