Gluten-Free Grand Opening: Joan's GF Great Bakes

1. Gluten-Free breakfast spread, 2. Howie and the gluten-free ice cream sandwiches, 3. GF onion bread, 4. Gluten-Free Bagels!!!, 5. Gluten-Free cookies, 6. Gluten-Free English Muffins, 7. GLUTEN-FREE BAGELS!!!!, 8. Gluten-Free Pizza, 9. Rice Flour, 10. Joan and her son Howie


Joan's GF Great Bakes
1905 A Bellmore Avenue
Bellmore, NY 11710
516-804-5600

On June 29, 2008, Joan's GF Great Bakes opened their gluten-free Long Island facility to the public. Celiac Disease runs in Joan's family so started her gluten-free cooking and baking to initially help her family. Once Joan brought her gluten-free goods to the public, they were in instant hit. I first tried Joan's gluten-free bagels at the Suffolk County Gluten-Free Vendor Fair in 2007. I was hooked! Joan and her sons truly believe in the gluten-free products they produce and you can tell how excited they are for the Celiac community to try their products. The grand opening event was a huge hit. I ate gluten-free EVERYTHING from bagels with cream cheese, to pizza, cookies, onion bread, ice cream sandwiches!!!, etc. It was really an outstanding day. Joan keeps her facility 100% gluten-free and it was obvious how careful she is in doing so. At one point, a family with a toddler walked into the facility. The child had a bag of Goldfish crackers and he was quickly asked to leave. To a non-Celiac, this might have seemed like a harsh move but to me and others who are 100% gluten-free this was a very necessary tactic. Cross-contamination is a no-no because to those who are extremely sensitive can have a reaction to the smallest gluten-free particles in the air.

After consuming more gluten-free bagels than any one should eat in one day (I think I had 4!) and seeing David, of Gluten-Free NYC, and other members of the NYC Celiac Disease Meetup Group, I left with some yummy gluten-free products. Of course, I bought bagels but I also brought home some English muffins as well. These are now my weekend treat and I have been rationing them out ever since the grand opening. Then again, I can always buy more at the Colin Leslie Walk for Celiac Disease next weekend!!!

Check out Joan's online at http://gfgreatbakes.com/