Pi Gluten-Free Expands Throughout NYC

I first blogged about Pi Gluten-Free back in March after meeting founder Andrea Sorkin through some mutual friends. Since March, Andrea and I have become good friends. We've gone for swanky drinks together, had marathon phone sessions, and she has even introduced me to another friend of hers from the gluten-free community and the three of us are hoping to have some intense brainstorming sessions (and probably gossip too) over the next few months. Andrea is so passionate about her company, but more importantly about her social mission to spread awareness about public health. I am excited to announce that Pi Gluten-Free has expanded their distribution in New York City. Below is part of their April newsletter announcing their new locations and news.

PI IS OUT AND ABOUTIn other news, Pi is now available in many more stores throughout the NYC area. PLEASE stop by when you’re in the neighborhood to give store buyers a great first impression of Pi. As of this week, Pi is available at the following locations: 

• Health Nuts @ 99th and Broadway in Manhattan (mini pies and quiche)
• Health Nuts @ 64th and 2nd Avenue in Manhattan (mini pies and quiche)
• Simply Natural @43rd and 10th Avenue in Manhattan (mini pies, quiche, and cupcakes)

Pi will also soon be coming to the infamous Perelandra Natural Foods store on Remsen Street in Brooklyn Heights. Please follow us on Facebook and Twitter for announcements. We’ll also be hosting demos at selected Health Nuts locations, Perelandra, and at G-Free NYC. So stay tuned! We’re very excited to have our products out on store shelves. 

Pi is also continuing to make appearances at the wonderful Foodshed Farmers Market, located at 388 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. We are scheduled to be there again on May 1st, and expect to be there every other week thereafter. During our weeks off, you can still stop by the market to get your fix of Pi. We won’t be there to greet you in person but our food will be. Just ask for a slice of Pi when you get there. And be sure to check out all of the other amazing local goodies the market has to offer! 

Would you like a cup of coffee with your Pi? Then stop by the Ecopolis Café on the corner of Smith and Warren Streets in Brooklyn for a gluten-free quiche or vegan cupcake, and choose from their incredible menu of organic coffee or tea to go with it. 

If you would like your local store to carry Pi, please print out a copy of our product request form and bring it into your store manager. The document can be downloaded directly from the where to buy page of our website: http://www.pi-glutenfree.com/shop/.

HOME DELIVERY UPDATEIn my last note to all of you, I promised that we would be rolling out home delivery to NYC and tri-state residents by the end of March. Thanks so much to those who signed up for this service! Sadly, this venture has been delayed. We conducted some test shipments during the month of March and weren’t satisfied with the results. We know that we could ship our products frozen, but as a gluten-free consumer myself I just love having a fresh Pi – I consider it a luxury. So we’re still working on a solution. We also recently learned that you CANNOT vacuum seal a fresh pie or quiche due to the risk of botulism. Buyer beware! And DO NOT try this technique at home! Hopefully, we’ll soon have a way to ship you fresh Pi without poisoning you or giving you crumbs rather than what you paid for. Thanks so much for your patience. In the meantime, please shop at some of the stores listed. We also accept advance orders for Pi that can be picked up at Foodshed, Ecopolis Cafe, or Peter’s Restaurant.

Happy Pi Day!

Today is 3.14 (March 14th) better known as Pi Day. Pi is the symbol for the ratio of the circumference of a circle to its diameter. What better way to celebrate Pi Day by eating gluten-free PIE!

A few weeks ago I met Andrea Sorkin, the founder and owner of Pi Gluten-Free, a NYC-based gluten-free baking company. I learned about Pi Gluten-Free from a gluten-eating friend that raved about a gluten-free products she had at a party in January. After emailing with Andrea for a few weeks to learn more about the company, I finally met up with her for dinner in NYC. Dinner with Andrea flew by; once we started talking we didn't stop for hours... literally. She is one of those people that I wanted to be friends with immediately! Her passion and drive to not only bake delicious gluten-free food but to also spread awareness about public health is apparent from the second you start talking to her. Pi Gluten-Free was launched after Andrea and her colleague decided to enter the Baruch College and Merrill Lynch Entrepreneurship competition together and they won! Pi Gluten-Free was "born" about six months later. In addition to launching her company, Andrea has produced an original documentary project to raise awareness of autoimmune and inflammatory diseases. Andrea's dedication to her company's mission comes from her own personal struggle with endometriosis and chronic fatigue/immune dysfunction syndrome. Andrea eats an entirely gluten-free diet to help with her autoimmune disorders which is another reason she started a gluten-free company.

I have only sampled two quiches and one knish from Pi, but they were all delicious. I especially liked the knish because it is very rare to find a potato knish that is gluten-free. (Go figure, especially since it is potato!) I am really excited to try additional products from Pi Gluten-Free including their sweet apple pies. Andrea and her team work tirelessly to get their products just right so they are always experimenting in the kitchen. Pi Gluten-Free does produce all of their products in a shared facility, but they spend many hours prior to production to ensure their kitchen space is safe to start making their gluten-free products. Andrea understands the issues with cross-contamination and although they do not have a 100% gluten-free facility yet, they would love to eventually bake all of their products in a completely safe environment.

I think Pi Gluten-Free is a company to watch in the next few months. With a strong social mission and an outstanding leader at the helm, I can almost guarantee Pi Gluten-Free will be a huge success in the months to come. Keep an eye on Pi, they have some exciting things in store for the gluten-free community!

Help celebrate Pi Day by visiting Pi Gluten-Free's website today!
http://www.pi-glutenfree.com
http://www.facebook.com/PiGlutenFree
http://twitter.com/#!/piglutenfree

Here is some more information about Pi Gluten-Free from their website and e-newsletter:

PI GLUTEN FREE "is a socially conscious, dedicated gluten-free kitchen that is revolutionizing the market. Too often this developing market is limited to unsavory substitutes for junk food. Pi’s focus on pies, which they define as anything that has an outer layer and a filling, allows them to offer a comprehensive menu of sweet and savory dishes. Their unique focus has the advantage of showcasing fillings that are naturally gluten-free, rather than featuring an empty shell."

Pi's mission is simple: Pi Gluten Free promotes public health by offering a comprehensive menu of foods that are suitable for people who avoid gluten--without sacrificing taste, quality, or convenience. Pi also fosters public health through partnerships with outreach organizations.

FOODSHED FARMERS' MARKET
Pi Gluten Free is now selling Pi at the Foodshed Farmers' Market, located at 388 Atlantic Avenue in Brooklyn. The market is within blocks of the Atlantic Pacific stop on the B, D, N, Q, R, 2, 3, 4, and 5 trains, and just a few blocks away from the C train at Hoyt and the F and G trains at Bergen Street. The market runs from 11am to 5pm. We had our debut on Sunday, February 20th and the response was unbelievable. Thanks so much for those who came out to show some support.  If you would like to order some products in advance, please drop us a line: info@pi-glutenfree.com. We accept orders until Tuesday.

HOME DELIVERY IS COMING!
Pi Gluten-Free is gearing up to begin home delivery service for NYC and tri-state area residents! Very soon, Pi will begin sending out test shipments to consumers in the area to help prepare for the launch of this service. They expect to be ready to accept orders by the end of the month. Stay tuned!! If you are interested in signing up for this service, please email Pi. Type, "HOME DELIVERY" into the subject line. They will add your contact information to their list and they'll notify you as soon as they're ready to go!

POTPIES ARE COMING
That's right! First it was dessert pies, then quiche, and then Pi brought out vegan knish and triple temptation cupcakes. But just when you thought it couldn't get any better, they decided to bring you vegetable and vegan potpies. And, no surprise, their potpies will feature seasonal and local, organic produce.

Happy Pi Day to Pi Gluten-Free!!