Aidan Brunn is a co-owner, along with his wife, Jen laughlin, of Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet, a 100% dedicated gluten-free production kitchen in Martins Point, Nova Scotia.  Aidan gew up on a farm in Northwestern Ontario, and has always eaten fresh, homemade food in tune with the seasons.  He worked in the food industry through university, and as he travelled the world.  And when he was diagnosed with Celiac disease a few years ago, he discovered that healthful, easy, gluten-free , on-the-go options were few and far between,  So when he and Jen were looking to start a business, they decided to bring their passion for fresh , local food to bear, and Schoolhouse Gluten-Free was bon.  Aidan loves kayaking, gardening cooking, great music, and the natural beauty of Nova Scotia's south shore, which he's proud to call home.

Jen Laughlin is a co-owner, along with her hsuband, Aidan Brunn of Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet, a 100% dedicated gluten-free production kitchen in Martins Point, Nova Scotia.  When Aidan was diagnosed with Celiac Disease, Jen stepped up to support  him, adopting a gluten-free diet herself, and strengthening her passion for the local fresh food movement.  When a fruitless search for healthful, fresh, gluten-free on-the-go options coincided with the couple's desire to start a business, Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet was born.  Jen loves a good book, strong coffee in the morning, gardening, cooking, and the natural beauty of Nova Scotia's south shore, which she's proud to call home.

Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet offers Nova Scotians a chance to discover that feeling great has never tasted better!

MARTIN'S POINT, NS: As increasing numbers of Nova Scotians adopt a gluten-free diet, Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet is delighted to create delicious and nourishing on-the-go foods for people who are sensitive to what goes into their bodies. Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet makes its artisanal products by hand, in small batches, in a dedicated, one hundred percent gluten-free and allergen-friendly kitchen in Lunenburg County, Nova Scotia.

Aidan Brunn and Jennifer Laughlin run the business from their old converted schoolhouse in Martin's Point. They began cooking up the business after Aidan was diagnosed with Celiac Disease. They were living on the south shore of Nova Scotia and commuting into the city for endless hospital appointments and assessments. "And there was just nothing to eat," Jennifer says. "It was impossible to find gluten-free products that were both nutritious and delicious on-the-go. Plus, we couldn't trust that there weren't trace amounts of gluten in what we were buying. And even trace amounts are enough to trigger Aidan's painful symptoms. So I would drop him off at the hospital, buy whole foods at the grocery store, borrow a friend's kitchen to prepare something Aidan could eat, and take it back to him at the hospital. It was a really taxing part of what was already a difficult situation. We thought, there has to be a better way."

That better way turned out to be their own gluten-free business. "We knew we wanted to live on the south shore," Aidan says. "We love it here. And we knew employment might be hard to come by. So we were open to the idea of becoming entrepreneurs. And once we started developing recipes for our own table, and the feedback from friends and family was uniformly enthusiastic, we knew we were on to something!"

Before long, Jennifer and Aidan were test-marketing their ideas at the Halifax and Lunenburg Farmers' Markets, as well as at the Victoria General's Partners for Care Market under the name Gluten-Free Goodies.

"At the time, it accurately described what we were offering: brownie bites, dark chocolate cranberry cookies, east coast crisps and granola, all gluten-free, and made by hand," Aidan explains. "Before long we were fielding customer requests for bread, stuffing, pumpkin pies and we added all that and more to our product line." But with the initial test-marketing complete, and an eye on the future, Jennifer and Aidan chose the name Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet to represent the company.

"We've always been foodies," Jennifer says. "Aidan is an incredible cook. And our goal has always been to create delicious, nutritious on-the-go foods for sensitive gourmets. We're looking forward to the fall, when we'll be able to offer prepared meals to take home, in addition to our current line of baked goods and indulgences."

Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet uses ethically-sourced, allergen-free ingredients in all its products. Where possible, ingredients are organic, and sourced from local producers. Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet believes in local economies, and fresh whole, natural food made without preservatives or chemicals. Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet is proud to be a vendor at the Halifax and Lunenburg Farmers' Markets and at the Victoria General Hospital's Partners for Care Friday Market. Additionally, Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet products are available at local retailers and cafes, including Pete's Frootique, Planet Organic, Perks, Julien's, Humani-T Cafe, Ma Belles Cafe, Mariposa Natural Food Market, Chester Organics, Appleberry Market and South Shore Natural Foods. Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet works hard to keep its prices reasonable, believing that you shouldn't have to pay through the nose for what you put in your mouth. Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet believes everyone deserves access to healthful, appropriate food. With Schoolhouse Gluten-free Gourmet feeling great has never tasted better!

ABOUT CELIAC DISEASE
Celiac Disease is an inherited autoimmune disorder.  The symptoms are triggered by "gluten", the name given to certain protein in wheat (including spelt and kamut), barley, rye and triticale (a cross between wheat and rye).  In celiac disease, the body's immune system responds abnormally to gluten resulting in inflammation and damage to the lining of the small intestine and reduced absorption of iron, calcium, vitamins A,D,E,K and folate.
Common symptoms are anemia, chronic diarrhea, weight loss, fatigue, cramps, bloating and irritability.
Celiac disease is now recognized as one of the most common chronic diseases in the world.  It is estimated that it affects as many as 1 in every 100-200 people in North America.
The only current treatment for celiac disease and its skin form, dermatitis herpetiformis is maintaining a gluten-free diet for life.  Complete avoidance of gluten enables the intestine to heal and the nutritional deficiencies and other symptoms to resolve.

ABOUT FOOD ALLERGIES, INTOLERANCES AND SENSITIVITIES

According to Health Canada, A food sensitivity is an adverse reaction to food that other people can safely eat and includes food allergies, food intolerances, and chemical sensitivities.  Food allergies are sensitivities caused by a reaction of the body’s immune system to specific proteins in food.  Current estimates are that food allergies affect 3-4% of adults and in children, the incidence is somewhat higher at approximately 5-8%.  Unfortunately, there is no reliable data to confirm the percentage of the population that is susceptible to food allergies.

Health Canada and the Canadian Food Inspection Agency (CFIA) have identified the 11 most common food products that are responsible for about 90% of the most severe, adverse food reactions among the Canadian population.  They are peanuts, tree nuts, soy, milk, eggs, fish, crustacea and shellfish, sesame seeds, sulphites, mustard seeds and wheat.  Currently, Health Canada has proposed new food allergen labelling requirements to enhance the labelling of food allergens, gluten sources and added sulphites. Schoolhouse Gluten-free Gourmet is proud to offer products that are completely and reliably free of 8 of the most common food allergens: peanuts, soy, mustard seeds, wheat, sesame seeds, sulphites (food additives), fish, crustacea and shellfish. Additionally, many of our products are or can be made without eggs and dairy.
 

Media inquiries welcome! info@schoolhouseglutenfreegourmet.com 

Phone: (902) 448-0454

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