Best friends and business owners Heather Esposito and Allison Lubert opened Sweet Freedom this past January.

Let freedom ring for local celiacs and vegans as Philadelphia now has a successful bakery that caters to a myriad of food allergies, intolerances and dietary restrictions. This past January, friends Allison Lubert and Heather Esposito opened Sweet Freedom (1424 South Street, 215-545-1899), one of the country’s only vegan and gluten-, soy-, egg-, dairy- and refined sugar-free bakery, the first of its kind in Philadelphia.

Sweet Freedom was conceived as a destination for those struggling with dietary restrictions that typically prevent them from enjoying baked goods, but the bakery’s commitment to top-quality, all-natural ingredients makes it a hit among even those without allergies and intolerances. “Both Heather and I have struggled with our eating habits and with troubling food allergies,” said Lubert, “and we both found ourselves striving to prepare our favorite treats in ways that were both delicious and appropriate for our diets. It’s a challenge to omit animal products, soy, gluten and corn and still create flavorful, crave-able baked goods, but we love to rise to that challenge every day.”

Lubert is the owner of a private nutritional counseling practice, where she combines her deep understanding of nutrition with her several masters’ degrees in counseling and psychology. She is an avid cook and baker who was always looking to find new ways to satisfy her cravings while being mindful of her allergies to dairy and wheat. Esposito, a masters level counselor and chef, worked as a private chef, cooking instructor and nutritional counselor. In culinary school, she decided she wanted to open a gluten-free bakery.

Let Freedom Ring!

In May 2009, the two connected via family friends and decided to move forward with the concept of opening Sweet Freedom. Nine months later, they launched the bakery. “Within ten days of opening this winter, we received an email from (actress) Alicia Silverstone’s assistant who was interested in trying our product line. She is a vegan and was working on a play on Broadway. That was really exciting for us-so I jumped in the car and drove up to New York to drop off samples. The business has been great and really taken off,” said Esposito.

According to the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness and their website, celiaccentral.org, Celiac disease is an autoimmune digestive disease that damages the villi of the small intestine and interferes with absorption of nutrients from food. What does this mean? Essentially the body is attacking itself every time a person with celiac consumes gluten. Celiac disease is triggered by consumption of the protein called gluten, which is found in wheat, barley and rye.

Birthday cakes and wedding cakes are part of a growing area of the dual’s booming bakery business-customer favorites include a chocolate chip cookie sandwich and a banana chocolate chip loaf. A local bride recently enthused on Sweet Freedom’s Facebook fan page—that boasts over 2,000 followers-about her gluten-free wedding cake: “Thanks for the awesome wedding cake!! It was a huge success! Not only were our vegan friends and our super allergic nephew extremely happy, but all the “normal” people loved it too.”

Sweet Freedom relies heavily on coconut milk, in lieu of dairy, and coconut sugar, in addition to agave nectar and pure maple syrup, for sweetening.

Sweet Freedom offers a host of tasty sweet treats, personally tested, prepared and baked by both Lubert and Esposito. The menu includes an assortment of cupcakes, muffins, cookies, brownies, loafs, cakes and pies. And, besides serving the Philadelphia region, they can ship their baked goods nationwide.

Sweet Freedom relies heavily on coconut milk, in lieu of dairy, and coconut sugar, in addition to agave nectar and pure maple syrup, for sweetening. Flours vary from brown and white rice flour to those manufactured from sorghum, garbanzo beans and even fava beans. All products are peanut-free, as well, and no corn products are used. “We really want Sweet Freedom Bakery to be a safe haven for people who suffer from celiac disease, people who suffer from food allergies or intolerances, or people who follow a vegan lifestyle. We are excited to be catering to a bunch of different populations and we believe in the nutritional quality of what we are offering,” enthused Lubert.

According to celiaccentral.org, the gluten-free marketplace is expected to reach $1.7 billion in 2010 thanks to new vendors manufacturing better tasting and more affordable products.

CELIAC DISEASE FACTS AND FIGURES COURTESY OF THE NATIONAL FOUNDATION FOR CELIAC AWARENESS (NFCA)

• One in 133 Americans has celiac disease.
• Three million Americans across all races, ages and genders suffer from celiac
• 95% of celiacs are undiagnosed or misdiagnosed with other conditions.
• 10 years is the average time a person waits to be correctly diagnosed.
• A 100% gluten-free diet is the only existing treatment for celiac today.
• 500,000 new celiac diagnoses are expected to occur in the next 5 years thanks to efforts to raise public awareness of celiac disease.
• The gluten-free marketplace is expected to reach $1.7 billion in 2010 thanks to new vendors manufacturing better tasting and more affordable products.

Sweet Freedom is open from 10 a.m. until 7 p.m. Tuesday through Saturday and on Sundays from 10 a.m. until 4 p.m. For more information about Sweet Freedom, or to place an order, please visit www.sweetfreedombakery.com, email: sweetfreedombakery@gmail.com or call (215) 545-1899.
Join Sweet Freedom on Facebook and on Twitter: sfbakery

The area’s top culinary talent will be on hand at the Wachovia Center for Appetite for Awareness on September 30th.

You’ve probably heard the term ‘gluten-free’ by now, or, most likely know someone who is not able to include gluten in their daily diet. Celiac disease, which is an autoimmune disorder that involves intolerance for the protein found in wheat (known as gluten), affects 1 in 133 Americans. And through their annual event, an Ambler-based nonprofit is working to make Philadelphia one of the top cities in America dedicated to raising awareness and education about celiac disease.

Tonight, September 30th, the National Foundation for Celiac Awareness will hold its annual Appetite for Awareness: A Gluten-Free Cooking Spree. Top chefs and doctors will be assembled into teams at the Wachovia Center in a challenge to create the best gluten-free dish. Guests will enjoy sampling gluten-free creations from over twenty-five of the area’s preeminent restaurants, gluten-free beer, wine, and products from over fifty of the nation’s finest gluten-free vendors.

Now in its sixth year, Appetite for Awareness is the largest and most innovative educational program dedicated to the topic of celiac disease. Comcast Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider, who is a member of the NFCA Board of Directors, generously donated the use of the Wachovia Center for the event last year. Alice Bast, a celiac herself and the Executive Director and founder of NFCA, met with Snider six years ago after a personal connection led her to find out he had been hospitalized and diagnosed with celiac disease. “Ed saw the passion and energy we had with NFCA; he saw that the NIH had given us a grant. That is how the relationship started and we were off and running-we brought Jefferson and CHOP right on board with the organization. I promised Ed that we were going to change the face of this disease nationwide-right here in Philadelphia,” explained Bast.

Spearheaded by Comcast Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider, pictured center, Philadelphia’s top medical professionals and premier chefs will unite to increase awareness of celiac disease and the gluten-free lifestyle.

Last year, NFCA anticipated that they would have about 750 attendees for their first Appetite at The Wachovia Center. Over 1500 attendees enjoyed the event. Bast emphasized that Appetite is a night for foodies across the Philadelphia region to appreciate that learning about celiac disease, a serious medical and sometimes life-threatening condition, can be an enlightening experience. “We always joke with the event and say Appetite answers one of the country’s most pressing questions ‘Who has bigger egos, the chefs or the doctors?’ It always makes people stop in their tracks and think-of course we are joking! This is one competitive atmosphere. Tapping into competition is our strategy for spreading the word and making our lives better, creating collaborations, developing new relationships and educating Philadelphia and the country that we can live and thrive with celiac disease. For the chefs, they get to cook and experiment with gluten-free grains that they maybe never considered using before in their repertoire. We want everyone to walk away from the night knowing gluten-free can be delicious!”

Cooking challenges are part of the festive atmosphere expected to draw 3,000 attendees.

In conjunction with Appetite for Awareness, all participating restaurants receive training in gluten-free kitchen protocol through NFCA’s Gluten-Free Resource Education Awareness Training (GREAT) program. Philadelphia’s fabulous restaurants participating include Vetri, Osteria, Distrito, Chifa, and Little Fish. Christina Pirello, Emmy Award-winning host of the national public television series ‘Christina Cooks’, will emcee the event.

Chef Marshall Green of Café Estelle, in South Philly, is one dozens of local restaurants who will be participating this year. At Appetite for Awareness, Green will be serving a delicious potato latke bound with rice flour, a crispy potato pancake, complimented by a sliced brisket and accented with a dollop apple sauce in honor of the upcoming Hanukkah season. His current menu at Café Estelle has numerous gluten-free options for his customers. “When you are serving the public you have to take into account everyone’s different tastes, needs and dietary restrictions. We do all of our baking here in house at Café Estelle, so we are very cognizant of what our ingredients are in our dishes. Besides customers with celiac disease, we cater to any specific allergy or restriction. It’s really not difficult as a restaurant if you are using the highest quality ingredients and, as a chef, you are educated about the importance of truly serving a gluten-free menu item,” explained Green.

Due to the efforts of the NFCA, Philadelphia is now the first recognized gluten-free, celiac friendly city in the U.S.

Appetite for Awareness 2009: Wachovia Center Sept. 30th

WHEN: Wednesday, September 30th 2009, 7:00pm. – 9:30pm, VIP reception from 5:30pm-7:00pm.

WHERE: The Wachovia Center, 3601 Broad Street, Philadelphia.

WHY: Appetite for Awareness is one of the leading educational events dedicated to celiac disease. By uniting foodservice and healthcare professionals, this innovative event integrates the medical and lifestyle aspects of the disease and increases understanding of the autoimmunedisorder among these critical populations. Together, the participating doctors and chefs will expand Philadelphia’s Gluten-Free Neighborhood, first in the US, while serving as exemplary models for promoting awareness of celiac and the health of those who suffer nationwide.

HOW: Register online at www.celiaccentral.org. Admission fees are $250 VIP reception, $75 Early Bird Registration ($100 General Admission after September 1st), and $35 for students (with valid ID).

HONOREE: The NFCA will be honoring John Binswanger and his family for their leadership and support in building NFCA over the last five years.

BACKGROUND: The National Foundation for Celiac Awareness (NFCA) is a non- profit organization dedicated to raising awareness and funding for celiac disease that will advance research, education and screening amongst medical professionals, children and adults. Visit celiaccentral.org for more information.