We Do Want to be Open and Baking

I some days cannot believe we are still not open. It is hard for bakers to not bake. I applied for State certification as soon as our ovens were in. Big mistake on my part. While I was told that the certification process in NYS is approximately two weeks, we are on week seven and I am stymied. I had not idea the bakery would be closed for six months for the remodel and certification.

What do Bakers During Downtime?

Bakers got to bake. We are happily baking. Working on pound cake, perfecting our bread to sell giant loaves of soft bread. Our days are spent making sugar cookies, dairy-free frosting recipes, and pizza dough. This week we are going to perfect our danish a little more.

It has been very hard to handle this kind of delay. The good news is that the new space is amazing and big and our ovens are happy and cook evenly and this part of life is amazing. A space works well when you get to design it yourself.

Plans are a big part of what makes this all fun. Planning the day of the week where we will definitely have enough left after our orders for drop-ins. Yes, when we open as a home bakery, we will finally be able to allow people in for our pickups and to see what we have on our shelves.

What Plans You Ask

The bakery is beginning to take wholesale orders for bakeries and restaurants. This means we will always have a natural overflow of products that will be here and available.

Our plan includes days of the week when we will have fresh products made for anyone who wants them. We will have specific baked goods made each day. Muffin Mondays, Brownie Tuesdays, Fresh Bread Fridays. Get the picture?

So, while change is hard, change is also very food as it includes progress. In the old space, we had never had the room to allow people to come in. Our new space can now accommodate some drop-in guests. We have a great big side parking lot (entrance on Glen Street) with handicapped access and loads of parking. In addition, we have a back parking lot which allows trucks to deliver all our wonderful ingredients.

Life is Good!

As much as purchasing a property and remodeling it was hell on wheels in this time of the pandemic, life really is good. This part of town we find ourselves in (Sanford and Glen) is absolutely lovely. I don’t think we expected to fall so in love with Glens Falls, but we did.

Divinely Gluten Free started somewhere else and it lead us to Glens Falls. A town placed strategically between Saratoga and Lake George. Absolutely perfect to supply two vacation destinations. It was clear it would be perfect for this kind of business. I have been told repeatedly that Glens Falls needs a dedicated gluten-free shop.

Is There a Downside

Only one downside in this whole shift. It was not possible to get zoning for a commercial kitchen. the building is zoned Commercial Professional and got approval to live in the residence side of the building. We are now seeking certification as a home bakery.

It too means lots of changes. Well, maybe a few changes.

What Exactly is a Home Bakery?

Oh my, what a great question! It means everything has to be shelf-stable. No more banana bread! Our loaves of bread can no longer include fruits or veg. In addition, no more ham, cheese, and scallion scones. No meats or cheeses in the bread. It also means no dairy in our frosting or glazes.

The good news? Of course, I have good news! All our cakes are now dairy-free as a standard. Did I mention the team is working on new frostings! Yes.

As a home bakery, we have a few rules to follow. Easy Peasy. Our last obstacle to being open is simply NYS certification as a home bakery. The hope is that the certification will arrive swiftly. In the meantime we have found workarounds for almost every item we offered before and we are working on more new recipes each and every day.

Thank You So Much Glens Falls!

It is easy to say life is good when you live in the city of Glens Falls and you feel welcomed by the residents. We cannot wait to serve the community fully and to share our gluten-free products and be able to promise there will never be cross-contamination with anything we make.

A big thanks to all the members of the City of Glens Falls that made our transition easier, from the planning board to the permit department to all the lovely contractors who made our lives better with their work. Big Shout out to Loren Sullivan at Vintage Village Craftsman, who helped us out of every jam we encountered, and to Jack Hall, who although is kind of retired, helped us each step of the way, from getting the plumbing into the kitchen no matter how hard it was, and for making the radiator system quiet and warm.

Last, but not least, Tammy Sutphin was integral to so much of what happened here. As a realtor, I could not ask for anyone better. She jumped in when needed, got us connected to everyone we needed to get things moving when we were stuck. The most beautiful part, was she was the sellers’ realtor! What an amazing ally to have in Glens Falls.

Thank you Glens Falls for the warm welcome to the neighborhood. We can truly say we love you!

Resources:

Realtor Tammy Sutphin
Jack Hall Plumbing and Heating
Vintage Village Craftsman – Loren Sullivan (Sully)