With an eye on the food allergy community as a unique group of consumers since 2008, we're on a quest to find and share ways to continue enjoying the good things in life.


23 June 2008

Buzz Around New England: A & J Bakery

A & J Bakery, owned by Amy and Joe Hitzemann, is a nut-free and peanut-free bakery located in Cranston, Rhode Island. It was featured in a March 5, 2008 article in the Cranston Herald. We visited A & J Bakery in early May, and left happily with cookies and a package of biscotti in hand. In addition to the novelty of actually visiting a peanut-free and nut-free bakery, we were also impressed by the cleanliness of the storefront. It was immaculate, and that made us feel even happier about our purchases.

The owners of A &J are very involved and easy to reach, which is yet another positive. Perhaps most important, the bakery's suppliers have all provided certification that the ingredients come from facilities which do not use peanuts or nuts at all. Only a small number of "nut-free" businesses can make that claim--kudos to A & J for taking that extra step!

""For many people, Hitzemann explained, a 'nut-free' label alone is not enough. Cross-contamination can occur on counter surfaces and mixing equipment and just a smear of peanut oil left on a baking sheet can have dire consequences for those with life-threatening nut allergies. In addition, if a bakery is not careful about where it buys its dry ingredients, it may end up inadvertently using materials contaminated with nut materials at the factory or packing plant. "Parents can feel safe bringing their child with any nut allergy here to the bakery," said Hitzemann. "We have verification from our vendors that supply us that the raw ingredients that we obtain from them are made in manufacturing plants where there are no nuts of any kind."" (Meri R. Kennedy, Cranston Herald, March 5, 2008)

A & J Bakery has an online store and its customers hail from all over the U.S. If you happen to live in the vicinity or are headed to Newport or another Rhode Island destination for a visit, you can stop by and pick up some goodies on the way! A & J Bakery is located at 1458 Park Avenue, Unit 5 in Cranston, RI. For more information, please visit their website, www.aandjbakery.net, telephone 866.426.9075 or send an email to info@aandjbakery.net or ajbakery@cox.net.

No comments: