PINELLAS COUNTY, Fla. — From cupcakes to cookies to donuts, there is a company in Tampa Bay that has the look, smell and taste of a traditional bakery, but there is one major factor that sets them apart. Every single item they sell is allergen-free.
Every team member at Halelife Bakery either lives with food allergies or has a loved one who does.
“We’re actually in competition of who has the most food allergies,” said owner Laura McCutcheon.
McCutcheon originally started Halelife with her son as a test kitchen to help people with food allergies develop healthy, tasty alternatives.
“As people continued to come through, they told us that we should start a bakery and I was like, ‘well, that’s great, but I’m not a baker,’” said McCutcheon.
That’s when chef Jackie Miller raised her hand. Like Laura, she knows the challenges all too well. They are both diagnosed with Celiac Disease.
“I was struggling with food restrictions or trying to figure out what was going on with me for a very long time since high school,” said Miller.
So together, Laura and Jackie embraced a life-changing business for them as well as their customers.
“We understand that emotional journey and that struggle where you just want to feel normal, so that’s really our passion, to provide those things to people that they never think they are going to be able to eat again,” said McCutcheon.
Gluten-free, peanut-free, soy-free, the list goes on and on.
“We vet everything down to the manufacturer to make sure that it is 100% safe for our customers,” said Miller.
Halelife has now grown into four storefronts and soon a bistro set to open this spring in St. Pete. They say continuing to gain and keep their customer's trust will always be the number one priority.
“It’s been really tough, but I feel like more and more people are realizing this is an issue and they are opening up places to help us, so I’m very grateful for that,” said one customer.
For more information on Halelife, click here.
