Why has it taken me this long to find this lovely bakery!!!!

I was googling a gluten-free place to eat or buy some gluten-free, celiac safe products nearby during a shopping trip in Calgary and came across this bakery. It is a bit out of the way located in a commercial area of Calgary near the Chinook Centre. (Bay 4, 417 – 53 Avenue, SE Calgary, Alberta) but I finally found it.

Now, when I first walked in, I was a bit confused - an empty display case and storage area for bakery items etcetera on the side area greeted me. I didn’t know if it was open to the public or commercial only, but my initial fears of being in the wrong place were quickly put to rest. The owner Mandy Chin is a friendly, gregarious woman who knows a lot about the celiac diet requirements. I found her easy to talk with and very knowledgeable. She told me that they have been in business for 14 years. My usual questions and concerns regarding ingredients and possible cross-contamination were put to rest. This is a dedicated gluten-free bakery.

The reason nothing is in the display case is because the food has no preservatives so it is all frozen and out of view in a couple of freezers at the front. While I was there a couple of other regulars came in and bought items. I bought the Quinoa Raison Bread and a small Chicken Pot Pie to try and Ms. Chin gave me an Orange Chocolate Muffin to try for free.

Orange Chocolate Muffin – I let the muffin thaw in the fridge and then as per instruction label, I heated the unfrozen muffin in the microwave for about 30 seconds. OMG! Delicious. Tastes great. Very moist and chocolatey with a hint of orange flavor. I could have eaten the whole thing, but at 430 calories per muffin I needed to show some restraint. I would buy this again. I really don’t think non-celiacs would be able to tell that this was a gluten-free muffin.

I bought a small one to try. It tasted quite good but I wasn't a big fan of the crust. There was too much of it for my taste. I will try another one, I think a large one as the filling to crust ratio would be better.

Quinoa Raisin Bread – As instructed by the owner I let the bread thaw slightly and loosened up the slices and refroze it so I could take one slice out at a time. Has a nice distribution of raisons in each slice. I toasted it and it was good. Not overly sweet and a slight nutty flavour from the quinoa I think. A bit on the heavy side but I would buy it again.

There are so many gluten-free items to choose from. I look forward to my next visit to try some more of them out. They even deliver! There are delivery charges depending on where - Canmore is $40.00. Do visit their website www.earthsoven.com/ and check it out. They make speciality items for the holidays such a pumpkin pie.