by Dustin Skelley, Prepared Foods Category Manager
May is Celiac Awareness Month. To raise awareness and celebrate, Willy Street Co-op and The Naked Baker decided to work together to put their delicious gluten-free multipack cookies on sale for a dollar off the first two weeks in May! Even if you don’t have issues with gluten, Susan’s cookies are a delicious treat for all diets. If you suffer from a gluten intolerance or allergy, and you have not tried their cookies, get some in May and taste for yourself how decadent they really are. Recently I sat down and asked Susan some questions about her bakery.
What’s the story behind your name?
We like to say that our products are "naked" of all the bad stuff. Our products are clean-label, non-GMO, free of preservatives, artificial colors and flavors. To us, the word "naked" means clean and that is what we are all about.
Why did you decide to open a gluten-free bakery?
I saw that there was a lack of fresh, gluten-free desserts available in grocery stores, specifically in the fresh bakery department so decided it was time to change that. Gluten-free consumers are missing out on not being able to enjoy fresh bakery. They don’t want to be limited to desserts that come in a box and last for six months or are frozen in the freezer aisle. The Naked Baker has created a product that is different. It tastes fresh baked and soft, just like something you would get at a bakery. We want to give the gluten-free consumer a new and fresh option to satisfy their dessert craving.
Where is your bakery located?
New Berlin, Wisconsin (just west of Milwaukee).
I always enjoy the seasonal products that you have. How often do you change out your seasonal flavors? What varieties do you highlight and when?
In March we bring out our lemon poppyseed cookie. Lemon is fresh like spring and we think that is the perfect time for that flavor. That flavor sticks around throughout summer and once September rolls around, we bring out our Pumpkin Chocolate Chip which is on-shelf until the holiday season. Thanksgiving ushers in our holiday flavors: Eggnog Snickerdoodle, Gingerbread Spice, and Chocolate Peppermint Fudge.
What’s your favorite seasonal cookie?
That's a tough one! I think that everyone loves when pumpkin makes its appearance in the fall. I think the warmly-spiced pumpkin makes a great combination with the bittersweet chocolate chips in our pumpkin chocolate chip cookie. At Christmas I love a good, soft and chewy gingerbread cookie so I am always excited to see that return (not to mention how good our production space smells when they are baking in our ovens!).
You use a lot of quality ingredients in your cookies. Is there any ingredient that you’re particularly proud of or has a good story behind it?
I am proud that we are able to source ingredients that are clean-label and more natural than many of our competitors use. I am very happy that we are able to source purity protocol oats. Many of our gluten-free consumers had questions about the oats we use. Through listening to them and hearing their concerns, we were able to switch 100% to purity protocol in order to meet their demands. I think that says a lot about our commitment to giving our consumers what they really want in a product.
COVID-19 has been really hard on a lot of small businesses, how has the pandemic impacted The Naked Baker?
COVID forced us to look at how we were reaching our consumer. Since many people shifted the way they shopped for groceries, we had to develop a more robust omni-channel strategy and increase our online presence. We redeveloped our website and have learned a lot about how to reach our consumers outside of a brick and mortar grocery store. Additionally, we found that many grocery stores were not adding new products to their line-up during the pandemic so our growth strategy had to be adjusted. Luckily we are seeing that this is slowly changing and returning to a more normal, pre-pandemic state. We are excited about growing our footprint into more co-ops and natural food stores in 2021. We love working with the co-ops and natural food stores as everyone there understands our products and supports our brand so well.
Where do you see The Naked Baker in the future?
Since we have invested significantly in developing a diversified sales channel during the pandemic, my goal is two-fold. I would like to see The Naked Baker grow into the #1 online direct-to-consumer gluten-free brand. And, continuing on the pre-pandemic track, I would like to expand into co-ops and natural food stores first across the midwest region, then expand across the country. I also would like to add new and exciting flavors and additional gluten-free products to our lineup. I think there is a need for more gluten-free products in the market. I want to give our consumers products that are different and exciting to eat, but most of all, I want to give them products that they truly love. After all, The Naked Baker brand is all about bringing joy and happiness into every bite.