Be. Gluten Free, Medicine Hat's first speciality gluten-free and dietary conscious market, is now open.--NEWS PHOTO KENDALL KING
kking@medicinehatnews.com
In the two weeks since its grand opening Be. Gluten Free, Medicine Hat’s first market dedicated to gluten-free and dietary conscious foods, has received positive feedback from Hatters.
“We’ve had a really positive response,” Be. Gluten Free founder and owner, Cheryl ‘Sam’ Griffin, told the News. “We have had people come in from (as far as) Winnipeg and Calgary.”
Griffin and her family are proud to offer individuals with gluten-intolerance, gluten-sensitivities and/or other dietary restrictions a local one-stop shop for food and health products.
“It began because my one daughter is Celiac and myself and my other daughter found out we have gluten-sensitivities (as well as) other food sensitivities,” Griffin said, while explaining the motivation behind opening Be. Gluten Free.
“We just hit a point where it was really frustrating to go out and try to find food. You’d find something somewhere and the next week it wouldn’t be carried anymore,” said Griffin. “My girls and I would actually travel to Calgary. We’d go up and do the rounds of the stores we knew were there. It’s time consuming. So we just felt like we wanted to provide something more for people.”
Griffin believes specialty stores like Be. Gluten Free are needed in Medicine Hat, despite the city having a smaller population than some urban centres.
“One per cent of the population (of Canada) is Celiac, so there are a lot of people out there who are unable to have gluten, and because it is a disease, it can cause a lot of harm if people end up ingesting gluten,” she said.
“When we found out about (dietary restrictions), it was very daunting. You just kind of feel like you’re in a tailspin and so, I just wanted to be able to help alleviate that for people and let them know we are here to support and walk them through that process.”
Be. Gluten Free stocks a variety of products – all of which are gluten free. They also carry select plant-based, Keto, sugar-free and grain-free products.
Still in the store’s first month of operation, Griffin is working to expand product inventory and hopes to one day introduce fresh, gluten-free baked goods.
For now, she simply hopes Hatters will stop in, both those looking to purchase gluten-free and dietary-conscious foods and those who’ve chosen to make dietary changes.
“Everyone is welcome,” said Griffin.
Be. Gluten Free is located at 3 – 939 Kingsway Ave. and is open from 9 a.m. to 7 p.m. Monday to Friday, 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Saturday and 10 a.m. to 3 p.m. Sunday.
