Janet Féirín, Arán Foods Inc.

Wheat-free Bread Draws Cross-Border Customers

Thanks to an entrepreneur with a passion for baking, our daily bread gets a healthy makeover from an ancient source.

Janet Féirín has lived all her life with food allergies. Once upon a time she accepted that she would have live in a world where she ate rice cakes while others enjoyed steaming fresh bread. Then she discovered spelt.

Spelt is the ancient European "grandparent" of wheat commonly farmed in North America. Spelt has a nuttier in flavour, more nutrients, and is easy to grow organically. The best part of it is that spelt is often tolerated by people with gluten sensitivities.

Janet discovered that while spelt can be simply substituted for wheat flour, the recipes that she's adapted to spelt flour's unique properties yield the best results. After twelve years of creating recipes and baking for family and friends, she decided there was a real demand for her product. She applied to Women's Enterprise Centre for a loan, and opened Arán Foods spelt bakery.

"Before the bakery I did financial management for housing co-ops, non-profits and small businesses," says Janet. "Having a background in accounting is a huge asset to running a business." She also used the WEC as good source of information when it came to writing her business plan.

The toughest thing, she says, was operating a business with no working capital. But she loves what she does, and has worked hard to make her business a smashing success.

The bakery produces a wide variety of breads (including herb breads - great for stuffing), cakes, breakfast cookies, plus egg rolls and pre-made meals. Janet's primary market is wholesale. She sells to home delivery companies, grocers, markets, specialty stores and other bakeries. Two days a week she opens her doors and sells to the general public. Those who don't live at the lower mainland can purchase pre-packaged mixes to bake at home.

Janet is happy to share her expertise, and has published a cookbook: Basic Spelt - Contemporary Baking with an Ancient Grain so you can, as she puts it, "bake what you knead".

What does the future hold? The bakery is constantly expanding, and while Janet does have plans, she says "they often get revised." Whatever is in store, her track record shows she has every likelihood of making it work. Her advice for others is to "find something you love and do it."

Hard work, enthusiasm and a niche market - Janet has the recipe for success.

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