Hello, Eaters!

My mom has celiac disease, so it’s important for her to avoid gluten. And a lot of the time, it’s a rough deal. It’s hard to find bread, pastries and other baked goods that taste, look and feel like the original versions made with wheat.

That’s why I was excited to learn about Avenue Bakery on Fourth, an entirely gluten-free bakery in the Avenues, at 376 E. 4th Ave.

Avenue Bakery on Fourth is the combination of two businesses: Avenue Bakery, located in American Fork, and the gift shop Avenues on Fourth.

Bryan Peterson, who owns Avenue Bakery, was looking to expand his business and searching for a location accessible for his customers farther north.

Dena Kennedy, who owns Avenues on Fourth, just happened to have a business with a similar name, so the two decided to combine the two ventures and call it Avenue Bakery on Fourth.

Now, as of November, the gift shop in the Avenues is also a bakery.

When walking into Avenue Bakery on Fourth, the first thing you see is the display case, every shelf filled with gorgeous pastries. There’s also a refrigerated display with grab & go meals, soups and sandwiches.

And, like I said, it’s all gluten free, and you would never know that just by looking or even by tasting.

All of the food and baked items are made at Avenue Bakery, and Peterson said they bake all of their gluten-free items in a separate area, with separate tools and equipment, to avoid cross-contamination.

He said their gluten-free products taste and look just like the real thing thanks to their exclusive blends of flours (brown and white rice flours, tapioca starch, cornstarch, corn flour, potato starch, xanthan gum and other gluten-free ingredients).

Gluten-free items sold at both bakeries include muffin tops, cinnamon rolls, quick breads, brownies, cupcakes and other pastries.

New things will be coming to Avenue Bakery on Fourth. Peterson said he just got a gluten-free sourdough culture, so gluten-free sourdough will soon be available. The bakery will also be offering espresso and other coffee drinks within the next couple weeks, and a few new pastries are always in the works.

I couldn’t say no to some desserts and bread from Avenue Bakery on Fourth, even though I’m not gluten free. To read what I thought, visit the “Treats of the Week” section of this newsletter.

Live deliciously,

Kolbie