Meet Brittany Fenstermaker | Baker

We had the good fortune of connecting with Brittany Fenstermaker and we’ve shared our conversation below.

Hi Brittany, we’d love for you to start things off by telling us something about your industry that we and others not in the industry might be unaware of?
Making gluten free, celiac safe baked goods is more than just not using wheat flour. Gluten is a protein found in wheat, barley, and rye. Many brands of oats also contain gluten. Besides the obvious sources of gluten, it can be “hidden” in spices, seasonings, artificial flavors, and things that should otherwise be naturally gluten free. While wheat is a top nine allergen and needs to be declared in all food products per the FDA, gluten does not. This can make things a bit trickier. Wheat free does not always mean gluten free and even gluten free doesn’t always mean gluten free. There is a lot of diligence on our part to seek out ingredients and brands that are reliable with their gluten free claims. Since cross contact with gluten is such an important factor for celiac disease – even safe food that touches gluten can cause illness – it also means that our countertop cleaning products and anything we use in the kitchen (and building) is also gluten free. At The Silly Yak, we take cross contact and reliable ingredients very seriously, always erring on the side of caution and selecting the most conservative of options for our products. The diligence and care that goes into gluten free baking is something often overlooked by the general population.

What should our readers know about your business?
The Silly Yak is a dedicated gluten free, celiac safe cottage bakery. Gluten free desserts are often labeled as tasting like “cardboard” and we pride ourselves for not fitting that narrative. We have had countless “gluten eaters” try our baked goods and rave at how delicious they taste. Many have said they were the best treats they have ever had, gluten or otherwise. People who have celiac disease deserve to have good desserts, too, so our test market is individuals who wouldn’t normally eat gluten free. If it passes their taste test, we know we have something amazing to offer our customers! Some of our biggest challenges are the misunderstandings and misinformation surrounding celiac disease. We encounter many well meaning individuals who don’t necessarily understand what it means to be gluten free. It’s often mistaken for a fad or “healthy” diet, when the reasons we adhere to these restrictions has nothing to do with that. For The Silly Yak, advocacy and education is just as important as our baked goods, and making the world a safer place for individuals with food restrictions through presenting accurate information is our “bigger picture.”

Let’s say your best friend was visiting the area and you wanted to show them the best time ever. Where would you take them? Give us a little itinerary – say it was a week long trip, where would you eat, drink, visit, hang out, etc.
We are so fortunate to have the beautiful Mill Creek Park in Youngstown! I would definitely pack a sack lunch and take them to enjoy hiking the trails and taking paddleboats out on Lake Newport. One day, we would go to Ellsworth Berry Farm and pick fresh blueberries or raspberries to bring home and make fresh jam and baked goods! And of course, if they were visiting over Labor Day, we would stop by the Canfield Fair. From a gluten free dining standpoint, there aren’t many places with which our family feels comfortable eating, so we would likely grill out at home or pack food to take on picnics.

The Shoutout series is all about recognizing that our success and where we are in life is at least somewhat thanks to the efforts, support, mentorship, love and encouragement of others. So is there someone that you want to dedicate your shoutout to?
My daughter, Norah, is the whole reason The Silly Yak exists. Celiac disease was her third autoimmune diagnosis at six years old. This followed a diagnosis of type one diabetes at 9 months old and hashimotos at 4 years old. When celiac disease severely restricted the things she could eat, we made the decision to convert our whole household to gluten free so she would have a place where she knew she could eat anything and stay safe. We didn’t want her to have to worry about cross contact or accidentally eating gluten laden snacks. I also promised her I would make it my life’s mission to make all of her favorite pre-diagnosis foods as delicious (or even more delicious) in a gluten free version. After converting many recipes and experimenting (and sometimes failing) with new flours and ingredients, it became evident that we needed to share these treats with anyone and everyone. With Norah’s enthusiastic encouragement, The Silly Yak was born.

Website: www.thesillyyakus.com

Facebook: @thesillyyakus