McBrides SPAR has launched an exciting new gluten-free bakery range, available exclusively at their Scaffog store in Enniskillen. The range, which officially started on Monday 15th September, is already proving a hit with customers. To find out more, we spoke to Michelle Cullen, Area Manager at McBrides SPAR, who gave us the full lowdown on the freshly baked initiative.
Freshly Baked In-Store Daily
The gluten-free range currently includes 10 freshly baked products, made daily in-store by a baker who herself is coeliac. This personal connection to the gluten-free community is something Michelle says makes the offering even more meaningful:
“All products are baked fresh in-store daily by our baker who is Coeliac herself, so she understands how hard it is to find gluten-free products that are both fresh and taste good, especially in our local area.”
Big Demand, Bigger Plans
Although the range started small, customer demand has been overwhelming.
“We’ve been blown away by the demand. It’s been difficult to keep it on the shelves – but that’s a great problem to have,” Michelle added.
With such a strong response, McBrides SPAR already has plans to expand the range. While there are no immediate plans to roll it out to other stores, Michelle did mention their Omagh store on Hospital Road also stocks a popular gluten-free selection from their freezer section, which is similarly hard to keep in stock due to high demand.
Why Gluten-Free?
The range isn’t just for those with coeliac disease. Michelle highlighted the broader interest in gluten-free diets:
“Gluten-free diets have so many proven benefits – reducing inflammation and bloating, helping digestion, and providing more energy. Even people who aren’t coeliac still pursue this diet for those reasons.”
The store is also welcoming feedback from customers and would love to hear suggestions for products people would like to see in future.
Our View:
It’s brilliant to see more gluten-free options being made available in the Enniskillen area, particularly ones that are baked fresh daily and made by someone who truly understands the dietary needs of coeliac and gluten-intolerant individuals.
Anyone living with gluten intolerance knows how cautious you need to be when buying food, and having a trusted local source can make a big difference. Gluten-free food has also seen a sharp rise in cost over the last few years, so for a local retailer to invest in this range shows they’re genuinely listening to their customers.
We wish McBrides SPAR every success with this initiative and encourage our readers to support local and give this delicious new range a try.
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