Tompkins Weekly

Newest addition to local bakery scene is a ‘No Grainer’



By Eric Banford
Tompkins Weekly

ITHACA – Ithaca is blessed with a plethora of delectable destinations, from coffee shops to ice cream parlors, from chocolate boutiques to specialty cafes. The latest addition is called “Ithaca No Grainer,” the brain-child of Reba McCutcheon, who heard the phrase, “You should start a business,” enough times to finally convince her to start sharing her no-grain treats with the general public.

When asked about her inspiration for starting her business, McCutcheon talked of her desire to satisfy her sweet tooth while finding ways to eat healthier.
“My diet has changed a lot over the past few years, and I’ve been making these muffins that I can eat and that I’m finding so many other people can eat as well,” she said. “I could see that there definitely was a need for products with no grain and no sugar. You could find one or the other, but not both and still have it taste good.”
As McCutcheon shared her homemade treats with her friends and co-workers, they kept asking how they could get more of them.
“Starting this business was a reflective response to the feedback that I was getting, and the market just seemed right,” she said. “And once I had the name ‘Ithaca No Grainer,’ I just felt like I couldn’t sit on it, like I had to just do it now.”
Asked for her “elevator pitch” of her new business, McCutcheon braced herself and recited, “Ithaca No Grainer is Ithaca’s newest micro-bakery specializing in treats free of grain, processed sugar and soy, but full of flavor. Yes, you can eat this!”
Instead of traditional flour and processed sugar, McCutcheon uses ingredients such as almond meal, coconut flour, honey, maple syrup and applesauce. Her goal is to use organic products whenever possible and to rely on local sources for honey and eggs.
McCutcheon has found great inspiration in the response she has received from friends who have not been able to enjoy sweets due to dietary restrictions.
“One of my colleagues hasn’t had grain or sugar in eight years, she’s never had a birthday cake in that time,” she said. “So when I bring in my muffins, the look on her face is like ‘Yes, I can eat this!’”
McCutcheon has been making site visits to available kitchens in the area to find a compatible space to do her baking. She does her test baking at home where her most reliable testers reside.
“I’ve done a lot of ramping up and testing at home, but when I officially start to sell things they need to be made in a certified kitchen,” she said.
Recently she collaborated with Amy Gaines of DarlingCake to put on a gourmet tasting and cake-decorating event at Six Mile Vineyard to raise funds for the Food Bank of the Southern Tier.
“We’re so excited that our first one sold out that we are working on another event/fundraiser and should have details soon,” said McCutcheon.
Collaborating with Gaines has been a natural fit for McCutcheon: Their approaches compliment each other yet their product lines do not compete. Gaines has been running DarlingCake, which focuses on traditional cakes for special occasions; she is launching DarlingDecorating to focus on events that teach people how to decorate their own cakes.
“We’re like ying and yang,” said McCutcheon. “We complement each other so well, yet it’s kind of an unlikely collaboration For future events, it could be for anything: A baby shower, a team building activity, a girl’s night out. Each participant will decorate their own six-inch cake and then take it home. Art work is going to last forever but you only have so much wall space.”
In the near future, McCutcheon plans to host tasting events around town to introduce the public to her treats, and is ready to start taking special orders. She’s looking at this as a “long-term feasibility study” to gauge interest in her products and how well her abilities scale to demand.
“Does this work with my family, does it work with my very busy spouse, does it work with my demanding day job?” she said. “If you asked me a year ago if I’d ever see myself as a business owner, I would have said maybe in retirement.
“I don’t know how big Ithaca No Grainer will get, but I really want to give people that haven’t been able to eat muffins and cookies,” McCutcheon said. “I want to give them good stuff. If I can make people happy and provide healthy food then I’ll be psyched.”
For special orders or more information, send email to ithacanograiner@gmail.com, visit ithacanograiner.com or visit its Facebook page.

 

 

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *