Brother and sister team, Brenden King and Celeste Bremer, opened up a much needed business in the Barrington/Riverside community. Named after Celeste’s youngest daughter, who has celiac disease, May’s Gluten Free Market came to be in June of 2022, and the storefront opened in June of 2023.
Brenden explained, “Celeste has two kids who are gluten-free. Her oldest, who is now 16, has ASD (Autism Spectrum Disorder), and has been gluten free for 10 years. She started him on a gluten-free diet when he was 6, and found that he was less prone to meltdowns, and had better regulation of his emotions. She noticed enough of a difference to continue the gluten-free diet, which gave her the experience she needed to help her youngest daughter transition to a gluten-free lifestyle, when she was diagnosed with celiac disease at the age of 5. Gluten-free shopping is time consuming, often requiring a shopper to go to several different stores to find what they want/need. It’s also time consuming because you spend much of your time in stores, reading labels. Celeste got tired of doing this and figured that many other gluten-free individuals felt the same, so we decided to open the market and see what would happen. It’s been such a wonderful experience. We’ve literally had people come in and cry, knowing that they could safely shop for anything in the store.”
Whether you have to eat gluten free, or you choose to for your own reasons, stopping in to May’s Gluten Free Market should be on your “to do” list. Only 15 minutes from Providence, this unique store is worth the trip, no matter where you are driving from. Neither Brenden, nor Celeste are gluten free, so they feel like if it’s something they would eat, then it’s a really good gluten free product.
“We are half Japanese, so we carry a lot of Japanese and other Asian inspired foods and sauces.” They also love to support local, so they try to carry as many local products as possible, as long as they are gluten free. Brenden and Celeste specialize in finding great products from other regions that would otherwise be difficult or expensive to get, and that are relatively unknown because they are in other parts of the country. For example, they are working to carry a product called, Good Love from Colorado, which should be in the shop by October. Good Love makes delicious pastry dough, biscuits, and cinnamon rolls that are frozen and ready to bake. You can also find products from Mom’s Place, based out of Utah. From talking with customers, this came recommended because it’s something they would order to be shipped to them, but now they are excited because it’s available locally. Other products that they bring in are Charleston Biscuit Company from Charleston, SC, and they have Gluten Free Jules, one of the best baking mixes you can find.
How about prepared foods? Brenden and Celeste work out of Hope & Main’s gluten free commercial kitchen to bring you something different all the time. They have tried pizzas, Japanese take out, pasta salads, and sandwiches, to name a few. If you want to know what they have that day, it’s best to follow them on social media, where they update their specials daily. As the store grows in popularity, they hope to carry prepared foods more consistently.
Almost every Tuesday, there is a stand outside the market selling hot foods, made to order. The stand is usually up and running from 11am-3pm. This is where you can try their delicious Mochi donuts and Korean Corn Dogs. They also like to bring in “pop-ups,” and recently featured the Empanada Assassin, with their gluten free empanadas. Collaborating with others is a way for May’s Gluten Free Market to bring people together and shine a spotlight on other gluten free options in the area.
With the brick and mortar shop growing more popular every day, the next step is a food truck. This will open up so many new opportunities. Brenden and Celeste are currently working with zoning to have it be semi-permanently outside of the shop, and to serve as their kitchen for prepared foods in the store, as well as a place to make their Mochi donuts and Korean Corn Dogs, and any other food they want to make on a regular basis. Some ideas have been clam cakes, sandwiches, ramen… “We can’t decide, so maybe we’ll just do them all!”
Someday, they hope to expand into a bigger space and be able to offer a deli, local produce, and more.
How about a favorite recipe that you can make at home, with items from May’s Gluten Free Market?
“We love to make homemade Poke bowls!”
Here’s what you’ll need:
Rice
Your choice of protein (i.e., sushi grade tuna or salmon, for example. Or, teriyaki chicken, with This Little Goat Goes To Tokyo sauce, or firm tofu, lightly sautéed in San -J Citrus Tamari)
Toss in some Japanese Kewpie mayo and Spicy Shark Maple Sriracha.
Ocean’s Balance Furikake (seaweed/sesame seasoning blend)
Top it with The Only Bean Edamame snacks, for a nice added crunch.
You can also add Ocean’s Balance Pulse for added vitamins and umami flavor.
Add some local scallions, and you have yourself a delicious meal.
Be sure to follow May’s Gluten Free Market on Facebook and Instagram for updates and daily specials.
