'Just incredible': Gluten-free market in Charlottetown draws people with celiac disease

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Celiac disease has been a long time challenge for the family of Joanne Sullivan. Her husband, along with all of her children, have it.

She says although it’s a lot easier to buy gluten-free products these days, when her middle child was first diagnosed over 25 years ago, they had to order products from Halifax.

Sullivan visited a gluten-free market in Charlottetown this weekend.

For her, the change over the past few decades has been nice to see, especially getting to walk into a market exclusively just for those choices.

“It’s been a blessing to have all these options that we didn’t have before and the taste has improved immensely since we started this journey,” she said.

A woman wearing a plaid coat and brown purse stands in front of a table that is selling products Joanne Sullivan says when one of her children was diagnosed with celiac disease over 25 years ago. They had to order products from Halifax at the time due to the lack of gluten-free products available on the Island. (Taylor O’Brien/CBC)

Another one of those extra challenges is the price. A loaf of bread can be $9.

“When everybody but one person in the household is eating gluten-free, it’s expensive,” Sullivan said. “It adds a lot to our grocery bill.”

Jaime Waite was diagnosed with celiac in her 20s.

With gluten now eliminated from her diet, she says it’s a constant effort. She has to think about every meal and snack.

A woman wearing a Patagonia sweater and magenta North Face jacket stands in front of a hall of vendors and people Jaime Waite enjoyed shopping among people who understand how difficult maintaining a gluten-free diet can be. (Taylor O’Brien/CBC)

She says not having to search for little labels in the grocery store is a nice change.

“What a fantastic win it is to find something that is entirely gluten-free, it’s just incredible,” she said.

Sophie Nuesch says her mom, Sarah Nuesch, used to be a baker who sold bread at a farmers’ market.

Eventually, it started to affect her lungs and skin. Eventually she learned she had celiac disease.

So, with all of her baking skills, she opened Feel’n No Grain in August.

Nuesh says being able to provide gluten-free items to a whole community of people is just “unimaginable.”

“I think this is awesome,” she said. “It’s amazing. I love seeing people smile.”