Gluten-free bakery on South Shore thrilled by community support after freezer failure

The owners of a popular gluten-free bakery on the South Shore say they're speechless after receiving thousands of dollars in donations to help replace a critical piece of equipment.

Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet is a family business in Mahone Bay, N.S.

Last week, owners Aidan Brunn and Jennifer Laughlin discovered their walk-in fridge and freezer needed to be replaced.

A new one would cost about $45,000, more than they could afford. So they turned to the community for help.

They created a GoFundme page on Friday and by Sunday morning they had raised half the money needed.

"We've just been shocked and surprised and overwhelmed with how many people have come forward," Brunn said.

"I don't even have the words," he said. "Both of us have just been tearing up many times over the past 24 hours because of just the amount of support we have received."

The bakery distributes everything from gluten-free muffins, bread, cakes and cookies to more than 70 businesses across the Maritimes.

Brunn said thefreezer is an important part of the operation.

"It's something we need to do our business, so this was of course a massive blow to us," he said.

'Not a lot of options'

Brunn and his wife opened Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet in 2009, he said, after he was diagnosed with celiac disease.

He saidhe found it difficult to shop so they decided to make it easier for others who are gluten-free.

"Schoolhouse happens to be one vendor that offers the gluten free and there's a huge population of gluten-free consumers in Nova Scotia. I think more than most people would actually know," said Sarah Gosse, who owns Luminate Co Wellness Market, a health store in Bedford, N.S.

Gosse saidher store carries several Schoolhouse products that drawthousands of customers to her store.

She saidshe's not surprised the bakery is receiving so much support.

"Because there's not a lot of options out there in Nova Scotia," she said. "And not only just options but people who actually care."