5b’s Bakery: Dedicated Gluten-Free from the Heart of the Cascades

The Co-op has always been Skagit’s one-stop-shop for unique treats, no matter your dietary preferences. From tofu and tempeh to keto-friendly snacks and plant-based cheese and ice cream, if you can find a traditional version of a product at the Co-op, you’re bound to find its vegan, lactose-free, paleo, or vegetarian-friendly counterpart, too. And for gluten-free foods, there’s more options now than ever.

However, back when the Co-op opened in 1973, the concept of a gluten-free diet was only 30-some odd years old. And despite the fact that gluten intolerance had been discovered, less than 1% of the population were aware of their intolerance, with an even smaller amount of the general population aware that gluten could even cause an issue in the first place.

For folks living with Celiac Disease, there were little to no gluten-free alternatives other than foods that were naturally gluten-free like corn, oats, beans, and nuts. This meant foods like bread, pasta, crackers, and pastries were unfortunately out of the question.

Now, thanks to geneticists and doctors who dedicated research time to the autoimmune disorder that we now know as Celiac, awareness and development of gluten-free foods has been exponential.

Gluten-free foods have come a long way from the small selection that were available just 13 years ago when popular culture first made gluten-free a trendy diet. Fast forward to today, and you may very well find yourself snacking on a cracker or bakery treat from the Co-op without even realizing it’s made without gluten. Donut muffin, anyone?

While we offer variety of gluten-free goodies for you to choose from, we’re excited to bring in the specialty gluten-free bread from a local brand that you’ve been asking for: 5b’s Bakery in Concrete!

A dedicated gluten-free bakery nestled in the foothills of the Cascades, 5b’s Bakery specializes in everything from breads and buns and bagels to something for your sweet tooth. And if you know a gluten-free bride-to-be or kiddo, they have you covered with custom wedding and birthday cakes, too!

5b’s prides itself on making wholesome foods based on a simple business model from the 40s: neighborhood, family-owned bakeries where everything is made from scratch, in house. And when they say from scratch they mean it. 5b’s uses over 15 different flours to create a variety of flour blends that are developed specifically for each individual product in order to get the right texture, chew, and flavor, all without the need for gluten-based ingredients. 5b’s believes that the best products are made when you start with real, quality, local ingredients. That’s a sentiment that we can get behind, and one that is at the core of everything we make here at the Co-op, too.

So, who are the 5b’s you might ask? The B stands for Beals, the founding family’s name. Through her own experience with Celiac Disease, owner Em Beals has mastered the science of gluten-free food while offering a high-quality product that meets the needs of many in the Valley and beyond. Having a bakery that’s entirely dedicated to gluten free products is quite unique, and gives both gluten-free eaters and non-gluten-free eaters alike the chance to enjoy a meal together without the concern of cross-contamination.

Next time you take a trip through the North Cascades, make sure to stop in at 5b’s bee-utiful café and bakery, where you can find an even larger selection of gluten-free baked goods, confections, full lunch meals, and handcrafted espresso at their cozy spot in Historic Downtown Concrete.

And, of course, next time you’re at the Co-op, pick up a loaf of bread from 5b’s Bakery. Choose from 5 seed, brioche, honey oat, pumpernickel, vegan, and sourdough bread, available in the bread aisle.