Comments on: Smart Businesses Support Celiacs

By: h

Wed, 02 Sep 2009 13:51:44 +0000

Some compelling points and comments. I am sure Starbucks will step back up to the plate when they notice the awareness of GF diets is still growing. The loss of the cake is one step back but there have been some amazing leaps forward this year..the Coors stadium, the Betty Crocker items. Someone is definitely asleep at the wheel at Starbuck’s. They will have some egg replacement on their face when management notices they are missing the boat on a huge growing market.

Dana…you are so right, it is not the loss of any individual food that is tough with celiac. Any one item can be revised and replaced with some effort. It is the loss of the freedom to go out and roam around without planning meticulously. That’s why I like this blog.

By: H.Peter

H.Peter — Sun, 26 Jul 2009 13:51:06 +0000

The moisture inside the wrapper was was caused major mould on the cake. So they ditched. Fast.

In Canada we never had the pleasure of even trying the cake, so I had Victoria recreate one to see how it tastes. Pics below.

I agree with you (obviously) that it’s important to support the smaller businesses that do whatever it takes to succeed in this very narrow niche of a market. GF Patisserie is very lucky to have a great community (Alberta) who’s celiacs come back and back and back for the gltuen free baked goods they make.

Valencia Orange Cake:

http://theceliachusband.blogspot.com/2009/05/gluten-free-valencia-orange-cake-not.html

By: dana

dana — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:29:40 +0000

My son is 8 and was diagnosed with Celiacs in January. The biggest issue with him has been how he no longer feels “normal.” It means a lot to him to be able to leave the house and buy something to eat while we are doing errands instead of bringing something from home. When Starbucks introduced this cake, my son was thrilled! We would buy it as a special treat, and he was excited to be able to go to a store where “normal” people eat and be able to buy cake. When I read that the cake was being discontinued, I contacted Starbucks. I was given the run around and told several decisions go into discontinuing a product and though I could not be told what those decisions were, they were for the good of the Celiac customer. I agree with everything you said in your article and will no longer be a patron of Starbucks. I have also encouraged others I know to do the same. My son will continue to eat Kind Bars that are purchased from our local health food store. And like I told Starbucks, people who go to their stores are looking for a “special treat”, wether nutritious or not. IF I was looking to buy something healthy, Starbucks would not be my first choice.

By: Chris James

Chris James — Fri, 24 Jul 2009 04:16:34 +0000

Great article Hilary. I’m not so upset with Starbucks discontinuing the Orange Cake but I am greatly disappointed in their unwillingness to replace it with something meaningful. And to be honest, like you, I came across several Starbucks that had them displayed outside of the wrapper in the glass case along with everything else (and in some cases touching other products). When questioned, the employees generally had no idea what I was concerned about. Wouldn’t one think that Starbucks would have at least done a little bit of training — considering they put so much effort into developing this “treat”.

I can only hope that they will continue to develop more GF products (and train their employees on the importance of keeping these items GF) in the future. If not, I’m with you and will spend my money elsewhere. I don’t have anything specifically against the KIND bar, but I can pick those up just about anywhere.

I also hope that Starbucks (and McDonald’s for that fact) will follow General Mills and Betty Crocker’s example and see that catering to the celiac community is profitable. I really wonder if someone in Starbucks marketing department sees the gluten-free diet as simply a fad diet — I certainly hope not.