Lucy Donaldson, founder of Lucy's Gluten Free. Photo / Supplied
Lucy Donaldson, founder of Lucy's Gluten Free. Photo / Supplied
Lucy Donaldson, founder of Lucy’s Gluten Free, talks about how tracking down the founders of another bread maker led to a collaboration project of a gluten-free bread business inspired by her children’s food tolerance needs.
What does your business do?
We specialise in handcrafted artisan bread that just happens tobe gluten free.
What was the motivation to start Lucy’s Gluten Free?
The motivation came from having children with food intolerances and not being able to find any gluten-free bread that suited our family’s needs without compromising on taste and texture.
Before going gluten free, I would often buy Volare Sourdough from the Herbal Dispensary in Raglan and started to wonder why they didn’t offer anything gluten free. So, on a whim, I decided to track down the founders and ask them directly. One very long phone call later, I found myself in the Volare bakery in Hamilton, face-to-face with the founders Ed and Ryan.
As it turned out, my timing couldn’t have been more perfect. They had always wanted to create a gluten-free range but didn’t have the time. They admired my eagerness and thought that my loaves had a lot of potential and jumped at the opportunity to collaborate. Two years of trials, a few lockdowns and one purpose-built bakery later, Lucy’s Gluten Free is now being enjoyed all around New Zealand.
Before starting Lucy’s Gluten Free, I was at home in Raglan on extended maternity leave from my job as an operating theatre nurse.
What products do you sell and how many are you selling a week?
We sell three different loaves of gluten-free bread – The Seedy One, The Sourdough One, and The White One – and we sell between 700-800 loaves a week.
How big is your team?
We currently have an awesome team of five – baking, packing, and slicing Monday to Friday – plus Ed and Ryan, who operate in more of an advisory position. As everything is handcrafted and shipped fresh (i.e. never frozen) it’s a constant juggle for our small team and not your regular 9-5 job, so we aren’t all working together at one time. I start baking in the wee hours of the morning, and the packers finish well into the evening.
Lucy's Gluten Free sells three different types of loaves - including The Seedy One. Photo / Supplied
What’s the major focus for the business right now?
Increasing our list of stockists around New Zealand to make it more accessible to everyone. Thanks to our connection to Volare, we’re already selling at some amazing good-food stores and recently started supplying Farro in Auckland to an overwhelmingly positive response.
What challenges is the business facing at the moment?
We just launched our online store so that we could begin shipping to customers nationwide. However, because we ship our loaves fresh and they don’t have a long shelf life like some other gluten-free products, we need to use an overnight courier which comes at a cost. We are currently looking for a cheaper way to ship them but, for now, are encouraging friends to bulk-order together to split the shipping cost.
Where do you see Lucy’s Gluten Free in the next three to five years?
In specialty stores/ wholefood places throughout the country and hopefully with an expanded product range.
What advice do you give others thinking about starting their own business?
To just start, be passionate and believe in your product. Do your research and if you can get support or advice from someone who already has a business, that can be a huge help. And don’t be afraid to put yourself out there, take the leap!
