The good, gluten-free life
Founded at a time when gluten-free products were a rare item on the food shelves, the bakery Fria today paves the way for more flavours for a broader audience than ever. With a rapid expansion into the European market and new products continuously added to its range, one item stands out as the all-round favourite: kladdkaka!
The bakery was founded in 1996 by Gunnar and Lena Adås, who at the time thought that the selection for people with gluten intolerance and coeliac disease was too scarce, and wanted to contribute to change. Fria was founded, and today its exciting range offers bread, cakes, food and seasonal food, with new products constantly being added. It has grown from a small family bakery into an international company where it, in addition to being the leader within gluten-free products in the Nordics, is breaking ground in Germany, the UK, Benelux, the Czech Republic and Slovakia, among other territories. But while its market grows, its base and production stay put in Gothenburg, Sweden.
“For us, flavour and consistency are the main aspects of what we do; we want to fill the gap for the people who are unable to enjoy regular bread with something that tastes and feels almost the same, and sometimes even better than the original,” says Kristian Medailleu, head of marketing and innovation at Fria. Comparing current times with the beginning of its journey, it has noticed a great shift in attitude towards gluten-free and alternative diets, a trend that has benefited its mission to make gluten-free foods more exciting and accessible.
Fria’s products make a great option for anyone on a gluten-free diet, but a special focus goes to customers with coeliac disease. Fria is BRC-certified, and it participates in research and education on the subject. Its in-house coeliac specialist helps to provide expertise so that you can enjoy its bread, pizza, muffins or ‘kladdkaka’ (Swedish sticky chocolate cake) without worrying that you might ingest the wrong thing.
Another secret to its success? The secret mix! A concoction that only a very limited number of people have access to, and something Medailleu believes is key to why Fria’s buns and breads taste so good. “In the end, it all comes down to flavour. And on that point, we are doing a really good job,” Medallieu concludes.
www.fria.se
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