Interview with Karen McKay, General Manager Cloud 9 Gluten Free Food Inc by Arica Sharma, CCA BC Director - June 2022
“Cloud 9 is a gluten-free flour and baking mix company based in Vancouver BC. Our premium ingredients are certified gluten-free, free from the top 10 food allergens, and free from preservatives, artificial dyes, and flavours. All our products are vegan too! We believe our flour and mixes are a pantry staple and love that we make it easy for people to bake - not only for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance but for family and friends that will never know it’s gluten-free!”
When did your gluten free journey begin?
Personally, I do not suffer from any gluten intolerance; however, I have niece with celiac disease and a son who suffers from food
allergies.
The number of allergens that are NOT in your product is so impressive and inclusive! What sort of challenges did you encounter during R&D?
It is not an easy route to allergen-free and not something that many manufacturers decide to strive for, but for us it was just something we decided on from the very beginning. We have very strict quality control measures and provide a supplier questionnaire prior to ordering ANYTHING - sometimes we do not get past the questionnaire! Allergen-free means we do have more control points and paperwork, but we feel it is very important.
Where is your base of operations?
We work out of our home office in Richmond and our mixes are produced at a co-packer’s facility located in Port Coquitlam.
How many people are on the Cloud 9 Team?
We streamlined our company when we started using a co-packer late in 2020. I personally fill all the positions (multi-tasking and
pretty much working 24/7) and round out the company by employing freelance staff and consultants.
What is your favourite Cloud 9 product/ recipe?
Our family favourite is our Pancake & Waffle Mix as a go-to breakfast. One of our sons created an easy cheesy savoury twist to the mix that I will put on the website soon. Yum!
Will Cloud 9 consider opening a bakery again?
We were very sad to have let the bakery go – and believe me I felt the loss in the community as it was the go-to treat stop for so many people. We closed as our lease was coming to an end and Covid had just hit. It takes a lot of resources and money to run a bakery and we just do not see that happening for us.
What is next for Cloud 9?
At Cloud 9 we continue to grow strategically into eastern Canada and have plans in the very near future to start Amazon US. We already have interest in the US so once we are ready (it takes a lot of resources and money to expand but it is on our horizon).
We also have some new products that we are close to launching. Always learning, growing, and looking for opportunities to connect and help our community. We love what we do and find it so rewarding.
“Cloud 9 is a gluten-free flour and baking mix company based in Vancouver BC. Our premium ingredients are certified gluten-free, free from the top 10 food allergens, and free from preservatives, artificial dyes, and flavours. All our products are vegan too! We believe our flour and mixes are a pantry staple and love that we make it easy for people to bake - not only for those with celiac disease or gluten intolerance but for family and friends that will never know it’s gluten-free!”
When did your gluten free journey begin?
Personally, I do not suffer from any gluten intolerance; however, I have niece with celiac disease and a son who suffers from food
allergies.
The number of allergens that are NOT in your product is so impressive and inclusive! What sort of challenges did you encounter during R&D?
It is not an easy route to allergen-free and not something that many manufacturers decide to strive for, but for us it was just something we decided on from the very beginning. We have very strict quality control measures and provide a supplier questionnaire prior to ordering ANYTHING - sometimes we do not get past the questionnaire! Allergen-free means we do have more control points and paperwork, but we feel it is very important.
Where is your base of operations?
We work out of our home office in Richmond and our mixes are produced at a co-packer’s facility located in Port Coquitlam.
How many people are on the Cloud 9 Team?
We streamlined our company when we started using a co-packer late in 2020. I personally fill all the positions (multi-tasking and
pretty much working 24/7) and round out the company by employing freelance staff and consultants.
What is your favourite Cloud 9 product/ recipe?
Our family favourite is our Pancake & Waffle Mix as a go-to breakfast. One of our sons created an easy cheesy savoury twist to the mix that I will put on the website soon. Yum!
Will Cloud 9 consider opening a bakery again?
We were very sad to have let the bakery go – and believe me I felt the loss in the community as it was the go-to treat stop for so many people. We closed as our lease was coming to an end and Covid had just hit. It takes a lot of resources and money to run a bakery and we just do not see that happening for us.
What is next for Cloud 9?
At Cloud 9 we continue to grow strategically into eastern Canada and have plans in the very near future to start Amazon US. We already have interest in the US so once we are ready (it takes a lot of resources and money to expand but it is on our horizon).
We also have some new products that we are close to launching. Always learning, growing, and looking for opportunities to connect and help our community. We love what we do and find it so rewarding.
