Freed Foodies founder Daniel Brassloff was diagnosed with tree-nut allergies in 2000 and Celiac in 2006. In the time following a brand new diet, he tried his best to support brands making great products for those who follow a gluten-free diet, but wasn’t satisfied with products on the market. After launching a gluten-free microwave-made mug cake business, MuggedCake, with peers at Babson College and spending a semester abroad in college studying Gastronomy at CETT University, he set out to experiment with flour blends and come up with a formulation he knew he could stand behind.

Read on to learn more about launching an allergen-friendly brand, the importance of a networking and community for food startup uccess, and how to identify a niche in the market for new products.

You launched Freed Foodies (originally Freed Pizza) in June 2020. What inspired you to start your own food business?

Since fall 2019, I have been researching gluten-free flour blends due to my own dissatisfaction with mixes and baked goods on the market. After graduating college in December 2019, I spent five months working as a Scrum Master before being laid off due to COVID-related downsizing. With my newfound flexible schedule and passion to finally build a business with something I had been working on for so long, I targeted my energy into designing the logo, packaging, and manually producing a 100 unit batch of my pizza crust mix to get feedback and test out my concept, before realizing the larger value in a baking mix brand with easy-to-use recipes for making pizzas, calzones, cannolis, and tons of other baked goods.

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We’ve seen startups in food and other industries postpone their launch because of the COVID-19 pandemic. How did you decide that now was the time to launch Freed Foodies, and how did you overcome the challenges posed by launching during a pandemic?

I feel this is answered partly above. I wanted to add that we are fortunate to be part of your organization, Windham Grows, a food business accelerator program, and the Butler Launch Pad, Babson College's business accelerator. All of these programs have helped us better understand the food industry and how we can both be on trend and adapt our model to support COVID-related business needs. We saw growth in gluten-free products and baking mixes and deemed that we could maximize the value to our customers by focusing this way before building out our product line.

Freed Foodies gluten-free multipurpose mix is not only suitable for celiacs, but also free of the eight major allergens. Why did you choose to focus on these health concerns, and what unique production challenges do you face when meeting these requirements?

We chose this focus because I grew up with Celiac and tree nut allergies. I constantly struggled to find products that fit both requirements and quickly noticed how many others have multiple dietary restrictions difficult to meet by commonly found products. One example is our corn-free focus, which came after seeing a subset of gluten-free individuals also abstaining from corn due to medical necessity or dietary needs. This prompted us to source our baking powder from New England Cupboard, a small company in Maine specializing in allergen-friendly practices and products.

Growing up with Celiac Disease, you have first-hand experience with the market for gluten-free products. How have you seen gluten-free products evolve over the last decade or so, and how do you foresee this industry changing?

I have seen the products evolve over the decode tremendously. When I was first diagnosed, I went through tons of product variants until I found items that met what I was looking for. I see the potential for small companies like my own to come in the market, filling gaps in item-specific mixes, prepped doughs, and other products that I feel have yet to fully hit the needs of those with similar restrictions to my own. I would not be surprised to see growth in small allergen-friendly food businesses during the COVID-19 pandemic.

Prior to Freed Foodies, you launched MuggedCake, a gluten-free mug cake brand, which you founded while still in college! What’s the best piece of advice you have for students and recent college grads who want to break into the CPG food industry?

I would recommend getting integrated into the CPG food community, including Branchfood. I have learned and changed so much following skill-building sessions, networking events, and follow-up conversations with business owners and brand professionals. I would have approached my prior business differently having had the knowledge and support I have now.

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How has being a Branchfood member helped you navigate the challenges that you faced and accelerate your business goals?

Branchfood has consistently allowed me to connect with individuals across the spectrum of the CPG food industry. I have started to learn the questions to ask when approaching certain problems, and how supportive the industry is to achieving growth and success. My business would not be where it is today (and may not have even launched yet) without the connections and skills I’ve learned from Branchfood.

What’s next for Freed Foodies, and how can our audience support you?

Freed Foodies is currently selling our mixes on our website, MeetMable.com, Etsy.com, East Boston’s Virtual Farmers Market, and at Monica’s Mercato in the North End, Boston. Please follow us on Facebook, Instagram, and TikTok at FreedFoodies. Subscribe to our newsletter on our website to keep up with us and get a discount on your next order, and share with anyone you think would like to try our product!

Thank you to Daniel at Freed Foodies for being this week’s Member Monday spotlight. Are you interested in how a Branchfood membership can help you succeed? Learn more about our membership benefits, and stay informed with our newsletter. Be sure to follow us on Instagram for our next Member Monday takeover!