Vendor Spotlight: Heaven Gluten-Free Bread

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If you love bread but follow a gluten-free diet, we have great news for you! Heaven gluten-free breads are now in stores, so you have a locally made, fresh, sourdough bread option that’s made in a gluten-free facility.

Owners Polina and Vlad Lahoda moved to the U.S. from Kiev, where they worked in aromatherapy and I.T., in 2022. With just a few suitcases and their cat, they settled in Minnesota, and Polina started making gluten-free bread just like she’d done back in Ukraine. That’s where they pick up the story.

L: What made you want to open a gluten-free bakery?

Vlad: Feedback on Polina’s bread from our friends and family, a desire to start a family business, and [wanting to give] an option of very healthy and delicious bread for the community.

A Loaf of Gluten-Free Sourdough Sliced in the Middle

L: Why focus on sourdough?

Vlad: The traditional sourdough process produces nutritious, healthy bread,* and this is our way to do good in the community. It is also the cleanest and most natural way to produce bread.

L: Can you talk about the high-quality ingredients you use in your bread? Why is that important to you?

Polina: We use premium, natural ingredients to produce Heaven gluten-free bread, and we believe that this is the only way food should be made. Our bodies filter out both good and bad from the food that we eat, and using the best ingredients, avoiding allergens, and using natural fermentation in the process makes the food rich in nutrients that are absorbed easily by our bodies and thus contributes to a stronger health. For example, a sweetener that we use — yacon syrup — is rare due to its cost, but its benefits are immense as it has an extremely low glycemic index and is a probiotic at the same time.

Because our bread is made in a traditional way, like it has been for thousands of years, it is very time consuming, but the end result makes us feel very fulfilled. Our mission is to help people prosper in [their] health and enjoy food, creating a more prosperous society in every way.

Vlad and Polina of Heaven GF Pose for the Camera

L: Now that you’ve had your commercial license for about 8 months — how is the business going?

Vlad: This is our first business venture; we are learning a lot and it is a path of growth and transformation. We call this “the most expensive personal development course you will ever buy.” Starting a small business is demanding and hard to do because you have to wear so many hats throughout your day — from a strategic planner to a baker and a delivery driver, an accountant and marketing manager.

Polina: You work the longest hours you have ever worked and put any profits toward supporting growth. To put it in more simple terms: You are a volunteer for the first few years when you start your business! The fact that we are a family business adds more dimensions to it, and it is fun and hard at the same time. One thing that definitely makes it worth overcoming any difficulty we face is when our customers share their feedback of how they’ve never tried bread this healthy and good [before]. It puts a big smile on our faces and makes us want to do more for more people.

L: What are you hearing from your partners, such as other co-ops?

Polina: We are very lucky to live in Minnesota with so many health and community-oriented co-ops. We hear the need for higher quality gluten-free bread and food in general. The demand for more conscious food consumption is here and we are grateful we can contribute.

L: What do you want Lakewinds customers to know about your gluten-free bread?

Vlad: We want all of your customers, both gluten-free and not, to know that Heaven gluten-free bread quality is and will always be superior, with a focus on health benefits. You can trust that we don’t use any artificial additives to make our bread taste better or stay fresh longer.

Polina: Our approach is traditional and in many ways harder, but it has been tested over thousands of years to work for the good of humanity. More and more non-gluten-free people prefer to eat Heaven gluten-free sourdough as it is a healthier option for those who love bread.

Bread Recommendations

People love to ask Polina and Vlad for suggestions and easy meal ideas that make the most of their gluten-free bread! Here are their current favorites.

 

  • Dark sourdough goes great with avocado, smoked salmon, and cream cheese.
  • Cranberry pecan is a great breakfast toast! It’s slightly sweet with coconut sugar, cranberries, and pecans.
  • The white sourdough is a classic if you’re looking for a neutral flavor.

Their newest bread is a focaccia, which is quickly gaining popularity as well.

Learn more about the bakery and read their latest news on the Heaven gluten-free bread website.

Explore other local makers we partner with, including Doubting Thomas Farms, Peterson Craftsman Meat, and Harmony Valley Farm.

*According to the National Institutes of Health, sourdough bread studies that used specific strains and fermentation conditions did see benefits to health after eating sourdough, including lower glycemic response, increased satiety, improved nutrient bioaccessibility, and increased gastrointestinal comfort.