Caitlin Shea and 4 varieties of Philomena Bake Shop cookies that will be available at Fairfax Market.
📷: Julia O’Laughlin
Everyone deserves to enjoy a sweet treat, and Philomena Bake Shop is making that happen for the Cleveland, Ohio community. After being diagnosed with multiple food allergies, founder Caitlin Shea morphed her 15-year baking career into a vegan, gluten-free business. With ingredients that accommodate dietary restrictions and are allergen-safe, every one of Caitlin’s customers is able to eat her pastries without worry.
A Values-Driven Business With a Meaningful Name
Philomena Bake Shop is founded on perseverance, dependability, generosity, and a strong work ethic – traits that all stem back to two men named Phil. When first launching the business, Caitlin and her business partner Liz learned that both of their fathers were named Phil. Moreover, they agreed that the valuable lessons taught by their fathers had inspired their journey to the industry. It was clear that “Phil” had to be a part of the company name. Amidst both the challenges and growth that have come with time, Philomena’s Bake Shop continues to operate with its founding principles at the core.
Behind the scenes of creating a Philomena Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookie.
📷: Julia O’Laughlin
Flavor Comes First in Their Vegan & Gluten-Free Pastries
Vegan and gluten-free styles of eating have seen significant growth in the past decade, and Philomena Bake Shop is proud to contribute to making these diets more accessible. New ingredients and baking techniques are making allergen-safe products more delicious than ever before – but success doesn’t always happen on the first try. It’s important that every pastry sold is one their team is excited to eat themselves, so new recipes often come with many rounds of testing and retesting. A special treat should taste great and not just “good enough,” so while their process takes time, the final result is worth it. Philomena Bake Shop always ensures customers are delighted with a product that they can eat worry-free.
Connecting With Cleveland Through Baked Goods
Every customer matters at Philomena Bake Shop, and the business is always learning from the people who buy their products. The team is motivated by the stories they hear from customers with food allergies or intolerances and knows the support they receive is helping them make a difference for vegan, gluten-free eating. When Caitlin knows she’s giving people the confidence and safety to enjoy baked goods, she’s encouraged to keep going. Behind a small business in Cleveland, Ohio it’s also important for Philomena Bake Shop to do their part for the local community by offering time and resources where possible. By operating as an ethical organization, providing livable wages, and educating others about the opportunities Ohio offers, they’re working to make an impact.
A tray of Philomena Bake Shop Chocolate Chip Cookies, fresh out of the oven.
📷: Julia O’Laughlin
Philomena Bake Shop Looks Toward the Future
Going forward, Philomena Bake Shop only hopes to grow. New retail partnerships with organizations like Fairfax Market are helping the business further expand its reach through the City of Cleveland. They currently operate out of a shared kitchen space with local catering company Harvest Owl, but have goals to one day open a full-time space of their own. This way, Philomena Bake Shop can continue making worry-free treats more accessible to areas of Northeast Ohio – and beyond!
Setting the cookies to cool.
📷: Julia O’Laughlin
The next time you’re craving a sweet treat, choose a cookie from Philomena Bake Shop available at Fairfax Market. With flavors everyone enjoys and ingredients that are always safe to eat, allergies and dietary restrictions won’t stop you from eating at Philomena Bake Shop.