Help save Schoolhouse from shutting its doors!

As hard as it is to admit, we need your help.

Due to an unforeseen equipment failure that is completely out of our control, there's a chance this year may be our last. This problem is so urgent, that if left unresolved, it will jeopardize everything we've built and worked for over our 14 years in business.

Who are we and why are we raising money?

We are Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet. We are a small family run business based on the South Shore of Nova Scotia that offers an important service to our local community and beyond. We operate a 100% dedicated gluten-free kitchen and production facility in a 150-year-old converted schoolhouse where we bake gluten-free, dairy-free, and vegan eats and treats to provide options to those with Celiac Disease, food allergies, sensitivities, and dietary restrictions.

Our small-but-mighty team of 8 passionate full-time employees and dedicated part-time contractors pour their hearts into their work to make it all happen. We bake everything in small batches with love, using only the highest quality ingredients. We pack each item with care and deliver it right to your front door. We also service 70+ independent retailers, including: cafes, restaurants, hospitals, universities, long-term care facilities and seasonal tourism operators across Nova Scotia, New Brunswick and Prince Edward Island.

Here’s the situation: back in February 2023, we discovered that our industrial walk-in fridge/freezer will soon fail and needs to be replaced due to a faulty installation 13 years ago. We have serviced and maintained this integral piece of equipment over the years, but slowly (and silently) the unit has been failing. Because the discovery of this failure is 13 years from the point of installation, our insurance provider and the equipment company have both made it clear that they WILL NOT take responsibility for the failed unit. This walk-in fridge/freezer unit should have lasted us 30 years.

The amount we need to raise to replace this 12x12 walk-in fridge/freezer unit is $45,000. We know this is a huge ask, but the truth is - we simply cannot operate our business without a new unit.

Our story

When Aidan (Co-owner and Head Chef) was diagnosed with Celiac Disease back in 2007, he was really suffering with his health. He was frustrated with the lack of options and felt that most manufactured gluten-free products available at the time tasted terrible and were packed full of junk and fillers. He wished there were more locally-made, gluten-free options at cafes and restaurants across the Maritimes; so that he could rely on products he knew and could trust. He and his partner Jen (Co-owner and General Manager) decided to take the leap and turned a lack of local options into a business opportunity, and in 2009, Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet was born.

Our goal was and always has been to make gluten-free (as well as dairy-free/vegan products) in small batches; eats and treats that are fresh, safe, delicious and accessible to all. Without ongoing support from you, our valued customers, we couldn’t have come this far or lasted this long. We are humbled and grateful for the opportunity you’ve provided us to be able to serve you. Being a part of your everyday lives; for special events and seasonal celebrations means the world to us and fills our hearts with so much joy.

We love what we do and feel like we have created a brand and business model that is supported and backed by an incredible community. For us, this community feels more like a family and that's how we strive to serve you - like one of our own.

Our situation

We are not in a position to take on a debt of $45,000. The added pressure to pay off this debt may be the tipping point that slowly puts us out of business.

The pandemic years were extremely difficult for us and for so many small businesses. We persevered through cost-cutting, diversifying our business model to expand our online shopping platform, and by working diligently and creatively with help from our retail partners and wholesale partners. That said, we are still battling the rising costs of goods, fuel and labour, supply chain issues, demand fluctuations and expect that to continue for the foreseeable future. As a result, further price increases to our core line of products will be inevitable, but as we always have, we continue to do our best to keep them minimal and fair.

Tight margins are normal in food businesses and anything we make beyond covering our operating expenses and salaries goes back into yearly equipment replacement and maintenance (like mixers, small wares and ovens) and building maintenance (like switching to energy-efficient heat pumps for the betterment of our quality of life in the kitchen summer months and for environmental reasons).

We simply don't have that amount of extra money to cover this unforeseeable expense over the short or long term.

Our request

Asking for your financial help is hard, and in all honesty, we were scared to do it. If there was another path forward, we would have taken it.

We've done our best over the years to be transparent and vulnerable when we could and have asked, listened and encouraged participation in how we operate and the ways in which you would like us to serve you, our community. Upon reflection, we recognize that the future of Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet isn't just about us or our decision - it's ultimately about you. We believe you deserve to share the choice as to whether or not we can continue to serve you. We had to pause in this process and remind ourselves that we are a community; it is okay to ask each other for help.

We believe we offer an unrivaled and important service to our community and beyond. We want to keep doing this for you, for the families we employ/support, and our own family, as well. We have explored every avenue to handle this on our own but have arrived at a crossroads where we need to extend a hand for help.

In digesting this predicament, we reached out to a long-time customer and mentor who reminded us that it's ok to ask your community for support in difficult times. We were also reminded that if we don't reach out and have this conversation with you, we all lose.

How will the funds be used?

All funds gathered in the GoFundMe/Sponsorship campaign will be used to do the following:

How can you support us?

If you would like to speak about the campaign in confidence, make a private donation outside of the campaign or discuss options to become a corporate sponsor, you can contact us privately via email at [email redacted].

If you prefer to send a donation via cheque, you can mail it to:

Schoolhouse Gluten-Free Gourmet, 7014 Hwy #3, Mahone Bay, NS B0J 2E0

If you would like to become a corporate sponsor to our campaign, we are happy to work with you to customize what that sponsorship would look like to best meet each other's needs and we can provide you with a sponsorship receipt.

It is important to understand that we are able to continue to produce our products and be your gluten-free supplier. The failing walk-in fridge and freezer will continue to function in the short-term. If we raise the funds needed to replace the walk-in fridge/freezer, we will ensure the removal of the old unit and installation of the new one causes minimal disruption to our production schedule.

We, of course, recognize that this is a difficult time for so many folks out there. We are only asking you to make a donation if you can or feel comfortable doing so. Any small amount matters. Many hands make light work. If you cannot donate at this time, we completely understand. So many of you already (and continue to) purchase Schoolhouse eats and treats as part of your regular grocery budget, and we couldn’t be more grateful.

Thank you for taking the time to read this. Your support means the world to us.

With love and gratitude,

Aidan, Jen, and the Schoolhouse Team