A new gluten-free bakery, Ambrosial, opened on Feb. 24 and 25. Classically trained baker Alisha McIntosh owns and runs the bakery.
After six seasons at the Provo Farmers Market, McIntosh said it was time to expand her business in order to reach her growing customer base. Although everything made at the bakery is entirely gluten-free, McIntosh said her goal is for everyone to come — whether or not they have a wheat allergy.
“The treats are good, despite the fact that they’re gluten-free,' McIntosh said.
BYU student Emma Griffin was diagnosed with celiac disease when she was six years old and since then has tried gluten-free bakeries all over the country. Out of all those bakeries, Ambrosial is one of her favorites.
“Honestly it was the best cinnamon roll I’ve ever had,” she said.
Walking into Ambrosial, the smell of freshly baked cinnamon rolls and the bright pink and gold wall with the neon sign “bake some magic” are hard to miss.
At the grand opening, McIntosh greeted customers while prepping another batch of treats in the back. Some of the customers were friends from the bakery's farmers market days and others were new to the bakery. Customers that visited the event left with a free s'mores bar as part of the grand opening celebrations.
Alisha McIntosh’s husband, Alex McIntosh, said one thing that makes Ambrosial stand out is his wife's dedication to her customers.
“She loves the customers and gets to know them. She knows a lot of them on a first-name basis,” Alex McIntosh said.
Alex McIntosh said his wife's journey to being gluten-free started off with some difficulty. When she was first diagnosed, she bought a gluten-free baking mix that she said was awful.
“It was sad for her to think that was what her life was going to be,” Alex McIntosh said.
With her experience in culinary school and desire to make gluten-free taste good, Alisha McIntosh “worked really hard to perfect her recipes ... there were 50 iterations of her chocolate chip cookie recipe alone,” Alex McIntosh said.
Alisha McIntosh said many times at the farmers market people would try her treats and love them with no idea they were gluten-free.
Alisha McIntosh is grateful for her husband's supportive role in helping Ambrosial come to life. Alex McIntosh was humble about his contribution to the bakery, making sure people knew this is his wife's project and he is there as a support.
Because Alex and Alisha McIntosh also have three young children, Ambrosial is currently only open on the weekends, but Alisha McIntosh said as she continues to train more people, she wants to open more during the week.
Ambrosial will have a rotating menu, based on what is popular. However, the cinnamon rolls will always be available.