Ashley Vanchu created Bitty Birds Bakery due to her own health issues, but found a ready market for products that were nut free, gluten free, dairy free, or vegan. From left: Kevin Miedema and Ashley Vanchu. Tinkess Photo

IROQUOIS – It is amazing how many small businesses come into being because of their owner seeing a problem, or something missing in the marketplace and deciding to do something about it. Bitty Birds Bakery is a perfect example.

Ashley Vanchu, who owns Bitty Birds Bakery was diagnosed with Celiac disease, which is a serious autoimmune disease that occurs in genetically predisposed people where the ingestion of gluten leads to damage in the small intestine. It is estimated to affect 1 in 100 people worldwide, but only about 30% are properly diagnosed.

“I opened Bitty Birds Bakery to make sure people with food intolerances could have food that reminds them of the foods they were growing up with and just have good food still available for them.”

Bitty Birds Bakery opened at Christmas of 2023, and while they may have dodged the Pandemic, it was the Pandemic that triggered their move to Iroquois. “Actually, the pandemic is what made us realize we wanted to move out to Iroquois,” said Vanchu. “We realized we didn’t have to or need to be in the city. We just… we had to get out.”

There have been a few surprises since the business began, fortunately most of them have been positive. “I wasn’t expecting the demand and the popularity of it,” said Vanchu, “So originally, I started kind of just doing small batches. It’s a little bit of everything for everyone, and now it’s expanded to supplying stores. I’m carried at Loughlin’s Country Store, in Hallville,  and I’ve even got companies and weddings coming to me now and everything. So, I grossly underestimated how many people would appreciate the business.”

So, it’s a bit of an understatement to say that things are going well?

“Very well, very well,” exclaims Vanchu. “I’m very busy. I’m possibly expanding a little bit more in the future, so I’m excited.”

Vanchu works from home (“I’m a Certified Home bakery,”) and she likes being able to do that, because it lets her balance home and business a lot easier.

Most businesses have a specialty, and Bitty Birds Bakery is no exception. “My biggest seller is the donuts, because it’s so hard to find fried donuts when you’re celiac; they’re all cake based,” said Vanchu. “Everyone loves those. I try and accommodate dairy free and vegan, because I know when you have celiac disease, chances are you have other intolerances that come in the pack, so you need other assistance with it too, to make sure you can eat other good things.

“The biggest accomplishment for me so far has been I went to Stittsville, and that’s where I got this trophy from. I competed in the butter tart festival there, and I won best gluten free butter tart.”

Which explains the connection to Loughlin’s because they are regular participants in the butter tart competition and have won as well.

“That’s where we met,” says Vanchu. “We met there, and she won for the best signature one, and we started talking. She told me she couldn’t do gluten free safely, so we kind of came to an arrangement, and that’s how we met.”

Bitty Birds Bakery is located on Chess Road in Iroquois. You can reach them at 613-462-4190, or by email at bittybirdsbakery@gmail.com or through their website at Bittybirdsbakery.square.site, or on Facebook.

If you would like to have a light shined on your business, please contact us at: editor@etceterapublications.ca or call us at 613-448-2321.