doughnuts and more. While more retailers are stocking gluten-free options on their shelves, Benefit Your Life is committed to offering unique brands and items you can’t find anywhere else. Isabelle Stearns is a baker and wholesale director for Benefit Your Life, but she started as a customer stopping in for smoothies with her mom and siblings. At the time, no one in her family had food allergies or sensitivities; they just loved the smoothies. Isabelle later discovered she has a sensitivity to gluten, to which she had no trouble adjusting thanks to her connection at Benefit Your Life. She now introduces her own recipes to the store’s repertoire, such as the cheesecake cookie bar. As wholesale director, Isabelle has partnered with several local businesses to sell the bakery’s individual desserts, like the famous brownies and cookies, and most recently, breakfast scones. While the entirety of Benefit Your Life is gluten-free, the restaurant is also completely peanut-free, and they offer items that are dairy-free, paleo-friendly and keto approved. For people with multiple allergies, Benefit Your Life is a lifesaver. When customers or loved ones are first diagnosed with food allergies, many feel confused by food labels and frustrated trying to find what they need. “Some people come in really overwhelmed, and they just don’t know where to start,” Melissa says. “We feel like we can help them.” Ultimately, the customers remind the staff what a difference they make in the community and beyond. “Some people find us online and drive hours to visit,” says Melissa, also noting the many regulars they see throughout the week. While gluten-free options are growing for customers, delicious pre-made foods that are just as good as the original are still hard to come by. “Being able to help someone find something to eat, it’s incredible to give someone that,” says Isabelle, “like a kid with allergies who has never had a cupcake or a man who hasn’t had biscuits and gravy in years and cries when he eats it. Food is such a social part of our lives, so it feels good to be able to help someone.”
April 2019 | West Knoxville Lifestyle
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