Joe's European Deli 'always experimenting' to bring Regina gluten-free options

Joe Oddo got into the gluten-free food industry in the late 1980s, before it was a selling point on restaurant menus and product packaging.

"I was representing Saskatchewan at a food exhibition in Anaheim, Calif., in 1992, and out of 1,096 booths, I was the only guy with gluten-free products there," said the 71-year-old Regina entrepreneur.

Now, gluten-free food has gone mainstream, but Joe's European Deli and Catering continues to be a mainstay for those with dietary restrictions in Regina and even farther afield.

The bakery and catering business is a treasure trove of gluten-free sweets all sorts of cakes, cream puffs, eclairs, doughnuts.

Joe's also ships gluten-free products to stores all over the province, with demand for their perogies reaching as far as British Columbia, Alberta and Ontario.

Located on the corner of Ross Avenue East and Park Street in Regina's industrial area, its lunch counter, serving up massive portions for under ten bucks, is popular with the area's tradespeople. All of the meals are available gluten-free. They often sell out.

On Saturdays, they're in the habit of introducing new gluten-free products.

"You can come in here and it's like an adventure. You never know what Joe is making next!" said Oddo with a laugh.

Raised on bread

As a little boy in Sicily, Oddo remembers his mother baking fresh bread in the wood-burning forno oven in their home. Homemade pasta was standard in their household as well.

His family emigrated to France when he was nine, and they lived in Paris for six years, at which time he developed a love for "crusty baguettes." They then emigrated to Canada in 1966.

Oddo went to baking school at age 17. After completing the program, he became a baker for the Dominion grocery store chain in Regina.

He ventured out on his own in 1976.

Ten years later, Oddo started developing gluten-free recipes, when his wife's friend was diagnosed with Celiac disease. It's an autoimmune disorder that affects the digestive system, and it can be triggered by gluten, a protein found in grains.

Joe's is a secure facility that prevents the cross-contamination of gluten-free with non-gluten-free ingredients. Some people's dietary restrictions (Celiac and Crohn's disease, among others) are quite serious, and they can react severely even to trace amounts of gluten.

Like baking with sand

With such a wide variety of gluten-free products, it's tough for Oddo to identify his most popular.

"If they didn't sell, they wouldn't be out there. That's very expensive real estate," he said, explaining that gluten-free products are three to four times more expensive to make than their regular counterparts.

Asked what was the hardest product he's converted to a gluten-free version, Oddo delivers another blanket response: "Every one of them. The big challenge is ... picture sand. And try to bake with sand."

Each product has its own specific blend of gluten-free flour, with its own recipe be it a pie, cookie or loaf of bread.

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It's a lot of work, but for Oddo, it's a labour of love.

"I'm glad that I've been able to help people, all along," he said.

"I love when customers come in and they bring their little kids. I love giving them the little doughnut or the cookie. You just see their little faces light up. That's what it's all about for me."