Buckingham’s Bake Ability Expands Into Gluten-Free Baking

A Buckingham-based bakery dedicated to providing meaningful employment to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities is opening a second kitchen dedicated exclusively to gluten-free baking.

“We're just trying to be able to serve anybody that wants to support Bake Ability,” said Bake Ability owner Paula Fasciano. She opened the bakery in 2021 to support her two adult sons with Fragile X syndrome, in an interview with PhillyBurbs.com. “I feel like it kind of fits our mission because people who eat gluten-free aren't the mainstream, and we certainly aren't a mainstream bakery.”

The bakery's new gluten-free offerings will be added to the menu beginning May 7. All of the gluten-free items will be produced exclusively in the bakery's new commercial kitchen in Warminster.

Chocolate and vanilla cupcakes, chocolate chip cookies, and peanut butter cookies will be featured in the initial product rollout. Each product will be individually wrapped and displayed separately from the rest of the bakery's gluten-based products.

The bakery employs 18 staff with disabilities, nine food safety certified managers, three volunteers, and two job coaches.

“It's been really awarding because we've seen some of them receive their first paycheck ever and that sense of pride is wonderful, and we've had some move on to other forms of paid employment,” Fasciano added.

Bake Ability is at 4950 York Road in Buckingham. Visit the bakery's website for more information.