John Edward McGee and Demetrius James began their journeys as bakers early in life when they assisted their mothers and grandparents in baking cakes and pies for family meals, birthdays, and holiday gatherings. As adults, they relocated from Mobile, Alabama to San Francisco, California for a career opportunity. Their love for desserts, or all things sweet, led them on a quest to discover everything that San Francisco’s bakeries had to offer.

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In 2007, John Edward had a life threatening anaphylactic reaction, which was followed by four years of seemingly random anaphylactic events before he was diagnosed with a rare condition known as Wheat Dependent Exercise Induced Anaphylaxis (WDEIA). This bizarre diagnosis led him to recognize the importance of knowing what is in the food he eats and the impact each ingredient has on his body. Needless to say, moments of depression set in following a visit to each of his favorite bakeries. He was shocked that there were no wheat free / gluten free dessert options available other than macaroons. He remembers the first time he tried a gluten free cupcake from the refrigerated section of a grocery store. He was so excited to be able to eat a cupcake again that he could not wait to take a bite. Unfortunately, that cupcake did not lead to happiness, but to questioning how could he survive living gluten free?

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Through divine intervention, John Edward discovered a boutique 100% Gluten Free grocery market where he met a young mother who told him that her four-year-old daughter had never had a birthday cake due to a gluten allergy. At that moment, John Edward knew that he and Demetrius had to learn to bake gluten free not just for their enjoyment, but to create memories for others like they have of their childhood.