{"id":254549,"date":"2026-01-20T16:30:08","date_gmt":"2026-01-20T16:30:08","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/254549\/"},"modified":"2026-01-20T16:30:08","modified_gmt":"2026-01-20T16:30:08","slug":"pride-enjoy-in-wading-river-hits-a-sweet-spot-with-vegan-and-gluten-free-goodies","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/ie\/254549\/","title":{"rendered":"Pride Enjoy in Wading River hits a sweet spot with vegan and gluten-free goodies"},"content":{"rendered":"

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Janel Ordemann, owner of Pride Enjoy bakery in Wading River with some of her vegan and gluten-free goodies. (Photo Credit: Rachel Young)<\/p>\n

These days, gluten-free treats are readily found in grocery stores. Vegan desserts have become easy to track down, too. Gluten-free\u00a0and\u00a0vegan goodies, on the other hand \u2026 well, there\u2019s a decided dearth of those desserts, and often the ones available don\u2019t always pass the taste test. You know what we mean \u2014 too dense; too dry; too sugary.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Janel Ordemann, owner of alternative bakery Pride Enjoy<\/a>\u00a0uses a trial-and-error method to overcome the challenges inherent to creating airy, flavorful foods that are free from standard ingredients like wheat flour, butter and eggs. Since 2020, her Wading River shop has attracted word-of-mouth customers \u2014 many of whom have food sensitivities, but plenty who just plain like Pride Enjoy\u2019s offerings \u00ad\u2014 from Queens to Montauk, with its always-growing assortment of cakes, quiches and baked goods, none of which contain gluten, dairy or eggs.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cI was into the challenge of replacing conventional ingredients and having there be no compromise in taste or texture,\u201d Ordemann says of her decision to specialize in allergen-free baking after graduating from Suffolk County Community College with a dual degree in culinary arts and baking and pastry arts. \u201cI like to think outside the box and make magic happen.\u201d<\/p>\n

\"\"Founded in 2014, Pride Enjoy opened in its current Wading River digs in 2020. (Photo Credit: Rachel Young)<\/p>\n

Founded in 2014, Pride Enjoy got its footing at the Stony Brook University Incubator at Calverton<\/a>. Six years later, the bakery opened in its current Wading River digs, occupying a small storefront and kitchen in a tidy shopping center just west of Dunkin.\u2019\u00a0<\/p>\n

Popular offerings at the grab-and-go bakery (which doesn\u2019t take custom orders) include a rotating selection of fresh cakes \u2014 crumb is especially in demand, says Ordemann \u2014 along with rainbow cookies and pies.\u00a0<\/p>\n

\u201cOur pie dough is perfectly flaky and our fillings are made from scratch, as opposed to commercial fruit fillings that are commonly used in bakeries,\u201d she notes.\u00a0<\/p>\n

It took Ordemann 100 attempts to feel satisfied with her vanilla cake recipe. Allergen-free baking is complicated to perfect, she says, because most commercial gluten-free flours present themselves as a one-to-one swap but aren\u2019t specifically formulated for cookies or cakes.<\/p>\n

\u201c[They\u2019re] just trying to cover everything across the board,\u201d says Ordemann, who purchases large quantities of rice flour from Asian grocers. \u201cAnd with gluten-free that doesn\u2019t work great. Certain items are going to be dry and crumbly because they need more chew to hold them together since there\u2019s no gluten. Other items, it might provide too\u00a0much\u00a0chew.\u201d<\/p>\n

To avoid these common pitfalls, recipes at Pride Enjoy are adjusted with ingredients like tapioca starch, bean flour and an egg substitute containing ground flaxseed and silken tofu until Ordemann feels they\u2019re ready for public consumption.\u00a0<\/p>\n

Seems like she\u2019s found the sweet spot. \u201cThere\u2019s no bigger compliment than someone saying Pride Enjoy is their favorite bakery and they don\u2019t even have food sensitivities,\u201d Ordemann says. \u201cI also love when people buy some treats, sample them in the car and come back to verify that everything actually is gluten-free.\u00a0They feel it\u2019s too good to be true and that\u2019s mission accomplished right there.\u201d<\/p>\n

Pride Enjoy is open from 8:30 a.m. to 4 p.m. Saturday through Thursday and open Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 6 p.m.; visit their Instagram<\/a> for more information.<\/p>\n

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