CELIACTODAY

Paul Kelty is generous with his praise of independent gluten-free bakers.

“There’s a lot of people doing really good stuff,” says Mr. Kelty, who is a co-owner, along with founder Richard “Ritt” Gallo, of Mr. Ritt’s Gluten-Free Bakery in Philadelphia.

Mr. Kelty is in a position to know. He’s responsible for buying products to sell, along with Mr. Ritt’s own fresh-baked goods, at the company’s two retail outlets. (The second one is in Millville, N.J.)

“As I pick my products,” Mr. Kelty says, “I’m looking for the best things out there.” He mentions four bakeries in particular:

For donuts: Celiac Specialties LLC in Chestersfield, Mich.

For bagels: Joan’s GF Great Bakes, Bellmore, N.Y.

For pizza: Everybody Eats Inc., Brooklyn, N.Y.

For desserts: The Grainless Baker, Lake Ariel, Pa.—specifically, that bakery’s cream sandwiches. “I eat them frozen myself, like an ice cream sandwich,” he says.

And for bread? “Ritt,” Mr. Kelty says, “is the best GF bread baker out there. No question. People love his stuff.”

This story originally appeared in the (October, 2007 ) issue of CeliacToday.com. It was most recently updated in (October, 2009).