My bakery way to give back to my country: Emirati entrepreneur

As it celebrates its first anniversary, Firin Gluten-Free Bakery, the first of its kind in Abu Dhabi, is looking at the next chapter in its business, with which comes a social responsibility of working for a better life for all those who suffer from gluten allergies in the UAE.

Emirati entrepreneur Moza Al Mazrouei, who launched Firin in April last year, says her bakery is not just a business entity.

“It’s more than that. It’s my way of giving something back to my country,” she told Emirates 24|7.

The idea of setting up a totally gluten-free bakery and café was born after Al Mazrouei saw people suffering with allergies and coeliac disease. She says that, as a mother, she has seen the problems that come with these allergies, and knows exactly how they can impact the life of a person.

“My daughter was suffering; so I decided to launch this business. It is for my child, for all those who suffer from this problem and for all the mothers who want a safe, gluten-free diet for their children,” says Moza.

With each problem comes an opportunity, and Al Mazrouei reflects at the past one year since she launched her business.

“There have been so many challenges. It isn’t an easy business, and we hope to make it profitable. We are not breaking even yet,” she says.

The ambitious young Emirati now aims to take her business to the next level, by planning an outlet in Sharjah.

At the same time, she continues to devote time to talk and interact with her customers each day, guiding them on how to learn to live with such allergies.

“I talk to people who visit us. I once met a mother of a four-year-old who was in tears. I explained to her that this problem is not the end of the world. You have to change your outlook, enjoy your food and life, and design your own food without putting restrictions.”

For people with gluten allergies, the key to deal with it is “by knowing the problem,” says Al Mazrouei.

People need to know there is gluten in some foods and drinks. This may not be an easy task as not all products are labelled clearly as to whether they are gluten-free or not.

But for her business, Moza goes out of the way to ensure that every ingredient used in her bakery is of the best quality.

“We source our raw materials from the US and I personally visit those sourcing companies. We also send our ingredients to the lab for testing,” she says.

Firin bakery customises its menus to suit customers who want gluten-free food, she says. In addition, the products do not contain preservatives or additives. They are also free of hydrogenated oils, making it trans-fat free.

Muffins, cakes, pastries, pitas, fatayer, za’atar, pizza, quiche are just some on the list for those who want tasty food that comes with a 100 per cent safe vegan (gluten free, dairy free, egg free and sugar free) tag.

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