Yorkshire based Feel Free For Gluten Free is developing a gluten free jam donut, having listened to feedback from its customers. A recent online survey and Twitter poll conducted by the free from food brand revealed that the type of donuts missed most by people on a gluten free diet are jam donuts. Feel Free asked consumers to choose between jam donuts, custard donuts, glazed donuts and churros to help direct product development for their gluten free donut range.
Over half of the people who voted in Feel Free's recent Twitter poll said they'd like Feel Free to develop jam donuts next. And 67% of respondents in the online survey selected jam donuts as their first or second choice when asked for their donut preference.
This jammy news comes at the start of National Doughnut Week (7 to 14 May) and Coeliac Awareness Week (9-15 May).
Sally Allister, Managing Director of Feel Free For Gluten Free who has coeliac disease herself, commented on the survey results. She said:
“It didn't come as a surprise to us when jam donuts came out on top. Since we launched our ring donuts in 2014, our customers have been telling us they still miss jam donuts. When we present our products to retailers, they always ask if we have plans to add a jam donut to our donut range.
“And the answer is yes! We've recently opened a new production site dedicated to our gluten free donut lines. We've invested in new equipment to help us keep up with the demand for our donuts, including a piece of kit called a jammer used for putting jam into ball donuts.
“We've been very excited about putting our new jammer into action and have already begun testing gluten free jam donuts. We're working hard to bring them to market by the end of the year – great news for those people who told us they want a gluten free jam donut.”
Feel Free's new production site in Selby, North Yorkshire has been funded through a crowdfunding campaign late in 2015, which attracted investors to become involved with this growing free from brand. The site only makes products free from gluten and wheat, offering reassurance to consumers that Feel Free's donuts are made without risk of cross-contamination with gluten containing ingredients.