LIFT UP LOCAL 020
Written by Pamela Patton
📷 courtesy of [Peasant Life]
Nut-Free Deliciousness in Every Bite
Jordyn Gudeman was just four years old when she had her first anaphylactic reaction to tree nuts. “I was only the second person in my elementary school to have a nut allergy or any food allergy. It was a big learning curve for the adults in my life, including my parents, teachers, and relatives.”
When Jordyn’s allergy was discovered, food labels rarely stated that the item was processed in a facility that contained nuts, so her family had to play it safe. “It was challenging growing up. I couldn’t go to the bakery with my friends or get a cookie at the mall. If a parent brought store-bought treats to school, I couldn’t have any. While everyone ate cake and cookies, I ate a packaged treat from home.”
📷 courtesy of [Peasant Life]
Gradually, it was discovered that her younger brother and sister also have nut allergies, so her mother would let Jordyn bake cookies from boxed mixes to treat the family. “It was fun to make and bake our cookies, but I knew I could do it better, so I started creating my own cookie recipes.”
She started by adapting the ingredients of recipes she found in cookbooks or online, but gradually, her skills improved so that she could craft cookies with specific qualities, such as a soft center and a chewy crust.
Jordyn baked her cookies for herself and her siblings, mostly, but she did bring them to parties or birthday celebrations—and her friends loved them. So when it came time to pick a career, she and parents decided to start Eddie G’s Cookies.
“It was challenging growing up. I couldn’t go to the bakery with my friends or get a cookie at the mall. If a parent brought store-bought treats to school, I couldn’t have any. While everyone ate cake and cookies, I ate a packaged treat from home””
📷 courtesy of [Peasant Life]
“Our first thought was to try to market them to movie theatres, sports arenas, airlines, theme parks—all the places where options are limited for people with nut allergies. However, shortly after we were ready to go to market, the pandemic began.”
But necessity is the mother of invention, and Jordyn and the rest of the world discovered the convenience and safety of buying food to be delivered to their doors. Eddie G’s cookies were soon sold online.
But how did Eddie G’s cookies come to Meijer Market Format stores? “I was driving by Woodward Corner Market and decided to drop in. I admired the small store concept, and that all the vendors are hyperlocal, so I thought I would give it a try. Then I learned from the city of Southfield Chamber of Commerce that Meijer was holding a vendor summit, so I signed up, I needed to learn what Meijer was looking for in a product.”
📷 courtesy of [Peasant Life]
Jordyn was thrilled when she realized that the Woodward store management selected her for a meeting where she could bring samples. “At the end of the meeting, they told me that the cookies were accepted into their store and to head to a designated table to begin the process. I was thrilled because I had achieved my goal: Get into Woodward Corner Market.”
But something happened. “After the onboarding, the store representative told me to return to the auditorium and wait because they might have something for me. I had no idea I was competing against so many people, so I was stunned when they said, ‘Would the owner of Eddie G’s Cookies come to the stage to accept the Golden Ticket,’ which granted automatic acceptance into all four Meijer Market Format stores. And yeah, the first thing I did was call my parents!”
📷 courtesy of [Peasant Life]
At the moment, Eddie G’s cookies come in seven flavors, the most popular being their chocolate chip, with birthday cake (laden with white chocolate chips and colorful sprinkles) coming in second. (Her personal favorite is the double chocolate.) And Jordyn’s crafting some limited-edition holiday flavors, including pumpkin, mocha, and lemon.
All Eddie G’s cookies are individually packaged and made without preservatives, so they always have that fresh, homemade flavor. And the cookies are as big in size as they are in flavor, measuring nearly four inches across!
📷 courtesy of [Peasant Life]
Because of her allergy, Jordyn has always been a reader of labels. Today, she looks for other information, such as whether the product is made locally or if the manufacturer is woman- or minority-owned. “This area is such a cultivator of local foods and entrepreneurs, and it’s great to see Meijer supporting that.” And she looks forward to coming to stores for samplings to meet with customers and share her story with parents and others.
And who is Eddie G? “That’s my dad, Ed Gudeman. Even though I graduated with a degree in finance, he’s the one who encouraged me to follow my dream of sharing these cookies. Besides, Jordyn G’s Cookies doesn’t roll off the tongue like his name does.”
You can find Eddie G’s Cookies at Woodward Corner Market in our Bakery department and near our check-out!