Wildcraft Baking Company, Irvington’s gluten-free cafe, has a die-hard following

October 13, 2024

By Shana Liebman–

Wildcraft Baking Company may not be part of the wave of new coffee shops in Irvington, but it has steadily gained fans since opening in 2022. Tucked away at 1 Bridge Street behind the train station, the gluten-free bakery has become a popular destination for Rivertown foodies.

You may know Wildcraft from their booth at local farmers markets, where they often show up with their famously creative granolas, including Beet & Buckwheat, Coca Quinoa, and Roots & Seeds (which recently won a Gold Sofi Award from the Specialty Food Association) . Starting this month, they are offering a holiday offering: Sweet Potato and Pecan.

“When we started selling at farmers markets in 2018, we worked in a shared production kitchen,” explains Brittany Vellucci, who founded Wildcraft with her husband, chef Michael Ridd, and her father, Dominic Vellucci, a food chemist. “We had been looking for a space of our own where we could eat completely gluten-free for a while, and when we saw our space in Irvington, we knew it was meant to be.”

Brittany, who grew up in Westchester and recently worked for caterer Abigail Kirsch at Tappan Hill Mansion, always knew she wanted to be a baker, but was diagnosed with a gluten allergy while studying at the Culinary Institute of America. “I remember being devastated because how could a pastry chef avoid gluten?”

When she met Michael at the CIA, the couple began experimenting with fresh fruits and vegetables to improve the texture and taste of gluten-free baked goods. “Mike and I wanted to develop creative and flavorful gluten-free recipes that were interesting and intriguing even without having to avoid gluten,” says Brittany. “Every step we took after the CIA was toward the goal of starting our own company.”

The name “Wildcraft,” which Brittany says is synonymous with foraging, reflects her baking philosophy: “Finding ways to use something wild (flours, flavors or products not normally included in baking) to create a unique, creative and one-of-a-kind “Achieve result.” superior product.”

Their small, sun-filled industrial shop is a perfect fit for the Bridge Street community, feeding its employees and visitors daily, including Yoga Love members, and supplying The Red Hat with gluten-free bread. There is no designated seating area, but customers can watch the bakers (through the kitchen’s large glass window) as they calmly stir dough and drop cookies onto giant commercial sheet pans.

Their baked goods are made with love and care and high-quality, healthy ingredients like organic buckwheat flour. The menu is seasonal and most ingredients come from local farmers markets. It’s not the kind of bakery that’s likely to delight young children, but the creative menu, with items like chocolate chickpea cookies and cauliflower brownies, is uniquely delicious.

The egg sandwiches are served on savory vegetable-flavored scones – which are subtler and more biscuit-like than those served at Red Barn. (Although Red Barn Bakery up the street also offers gluten-free baked goods, Wildcraft is the only cafe in Irvington with a completely gluten-free operation.)

Wildcraft’s apple cranberry buckwheat scones, carrot crumb cake and espresso brownies are hugely popular. “Looking forward, our parsnip apple walnut crumble cakes are returning, seeded buckwheat sourdough breads are coming to market and Mike and I are completing research and development for donuts and brioche buns with pastry cream to showcase the fruit from the market says Brittany.

Their coffee from Irving Farm in upstate New York is excellent and can be refined with flavored syrups such as elderberry, cassis and chocolate. The Ice London Fog consists of Calabrian bergamot oil, vanilla syrup and cold foam. “We just started pouring our Autumn Immuni tea made with elderberry, ginger and lemon; apple chai with local cider; and our homemade pumpkin spice sauce that can be added to a variety of drinks,” says Brittany.

Despite the success of their brick-and-mortar stores, the Velluccis continue to make monthly rounds at local markets, including Tarrytown, Hastings, Chappaqua and Irvington. “When we develop a new product, we always start by sampling our market customers,” says Brittany. “Next year we plan to be in significantly more locations, expand into the city and Connecticut, and offer our breads in larger formats.”

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