Jenna's Nut Free Dessertery

Jenna White was a stay-at-home mom when she developed a severe nut allergy in her early 30s. She quickly realized that there weren’t a lot of options for nut-free products in her area, and also felt limited by constantly having to read ingredient labels and not being able to go to the cafes, bakeries, and restaurants she used to frequent. This led Jenna to open Jenna’s Nut Free Dessertery, a 100% indigenous and female-owned business in Fredericton, New Brunswick. 

Starting out with $250, a folding table, and a small menu at her local farmers' market, Jenna’s goal was to make enough money to purchase a fridge for her supply. Fast forward a couple of years, and Jenna’s Nut Free Dessertery has grown into a full-service bakery, restaurant and catering company. 

As a small business, Jenna’s Nut Free Dessertery does not have a marketing budget, meaning local support has been especially vital to her business growth. Jenna’s local chamber of commerce has helped provide that support every step of the way, offering opportunities for networking and exposure. 

 “Advertising from the chamber has helped me push past my business goals,” White said. “The members have helped with getting my business’s name out in the community.” 

The chamber also got Jenna involved in the Indigenous partnership committee, and ensures she is included in events and opportunities when they arise. 

“Having the chamber push me towards being a part of the indigenous partnership committee forum has helped with aligning and including the indigenous community," she said. “I am a proud indigenous woman and business owner.”   

With the Farmers’ Market shutting down for a few months due to the pandemic in 2020, Jenna was able to pivot her business into food production, creating baking mixes, and making food available for people who were under lockdown. She required a commercial kitchen to prep food for her services and decided to take the opportunity to open her restaurant.  

Jenna’s one piece of advice for new business owners is to go to chamber of commerce networking events. She’s attended several events and has found them extremely helpful for getting her name out in the community and building a network of people in her city.  

“Making connections with the chamber has been helpful with my business,” White said. “It is so nice to have support from the Chamber and Chamber members. When you connect with others going through similar things, it's nice to have the sense of community”.