our FAMILY

Valerie Van Gelderen is the co-owner of Totally Gluten Free Ltd. and a devoted mother of nine children, ranging in age from 16 to 34, and proud “Oma” to five grandchildren. Seven of their nine children have celiac disease, which inspired Valerie’s deep commitment to creating gluten-free food that’s not only safe to eat, but also delicious and nourishing. Many of our recipes that we still use today began in her kitchen at home while creating delicious food for her large family.

You’ll often find Valerie in the bakery—developing new products and flavors to keep our offerings fresh and exciting. She also loves connecting with customers in our storefront and delightfully cozy café.

 Karin, the fourth eldest of the Van Gelderen children, is a co-owner of Totally Gluten Free Ltd. and serves as the company’s General Manager. Her role is both diverse and vital—she handles staff scheduling, special event planning, social media management, payroll, and countless other behind-the-scenes responsibilities that keep the bakery running smoothly.

In addition to her managerial duties, Karin still rolls up her sleeves to craft our pies, pastries, cookies, and cakes, and she happily fills in wherever she’s needed. Having followed a gluten-free diet since early childhood, Karin brings a wealth of firsthand knowledge about celiac disease and gluten-free living to everything she does.

Lianne, the second eldest of the Van Gelderen family, somehow manages to balance her full-time work and being a fantastic mom to two beautiful girls, while also handling a great deal of the behind-the-scenes work for Totally Gluten Free Ltd. She helps out with paperwork, and government documentation, and also helps us with navigating the sticky red tape that sometimes comes with running a business. Her expertise and organizational skills are invaluable, keeping us up to date on new regulations and requirements for business owners. We’re incredibly thankful for all she does to keep things running smoothly behind the scenes.