Baking Supply Co. kicks off fundraising campaign to deliver baking kits with free-from ingredients

“We’ve seen the success of a number of meal kit delivery companies in the US. I really like the idea of how convenient baking kits are because it shows people how to cook,”​ said Ali Francis, the company's founder.

According to Francis, most baked goods on the market are full of sugar, white flour and ingredients devoid of anything good.

She grew up on a farm in Australia, then worked as an agricultural journalist. When she moved to New York City, she ran the social media and marketing for a farm-to-table restaurant called Dig Inn, a job she described as “business school being paid.”​

What does a baking kit startup need?​

Francis noted that technology is paramout for a direct-to-consumer e-commerce business.

“You need to be able to integrate everything related to shipping, tracking and ordering,” ​she said.

“Shipping is very expensive, so we have to make sure that’s done in a sustainable way. ​We are also doing our best to buy organic [ingredients] from farmers,” ​she added.

Francis said her baking kits will come with all the ingredients required so consumers will not have to purchase additional products from somewhere else.

“At this stage, we’re even thinking of including disposable baking tins, trays and parchment paper [in the kit],”​ she added.

A standard cookie kit, for example, will include the dry mix - a blend of gluten-free flours - maple syrup, a bar of 100% chocolate, pumpkin seeds, ghee and salt, as well as a recipe card.

The baking kits will be available on the company’s website for $40, according to Baking Supply.

Millennials want to cook​

Francis said the free-from ingredients in the kits make it easy to target a variety of demographics and particularly Millennials, which she contended, actually want to cook despite the growing trend for on-the-go snacks.

"Market statistics show Millennials want some quickly, but I don't think [many] know how to cook - that's more of a problem than what they want or not,"​ she said.

“Millennials crave for experiences... and baking kits - which are different from everyday meals - are something you can do with your friends,” ​she added.

Baking Supply is currently working with a FDA-approved shipping facility in New York and hope to start mailing their products as soon as it has raised enough funding. The company had raised nearly $5,000 by the second day of the campaign​​.