About Us
PC: Roberta McLean Photography
From my Kitchen To Yours!
Melissa Klassen has always been a foodie, who loves to cook and loves to be creative in the kitchen. As a young adult, she studied Psychology, Human Services and Human Resources, which were a natural fit with her empathetic and thoughtful personality. While in university, she was diagnosed with Celiac Disease and an intolerance to Dairy. As someone who is adventurous in the kitchen and loves trying new and exciting recipes, it was devastating to know she would always be missing out on some key foods. However, with grit and determination, she made the best of it and put her passion for cooking to work.
Knowing many others struggled with food allergies and sensitivities like her, she was inspired to make food that was free from key allergens, but still tasted delicious and delivered great texture. Growing up Mennonite, perogies were a huge part of her family’s culture and tradition. They were always a staple on the dinner table, at family gatherings, and community events. Therefore, she was determined to recreate the most delicious Vegan and Gluten Free Perogies free of Soy, Nuts, Gums and Added Sugar so all could enjoy.
During her childhood she had the fondest memories with her Mom in the kitchen, rolling out the dough and learning how to make perogies. She didn’t want to lose that heritage with her diagnosis. Then when she married her husband, Bradley, who is also Mennonite, she knew she had to develop recipes that would satisfy them both and could be passed down to the next generation. Undeterred by skepticism, she did just that which amazed her family, friends, and now customers. Inclusion is her focus by making allergen friendly, wholesome comfort food that all can enjoy! Melissa loves finding creative solutions to accommodate the dietary needs of her customers so no one has to miss out on good food.
Who are we?
Melissa's Klassy Kitchen is a buyBC, woman-owned food producer in Williams Lake, British Columbia, Canada. We started out selling a couple gluten free baking mixes at our local farmer's market in 2021. Now you can find us in retail stores across BC and Alberta!
In 2022, at a demo to showcase our GF Everyday Baking Flour, we were making pierogi to show off how well our flour works for GF pasta. When everyone started asked where they could buy the pierogi, we knew we were onto something. Not long after, we started packaging our gluten free and vegan green onion pierogi. That fall we launched our second flavour due to popular demand!
In 2023, we made the big decision to focus entirely on our Vegan & Gluten Free pierogi which have been such a hit with our customers. If you're in Williams Lake, come stop by one of the local markets and grab a plate of pierogi to enjoy. We would love to meet you!
You can order our products in our online store or use the Find Us page to see what stores we are stocked in across BC and Alberta.
Our Values
NATURAL INGREDIENTS & NON-GMO
All products at Melissa's Klassy Kitchen are 100% natural and non-GMO. We strive to use whole foods in their most natural form and showcase their amazing flavors in our products, with minimal processing to deliver the best flavour.
ZERO WASTE POLICY
We believe that no food should be wasted. Any excess ingredients from production are saved and used for making samples later on. Any products nearing expiry are sold through our partner, Peko Produce, at a discounted rate or donated to Local Charities including Food Banks.
CARE FOR OTHERS
We want our products to not only meet the needs of our customers for their allergy-friendly lifestyle and health goals, but also give back to people facing food insecurity and difficult times in their lives. That is why we sponsor organizations like the Ukrainian Safe Haven who are helping Ukrainian refugees get back on their feet after escaping from their war-torn homeland.
CARE FOR NATURE
We are always looking for ways to reduce our impact on the environment, whether that is finding a use for any food waste we produce, offering bulk options, reusing shipping materials and reducing unnecessary packaging.
GLUTEN FREE ALWAYS
Everything we make is 100% gluten, dairy, nut and soy free. With a celiac owner, we know the risks and we thoughtfully strive to reduce cross-contamination and make an allergy friendly product, safe to enjoy.
PLANT-BASED
All our recipes are made without the use of any dairy, eggs or animal based products. We even use a soy free, plant based protein to give an added boost. We believe that introducing more plant-based options into our diet is a win for everyone.