HERNANDO, Miss — One Hernando-based bakery is trying to change people's perceptions of what gluten-free desserts taste like.
Leslie King is the owner of "The Baker's Corner," a dedicated gluten-free bakery located just north of The Square in Hernando.
"I knew that there was a need out there," King said.
The "corner" sits inside a shop called Side Alley Gifts. Kim Derryberry is the owner of that store.
"We had The Baker's Corner Open up in here about a year and a half ago, and it's been such a wonderful thing," she said.
As King describes it, gluten is a protein that comes from wheat, barley and rye.
"There's a stigma attached to the words 'gluten-free'," she said. "A lot of people think 'Eww gross, that's not going to taste good,' but I knew I could change their minds."
Kim Derryberry has already begun changing someone's mind that is close to her.
"I've even fooled my husband many times with items," Derryberry said. "He says, 'I don't eat gluten free items,' but he does. He's going to know now that he does. He does eat them and he does love them."
King said offering gluten-free options is also a health issue.
"A lot of people react badly to gluten," she said. "Some people get really sick from it."
Natalia Murdaugh is one of these people. Murdaugh has celiac disease, an auto-immune disorder in which the body reacts negatively to gluten.
"My intestines will start to break down if I ingest gluten," she said.
Now she is a routine customer of the shop with her husband Nicholas.
"When we moved here we thought it was going to be a struggle to find a place that makes good baked good foods that would be able to cater to her health needs," Nicholas Murdaugh said. "We found this place a couple of weeks ago. It's so easy to pop in here and grab her whatever treats and coffee that she wants."
Natalia Murdaugh only recently discovered that she had Celiac's disease.
"I just found out within the last year that I have Celiac's, and I have a major sweet tooth, so this place kind of provides that outlet in a safe way that doesn't negatively affect my body," she said.
Leslie King seems happy to help.
"It is about your quality of life," she said.