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| Askatu Bakery | |
|---|---|
 | |
_-_170.jpg) The bakery's exterior in 2022 | |
 Interactive map of Askatu Bakery | |
| Restaurant information | |
| Location | 2209 4th Avenue,Seattle, King, Washington, 98121, United States |
| Coordinates | 47°36′53″N122°20′36″W / 47.6147°N 122.3433°W /47.6147; -122.3433 |
Askatu Bakery (sometimesAskatu Bakery and Cafe)[1] is aLatino- and woman-ownedbakery inSeattle'sBelltown neighborhood, in theU.S. state ofWashington.[2] As an "allergen-free" bakery, Askatu offersgluten-free andvegan options, and avoidseggs,nuts, and wheat. Established by Estela Martinez in 2019.
TheLatino-[3] and woman-owned[4]bakery is located indowntown Seattle'sBelltown neighborhood.Noms magazine says the cafe offers a "unique blend of Basque and American" pastries, as well as coffee and tea.[5] Askatu is known for itsgluten-free options and avoids use ofxanthan orguar gums.[6]KNKX has described the business as an "allergen-free" bakery which avoidseggs,nuts, and wheat.[7]Seattle's Child magazine has said Askatu is "free of the top nine allergens".[8]
Askatu is associated with Liberated Foods by the same owner. In 2021, Lindsey Kirschman of theSeattle Post-Intelligencer said the bakery "doles out goods alongside Liberated Foods, LLC, a minority- and woman-owned small business that specializes in making allergen-free baked goods and mixes to order.[9]
Askatu is owned by head baker Estela Marie Degr Martinez,[10] who initially operated the business atfarmers' markets in 2015, and later opened abrick and mortar bakery in October 2019.[11] She focused on allergen-free foods because of her family members with food allergies.[12] Martinez also owns the affiliated company Liberated Foods, which she started following some encouragement from her daughter's classmate's mother.[13] Liberated Foods also specializes in allergen-friendly baked goods and breads.[2]
Askatu has been a vendor at the farmers' market in theUniversity District.[6] According to theSeattle Metropolitan, Askatu is "EnviroStars-certified, a City of Seattle program that recognizes green businesses and provides free sustainability tools and resources".[14][15] The bakery is part of the Intentionalist network, which seeks to increase awareness of minority-owned small businesses in the region.[4][16]
Askatu has participated in Seattle Restaurant Week.[17] In 2023, the business participated in the Downtown Renton Chocolate Crawl.[18]
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Lindsey Kirschman included the bakery in theSeattle Post-Intelligencer's 2021 list of the 14 best confectioneries in Seattle for holiday sweets and treats.[9] In 2022, Sabra Boyd ofEater Seattle wrote, "Askatu's gluten-free baguettes boast a crunchy Maillard crust and beautiful crumb when sliced; a precise mix of proteins create the texture that every nostalgic celiac or gluten-intolerant person longs for. (This might sound like over-the-top praise, but for many, life without bread can feel limiting.)"[6] Boyd, Dylan Joffe, and Maggy Lehmicke included the bakery in a 2022 overview of "where to eat fantastic gluten-free food in Seattle",[19] and Harry Cheadle included Askatu inEater Seattle's 2023 list of 18 of the city's "most perfect" bakeries.[20]Noms magazine included Askatu in a 2023 list of Seattle's twelve best bakeries.[5]
Martinez says that while some people don't want to take on the task of navigating food allergies to bake from scratch, for her it wasn't an option. Martinez and her husband, Steve Martinez, have three children with allergies; their oldest son was diagnosed with dairy and egg allergies as an infant - but when Martinez's daughter Elena was born in 2001, everything was different... She started Askatu in 2015, first popping up at farmers markets and events before opening the Belltown bakery in October 2019. The bakery is not only free from gluten and the other seven most common allergens, but also free from rice, corn, potatoes and xanthan gum.
