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Local News Summary of January, 21st

  • Basel's traditional pastry is finally available gluten free
  • Witnesses sought after car hits a wall
  • More than 100,000 people visit Basel Museum Night

Basel's traditional pastry is finally available gluten free

Kathrin Kasper is set to open Basel's first ever gluten free shop. As well as home-baked pastries such as gluten-free Zopf, Magenbrot, and Linzer tarts, she wants to offer further products for those suffering from coeliac disease. Barfi.ch visited the busy mother in her bakery in Riehen.

Gluten, lactose or fructose? It seems to be fashionable to suffer from one or another allergy. Many people however do not really how hard it is for those who genuinely have these conditions. Those suffering from coeliac disease or gluten intolerance cannot eat a Zopf or Magenbrot for breakfast and they cannot have a sandwich or normal bread for lunch. If they eat it anyway, the body takes revenge: hair loss, chronic tiredness or a growth disorder among children can occur. The bowels also suffer badly from receiving the wrong nourishment.

An online-shop first, then a real one

In order to provide those suffering from these conditions with a piece of normality, for four years Kathrin Kasper has provided a special range of goods: gluten-free Zopf, gluten-free Magenbrot and also Osterfladen and Fastenwähe, which she bakes and sells, as well as many other pastries. And business is going well. So well, in fact, that she will open the first gluten-free shop in Riehen soon. «I realised that it couldn't continue running the bakery like this anymore,» said Ms Kasper. «People don't just want to order online and have to plan ahead, but they also want to buy pastries in a real shop.» The mother of four has a goal: «In my shop there should be more gluten-free products.» Nobody would have to go to the city to buy gluten-free lasagne pastry, beer or «letter-soup» (Buchstabensuppe). Ms Kasper plans to open the shop before the spring.

Daughter suffers from the condition

Kathrin Kasper knows what she's talking about. Her daughter suffers from coeliac disease, also called gluten intolerance. «After we had the diagnosis, I started to bake,» she said. First only for the family but then she started to build up her online-shop. She admits that she is not a professional baker. «Of course I lack the skills of a professional baker, but I can bake gluten-free products without worrying,» she said. And her customers seem to like it. Last year her business made a big leap: «I received the licence from the interest group IG Zöliakie and since then the orders increased.» It was worth it. Many requirements must be fulfilled to get a licence, there are analyses of the products and Ms Kasper had to guarantee that she exclusively uses gluten-free ingredients in her products.

A piece of normality

Ms Kasper developed a big part of her recipes on her own during many working and testing hours. «I always compared my Magenbrot to the one I could buy,» she said. Although she hasn't reached her goal yet, those suffering from coeliac disease are happy nevertheless to enjoy Magenbrot, which is a traditional part of the Herbstmesse, the autumn fair. «The absolute top seller is the Zopf,» said the successful baker, who offers a fresh Zopf. However, she says baking a gluten-free Zopf is very difficult.

Kathrin Kasper faced this challenge and it was worth it: From baking for her family, she developed a successful enterprise which can provide a piece of normality for many.

Witnesses sought after car hits a wall

The police are looking for witnesses after a car crashed into a wall of a house at Leonhardsgraben in the early hours of Saturday morning.

A female driver in a dark, possibly blue car drove over the pavement and crashed head-on into a wall of a house at Leonhardsgraben 52 at 2.31am, the police said. 

The driver, who had a female passenger in the car, then left the scene in her car without contacting the police, leaving the wall damaged.

Anyone with information about the accident is asked to call the traffic police on the telephone number 061 699 12 12 or send an email to: KapoVrk.VLZ@jsd.bs.ch.

More than 100,000 people visit Basel Museum Night

The 18th annual Museum Night in Basel attracted 20 per cent more visitors than last year, according to entry figures. The 36 museums and cultural institutions which took part in this year's event registered 100,513 entries to their buildings, which were open between 6pm and 1am on Friday night.

An additional 16,000 entries were registered at other participating cultural institutions, a spokesperson for the Department for Presidential Affairs said. This was the highest number of visitors since 2014.

According to a press release, the most popular feature of the Museum Night was the possibility to go behind the scenes, the chance to observe employees at their work, and the talks given by curators and directors. There were also special programmes for people with a migratory background, those on low incomes, and refugees.

The next Basel Museum Night is planned for 18th January 2019. Museum staff and organisers will begin work on the concept in the summer.