The Squirrel & The Bee owner Michelle Retik
It’s a typical weekday morning and the Squirrel and The Bee bake shop in Millburn is buzzing. A steady stream of customers can be found here at most times of the day, and weekends bring a line out the door.
So why are people making a beeline to this dairy free, grain free and gluten free hot spot? It’s a combination of the inviting atmosphere, appetizing and delicious selection of salads, soups, coffee, ice cream and baked goods mixed with owner Michelle Retik’s philosophy behind the food she serves.
Retik went back to school to become a pastry chef in 2008, juggling raising four children with her own hectic schedule. Then, in 2011, she was diagnosed with ulcerative colitis. She followed her doctor’s line of treatment and ended up anemic, worn down, and unable to keep her weight up. The doctor dismissed her idea that her diet might be causing the problem.
Going against his advice, Retik drastically changed her entire lifestyle, cutting out grains, gluten and dairy. Within 48 hours, she said, she was a new person. It’s been three years since then and Retik remains off all medications and is completely healthy. 
Retik started experimenting with recipes and friends and neighbors began asking her to make things for them as well. Eventually, she was selling baked goods out of her home. She was seeing that the demand was there and knew that it was time to open a store.
“Colitis, Crohn’s disease, Celiac, ADHD – these were things we didn’t hear of everyday when I was growing up,” said Retik. “Some people claim that they existed, we just didn’t know about it. I disagree. Yes, they existed but they were nowhere near as prevalent as they are today.” Retik believes that if you feed your body what it needs it will respond.
Retik also believes that spending a little more on local farm raised ingredients is worth it. She tries to keep her prices as reasonable as possible but cooking this way can be costly. The drought in California has caused an increase in the price of almonds, her main source of flour. The diminishing bee population makes finding honey more challenging. Most of her baked goods are made with no more than five or so ingredients so they have to be high quality. Retik will not compromise. She gets to know all of her vendors personally. This also explains why she does not label her items as organic. “I know where all of my ingredients come from. They are farmers that may not be certified organic but everything I sell is non-GMO with minimal or no pesticides,” she said.
Retik attributes part of her success to her classic training, which gave her the foundation to formulate her recipes. Working with almond flour can be tricky, for instance. She also does not use baking powder or yeast. These are things that cause inflammation in the body, same as wheat flour, refined sugars and gluten.
Retik is approached almost every day about opening more shops. She has no plans to open another store at this time but she can be found at local farmers markets this summer. She also offers catering services and her online business is booming with orders from all over the country.
Given the response, it seems as though her passion for cooking, support of local farmers and philosophy of the curative powers of diet is a recipe for success.
Squirrel and The Bee, 515 Millburn Ave., Short Hills, 973.376.4888.
