Big things are on the horizon for Around the World Gourmet and owner Jennifer Kocher.
Kocher, who also owns Kocher Foods International, Inc., learned she was the recipient of a $50,000 JobsOhio Inclusion Grant. That funding will be paired with her own investment of $125,000 to acquire and implement the use of a pulverizing mill inside the manufacturing arm at her 112 2nd Ave. location in West Bellaire.
This will enable Kocher to process gluten-free grain she’s sourced from regenerative farms and turn it into flour which is then made into the pizza crusts she sells all over. In addition to selling them at Around the World Gourmet, they are available both in offerings at the store’s café and also in its marketplace.
“They are providing $50,000 in matching grants funds to my company to help pay for the equipment for the mill and the renovations,” Kocher said. “It doesn’t take up that much space, but it will still put out about 750 pounds per hour of flour.”
Kocher located a regenerative farmer in Arkansas whom she will be pe purchasing brown rice from to use in the mill.
Regenerative agriculture is an environmentally friendly practice. It features a number of ecological practices as part of its philosophy, including minimizing soil disturbance and composting. It’s also more environmentally friendly as it enables a reduction in released carbons into the air. More information on the practice can be found here.
Kocher also explained she’s also had some of the bigger marijuana and hemp processors from the Zanesville area contact her since learning of her upcoming milling capabilities.
“They are interested in talking with me about milling some of their products, their hemp flower for baking, etc.,” Kocher said.
All the pizza crusts made at Around the World are gluten-free. 
Around the World Gourmet offers a number of gourmet, specialty pizzas. 
Subs, along with wings, pepperoni rolls, bakery items, and other soon-to-be-debuted items are available
Gluten Free?
But why rice? It all stems back to gluten, or in this case, the lack thereof. Grains like rice, oats, quinoa, flax, and amaranth, to name a few, are generally gluten-free. They can be milled into flour that is then used to create a number of products usually made with wheat.
Wheat contains gluten, which is a detriment for sufferers of Celiac disease, an autoimmune disorder in which the sufferer’s body treats gluten like an invader and attacks it, leading to painful complications.
But it’s not just Celiacs who avoid Gluten at all costs. Others have a gluten allergy or sensitivity to it, while others look to keep it out of their daily diet for health-related purposes.
For those customers, Around the World Gourmet’s food offerings are unmatched in a variety throughout the Ohio Valley.
From its extensive selection of gourmet pizzas and breadsticks to wings, and a number of tasty sauces, the gluten-free options on the menu are vast. Around the World also offers a range of subs, pepperoni rolls, meat and cheese trays, and a full-service deli.
This is in addition to the store’s marketplace, where shoppers can purchase both hot and cold products, find tasty treats at the bakery, take advantage of the deli, and find a selection of both drinks and beer.
Kocher already creates, markets, and sells gluten-free pizza crusts to individual customers, restaurants, and other outlets throughout the country. But she’s working to add another option to that list.
“We can mill all kinds of specialty flours,” Kocher said. “We’ve been sent samples of raw sunflower seed flour and pumpkin seed flour.
“We’re trying to create a pizza that’s similar to mine now, so it will still remain gluten free and vegan, but one that is also low carb. We need it to be keto friendly.”
Kocher is trying to find that perfect combination of gluten free, low carb or carb free whilst still remaining vegan. That would be huge to low-carb and ketogenic diet followers that still yearn for pizza but can’t handle the number of carbs a slice or two typically yields.
Other Additions
The milling capabilities aren’t the only thing new coming to Around the World.
Kocher is set to debut 3-4 different new specialty pizza here within the next month. Like the others, the crust will be gluten free. For those who’ve never sampled a gluten-free crust, don’t let the name scare you off.
“All of our pizza crusts are gluten free, but it tastes like a regular pizza crust. There’s no difference in flavor profile,” Kocher said, noting that there’s a restaurant in Columbus that she sells her garlic and herb crust too where the employees prefer Kocher’s crust to the restaurant’s in-house options.”
Around the World soon will have a revamped and updated website, probably launching in March.
But there’s an even bigger announcement coming, one that Kocher is being somewhat secretive with specifics for now.
She did say though that inside Around the World, a few ghost kitchens will be set up offering types of cuisine not currently available in the Ohio Valley.
“The menus are ready to launch, and the food will be available for pickup,” Kocher said. The couple types of cuisine mentioned are unique to the Ohio Valley, but she’s not ready to divulge the full plans just yet.
But that too, should be up and running here in the next few months, offering even more incentive to swing through West Bellaire and visit Kocher at Around the World Gourmet. For more information, visit the store’s Facebook page or its website.
