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Stomach issues inspire Metro Detroit woman to make allergy-free snack line
The Real Renee snacks were created by Renee Sorgi after she discovered that finding snacks that didn't contain allergens that upset her stomach was difficult. She is now working to expand that snack line and where she can sell her food.
ROCHESTER, Mich. (FOX 2) - A Rochester Hills woman's health issues made it hard to find foods she could have at the grocery store, so she turned to her kitchen.
"I was just always bloated, fatigued, my skin was bad, and I just knew it wasn’t normal," Renee Sorgi said. "I can remember having stomach aches as a kid all the time and I just thought it was normal because as a kid you don’t know what’s normal and not normal."
When she sought medical treatment, she discovered she had health issues, and certain foods made her sick.
"About five years ago I found out I had l leaky gut, Candida, sibo - which are all gut health issues," she said. "I eliminated nuts and grain and soy and dairy and eggs, wheat… and I found it really hard to find things to eat especially in the grocery stores."
That's when she started experimenting in the kitchen.
"I started making granola just for something to eat for breakfast," she said. "I discovered that sliced tiger nuts look just like oats, the best replacement for oats in granola, and mix that all together with some olive oil, syrup, cinnamon, and salt - made the best granola. It’s so delicious, and I added the chocolate chips which made it even better."
She launched The Real Renee in January 2020. Shortly after, she had more time to focus on her food endeavors because she is a hairdresser and could not work during the height of the Covid pandemic.
"I was stuck at home, and I just started playing with different flours to start making crackers, and came up with an amazing recipe and that’s how my crackers came," Sorgi said. "Right now we have two granola flavors, chocolate chip, and cinnamon, and three cracker flavors - chive, garlic, and Rosemary."
Currently, you can find her snacks online and at the Rochester Hills Farmers Market.
"I love the people that come that read the ingredients," she said. "(I love the moms that come and are like, ‘Oh my gosh, I finally have something my son can eat.’"
More are in the works, too.
"I have so many recipes in my mind – edible cookie dough, protein bars, flatbread dough. There are so many things – graham crackers – that I can't wait to roll out and put in stores," Sorgi said.
As she works on new products, Sorgi is doing double duty.
"I still do hair a few days a week at Alex Emilio and I do this on the side, so definitely I have a busier schedule doing both," she said. "I still love doing hair, but this just fills my soul in a different way."
She is also in the process of getting a commercial kitchen, so she can expand where she is allowed to sell. She currently makes her products at home.
"I cannot sell them in stores, I can’t sell them online, places like QVC and Amazon, so I really can’t grow much larger until I get into a commercial kitchen," Sorgi said.
She is adamant about having an allergy-free facility.
"This is it this is the building, and this is going to be my kitchen, this is going to be the front door entrance," she said. "Like, I can’t believe this is happening. I’m so excited, it’s been a dream of mine for a few years since I started it. This is what I need in order for my business to grow. It’s either this or nothing, so we’re going for it."
Sorgi is raising money through a crowdfunding campaign to make that dream a reality. Donate here.