Gluten free magazine gets nationwide distribution

Gluten Free Forever, aka GFF, a popular San Francisco magazine, is poised for nationwide distribution beginning with its spring 2016 issue. The magazine’s founder, San Franciscan Erika Lenkert, wanted to expand the magazine’s impact, so she reached out to the Meredith Corporation, one of the country’s largest media and marketing companies.

Even though she got transferred to the wrong number, Lenkert left a message anyway. She was eventually directed to Tom Witschi, president of Meredith Women’s Lifestyle Group. Lenkert said that Witschi, immediately recognized the magazine’s potential and they quickly reached an agreement. Starting with the spring issue (available April 19) Meredith will assume publication of GFF, a move that “will bump distribution to 250,000 copies from its current 12,000 per issue, and see the magazine, which retails for $9.99, distributed through mass-market channels nationwide,” including at Whole Foods stores.

The gluten-free movement has steadily gained in popularity over the past decade, as evidenced by the 580 gluten-free cookbooks and nearly 8,000 gluten-free recipes in the EYB Library, including the Gluten-free chocolate courgette cake from My Darling Lemon Thyme pictured above. In addition,  “This is not a fad,” says Lenkert, 48. “People want to improve their health, and they find if they stop eating processed food – which often contains a lot of gluten – they feel better.”

Update April 28 – we have started indexing the magazine. All issues will be up soon.