WATCH LIVE: 3 p.m. Gov. Charlie Baker News Conference On Decision Not To Run For Third Term MENU NEWS WEATHER CBSN Boston WATCH NOW - It Happens Here: Dorchester’s 88 Acres Delights With Allergen-Free Snacks By Chris McKinnon January 31, 2020 at 5:30 am Filed Under:88 Acres, Chris McKinnon, Dorchester News, It Happens Here DORCHESTER (CBS) — It Happens Here, in Dorchester. Often known to Bostonians as simply “Dot,” it is the city’s largest neighborhood. The actor who played the scarecrow in the “Wizard of Oz” grew up there, as well as New Kids on the Block. Dorchester was also America’s first producer of chocolate with the opening of the Baker Factory. On the other side of the neighborhood is the local start-up 88 Acres, a company putting a twist on the baking industry. READ MORE: Patriots' Hunter Henry Says He Would Miss A Game To See Birth Of First Child “We’re one of the only multi allergen-free bakeries in the country,” explained co-founder and CEO Nicole Ledoux. “We are free of the top eight allergens plus sesame.” Nicole Ledoux (WBZ-TV) Ledoux started baking seed-based snacks for her now-husband Rob in their Back Bay basement apartment kitchen. Today, 88 Acres employs 60 people, mostly from the surrounding neighborhood, who pump out thousands of snacks every day. Ledoux said she got the idea after an unexpected complication on her fourth date with Rob. “We were out to dinner and his meal was accidentally cross-contaminated with nuts, so I had to rush him to the emergency room,” she explained. “It was the best way to meet your future in-laws because I got to be the hero that saved their son that day.” READ MORE: Person In California Becomes 1st Case Of Omicron COVID-19 Variant Identified In US Her snacks started catching on with friends, and then runners and triathletes in their community who had nut allergies. “We focus on really high quality, super simple ingredients,” Ledoux said. 88 Acres snacks (WBZ-TV) Surprisingly, most of the process is still done by hand in small batches, like Ledoux’s early days of baking at home. You can find 88 Acres snacks in stores across the country, but it is the local impact that has made the founders most proud. MORE NEWS: Watch Live @ 3 PM: Gov. Charlie Baker News Conference On Not Running For Re-Election “We saw this amazing opportunity to create some really high quality jobs right here in the city,” Ledoux said. “It’s created this special environment.” FOLLOW US facebook_url twitter_url youtube_url instagram_url reddit_url linkedin_url OUR | NEWSLETTER MOST VIEWED Bill Belichick Stiff-Armed Kendrick Bourne In Locker Room Celebration Salem Family Of Four Tests Positive For COVID; Father And Daughter Are In ICU On Tuukka Rask, Bruins GM Don Sweeney Gives Most Definitive Statement Yet Leonard Robinson Held Without Bail After Being Charged With Murdering Dejah Jenkins-Minus In Lowell When Are Rudolph & Frosty On TV? Here's The 2021 CBS Holiday Special Schedule COVID Vaccine Passport Program Could Be Coming To Massachusetts Soon, Baker Says December Weather Preview: Could Boston Have A White Christmas? Man Allegedly Pulls Knife On Fellow Red Line Rider After Mocking COVID Mask Leonard Robinson Charged With Murdering Dejah Jenkins-Minus In Lowell Brady McCue, Man Charged With Brutal Sex Assault In Middlesex Fells, Ordered To Undergo Mental Health Evaluation Follow Us Facebook Twitter YouTube Instagram Reddit LinkedIn NEWS Local News Politics Business HealthWatch Weather Entertainment SPORTS Bruins Celtics Patriots Red Sox OTHER Boston's Best CBS+ School Closings Paramount+ CONNECT Social Download Our App Weather App CONTACTS & STATION INFO WBZ-TV myTV38 CORPORATE About Us Advertise ©2021 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. Powered by WordPress VIP Terms of Use Privacy Policy Do Not Sell My Personal Information Cookies Policy Public File for WBZ-TV / WBZ Public File for WSBK-TV / myTV38 Public Inspection File Help FCC Applications EEO Report We use cookies and similar technologies to understand how you use our services, improve your experience and serve you personalized content and advertising as described in our Cookies Policy and Privacy Policy. Accept All Reject All Manage Cookies