Local 11-Year-Old Kid with Food Allergies Packages His Desserts

11-year-old Brandon Negri, Father of Steven and Veronica Negri who are owners of Mandy’s Pizza & More, with locations in both the Northside and West View, has added to their sons already successful allergen-free pizza product line.

After our customers, and many of our retail vendors, asking for Brandon to expand his product line, we felt pressured to work with Brandon on bringing to market some of the “treats” he’s made on his own over the last several years.

“When Brandon was only 7, he realized that he could not eat pizza, a product that we sell from our two Pittsburgh pizzerias.”  “It was Brandon who asked to work on a solution for kids who also couldn’t enjoy pizza due to food-related illnesses such as allergies or gluten issues”, states Steven Negri, President of the Mandy’s Pizza Group.

While Brandon noticed more and more kids knowing him from his face being on his packaging of the frozen allergen-free pizza crusts he developed, many would come up and say “thank you for the pizza” and then the parents would ask what he eats for his birthday and snacks.  Well, Brandon was quick to answer that he eats birthday cake, brownies and chocolate chip cookies.  Needless to say the common response was, “Who’s brand of cookies do you eat.” Brandon replied even quicker with, “Ah, mine…I make them myself.”

Time after time if the owners of Mandy’s were asked to open an allergen-free bakery, something they have no time to do while already running their successful pizzerias, they would then be asked if they could provide a recipe or two.  Well, since these recipes are actually Brandon’s they weren’t really in a position to giveaway something that wasn’t really theirs so together they decided to perfect these recipes and are now packing for retail sale the following items, items that every child AND adult miss from their sweet-tooth diet:

v  OoeyGooey Brownies

v  ChocoChip Cookies

v  Cupcake Cravings

v  Moist Breakfast Muffins

v  Fluffy FlapJacks

v  All-Purpose Allergen-Free Baking Flour

Each of the products are premeasured and come with directions that allow for alternative ingredients/replacements based on your food-related issue.  For example, you can choose to use egg in conjunction with the mix, or you can use applesauce which is not only safer for those with food allergies, but also much healthier.  These products will be launched at the Naturally Soergel’s event being held this weekend in celebration of National Food Allergy Week.  The following week they will be available at the Giant Eagle located on route 19 in Cranberry.

“I just want people to smile”, says Brandon Negri.  “I know what it’s like to go to a party and not have anything cool to eat like the other kids, so this is why I asked my parents to help me make my desserts for other people.”  “Sometimes I let my friends eat them, only one though, and they never knew it was allergen-free.”

Mandy’s Pizza, is known locally, and nationally, for being on the forefront of serving those with food-related issues since Brandon was diagnosed with severe food allergies at the age of 3.  Steve and Veronica experienced firsthand what it is like to have a child not feel part of the crowd at parties both in and out of the home, and especially while at school.

“Brandon’s school has Muffins with Mom and Donuts with Dad, and before Brandon worked on his own recipes he felt out of place at these events.”  “Now that Brandon has developed these mixes there’s no reason a child cannot feel just as special eating a safe muffin or using the cupcake mix to make a safe donut with icing and jimmies”, states Veronica Negri, mother of Brandon Negri.

Mandy’s Pizza recommends that anyone interested in learning more about the pizzas to email us from the Contact Us link located at mandyspizza.com.

Founded in 1979, Mandy’s Pizza was an innovator in the Pittsburgh area by being one of the first to offer home-delivery.  They have also won numerous local and national awards for quality and excellence.

While only their Westview location offers the allergen-free menu, it has grown from the simple allergen-free pizza to now offering allergen-free hot hoagies, chicken nugget meals, wings and now desserts.

ABOUT BRANDON:
Brandon lives in Franklin Park along with his sister Alyssa, his mother Veronica and his father Steven.  Brandon currently is a 5th grade student at Franklin Elementary School which is part of the North Allegheny School District.  He currently plays ice and inline hockey, as well as he plays both in-house and tournament baseball.  Brandon was diagnosed with severe food allergies around the age of 3 and since the age of 7 he’s made a point to make life easier while eating pizza and sweet snacks.