Founded by fifth-generation chef Gina Cassese, Defying Graivitea was

born of Gina’s love and respect for her family’s multigenerational

recipes, and her determination to carefully adapt them to meet both her

gluten- and dairy-free dietary requirements. The result was Defying

Gravitea, a revolutionary culinary collection, steeped in tradition and

refined with love to meet the needs of the modern consumer.

Food has always played a central role in Gina’s life. She grew up

working in her family’s restaurant, where she learned to cook, butcher,

bake, and run a successful food business. And while food was the heart

of her family, Gina found herself struggling with health issues that were

ultimately diagnosed as autoimmune. The inflammation in her body

necessitated some major dietary changes, namely omitting gluten and

dairy. Fortunately, Gina was able to draw upon her degrees in Exercise

and Nutrition and the Culinary Arts to make swift work of turning her

family recipes (especially her Grandma’s beloved desserts) into updated versions that satisfied both her palate and fueled her body. This was no small feat and required mastering the science of finding the right balance of gluten and dairy alternatives to achieve the flavors and textures of traditional recipes; and the name Defying Gravitea was given to her resulting treats that made the seemingly impossible, possible… and incredibly delicious!

Today, Gina has found exciting ways to share her exceptional goods—

from baking for celebrity chefs to opening a bustling brick and mortar

store in northern New Jersey, where all of her products continue to be

small-batch and scratch made with love by a staff of family and friends.

The pride in what she has built thus far only further fuels her greatest

vision of all— for Defying Gravitea to become available nationwide. Her

mission is to create lifelong connections between consumers and her

innovative, nourishing, cravable food.