Seven years ago, my life changed completely. After losing my husband, the stress had a huge impact on my health and I was diagnosed with coeliac disease. It was a lot to take in at the time, and suddenly I had to rethink everything I ate.

One of the hardest things I found was how difficult it was to get hold of nice gluten free treats. Whether it was at home, at parties, or in cafés, there just didn’t seem to be many options and if there were, they often didn’t taste great. I really missed being able to just enjoy something sweet without thinking twice.

As a mum raising two children, life was already busy, so I started baking at home more out of necessity than anything else. I just wanted something nice to eat that I could actually enjoy.

But over time, it became something I genuinely loved. I started experimenting more, trying out different recipes, and finding ways to make gluten free bakes that didn’t feel like a compromise. And I won’t lie the taste testing has definitely been my favourite part!

My kids, along with my family and friends, have been my official testers from the very beginning and luckily for me, they’ve loved everything just as much as I have. That’s what gave me the confidence to take things further.

The more I baked, the more I realised I wasn’t the only one struggling to find good gluten free treats. That’s really where The GF Bakes began.

Now at The GF Bakes, I bake from home and create a range of gluten free goodies including cookies, cupcakes, traybakes and cake jars. I supply to local cafés, take orders online, post them out, and also offer local delivery.

Everything I make is something I’d happily eat myself (and usually do!). I just want to make it easier for others to enjoy gluten free treats that actually taste good.