FOOD

It’s common knowledge that I’ve been obsessed with food since I was old enough to eat the solid stuff. Although I’d been a biologist and scientific writer and educator, my first love at university was chemistry. And isn’t cookery just more of the same? I believe that cookery and bakery is simply chemistry you can eat. So, the food industry was an obvious step forward. How my entry came about is a matter of health rather than education to begin.

Cancer treatment left me allergic and intolerant to many things. My health improved gradually, but to this day, I’m severely intolerant to gluten. I missed the beautiful, artisan breads I’d always loved, and embarked on a quest to create a replacement for gluten that would allow me to make amazing breads just like the ones I’d always eaten. I was determined to avoid the dry, sweet crumbly offerings available at that time and I’m still adamant that there is no place in bread for chemicals and additives.

Having tried every recipe, read any paper and book I could find, I finally went back to basics to discover the structure and function of wheat and gluten so I could emulate it using only natural ingredients.

I was, in fact, returning to my scientific roots: I’d gone from helping develop the world’s first glucose biosensor for diabetics, to this … a logical progression if you think about it: as I said before, cookery is just chemistry you can eat, right?

After a few months of intensive research and baking … creating things that even the birds wouldn’t eat … I’d finally discovered the Holy Grail of Gluten Free: beautiful bread that tasted so good you wanted to eat the whole loaf … and then ask for another.

Ours is a bread-obsessed culture: whether we eat it at every meal or need to avoid it, bread is the one food that defines our daily lives. No group is more bread-obsessed than the gluten free community. And yet, there has been an absence of amazing gluten free bread. Why? For decades it was thought impossible to recreate this everyday staple without gluten.

Why do it now, when it’s just so difficult? And there are plenty of passable breads on the market!

To which I say, “That’s precisely why!”

It’s about time those that cannot eat gluten had a seat at the cultural table along with everyone else: let us all break beautiful bread together with family and friends.

Long story short, I created a company, got investment, persuaded my long-suffering husband to help make a commercial bakery so we could sell to retail and hotel chains. We won the World Bread Awards three times along with over 30 other baking medals and accolades. I also won several UK Business Awards for innovation and business acumen. Then, after winning the UK’s Most Inspiring Businesswoman, it felt like a good time to pass on the baton and move to the next challenge.

Dan and I sold the company in 2023, which gave us more creative freedom to work on other projects close to our hearts.

Dan has focussed on renovating our 15th century home, all the while still running a logistics and designer bath business. His huge passions always remain encased in food. As a AVPN trained pizzaiolo, he trained in Naples (of course), and subsequently learned his extensive repertoire of outdoor skills from the Masters … from BBQ to asado, parilla, chapas, using hard wood, charcoals, embers, ashes and cast iron. He follows masters of the art Francis Mallmann and Niklas Eksted and is most often found in his outdoor kitchen or by his firepit creating another classic gem. Always with his own twist.

Whilst Dan’s heart is in the outdoors, I’m always focussed on creating the most amazing allergen free food to share with everyone. My driving force is to make delicious and nutritious fare that all visitors will delight at, whether they need to avoid certain foods or can eat whatever they fancy. The aim is always for a “Wow!” especially from those that don’t need to avoid ingredients. That means I really have found the Holy Grail.

Between us we developed the perfect gluten free pizza: my product development skills with Dan hanging over my shoulder as only a fully trained pizzaiolo could do. We began with, “That’s truly awful.” Progressed via, “I like the charring, but it’s still a bit limp.” Ending in, “Wow! That’s just like a real pizza. I’d eat that!” And he did.