Kettering entrepreneur's gluten free venture goes from strength to strength

Ranveer Sahota was named as one of the UK’s top young innovators after winning a coveted national award for his business Gluten Free Glee last year.

The former Kettering Science Academy pupil was inspired to create a Tripadvisor-style website for those following a gluten free diet, which is still being developed with hopes it will be ready by the end of the year.

And in the meantime this month – which is Coeliac UK’s coeliac awareness month – he’s added a gluten free directory and digital allergy translation cards to his website, which are free to use.

The 28-year-old said: "Last year it was very much a concept and we have now done a lot of different things where you can see the tangible evidence of it helping people.

"Whatever we can do to make life more comfortable for those who are gluten free, and give them more confidence, that’s the direction we want to go in.”

Ranveer decided to create Gluten Free Glee when his partner Philippa Lee was diagnosed with coeliac disease in 2019 after suffering stomach problems. The pair, who have since left their jobs to work on the project full-time, soon found that many restaurants didn’t make it easy for those wanting to cut out gluten.

While working on their Tripadvisor-style reviewing platform they realised there were also other ways they could help their community by building free tools and resources.

Philippa creates social media content and blog posts and this month the couple launched their gluten free directory, an online search engine designed to help people find gluten free brands, products and services. Northamptonshire listings include specialist coeliac dietitian Nicola Walpole, The Hut Cafe in Kettering and The Little Bakery of Happiness in Welford.

Ranveer said: "The response has been amazing. We’ve had thousands of visitors and comments – it’s gone way better that we probably imagined it ever would.”

Another free tool they’ve launched this month are digital allergy translation cards, a free alternative to printed versions to support people while travelling. They can been added directly to a user’s Google or Apple wallet in French or Spanish – and they’re hoping to add Greek and Italian soon.

Ranveer added: "It’s not about revenue or making money, it’s about helping people.

"I have seen first hand the impact coeliac disease can have on someone’s life so it feels really good that we are making a difference. Now we just want to keep growing to continue to make it a sustainable venture.”

To find out more visit https://www.gfglee.com/.

- A gluten free beer and cider festival is taking place on Saxby's Farm in Farndish (the home of Saxby's Cider) on June 1, with a live band and food from popular restaurant Ember restaurant.

According to Coeliac UK, 1 in 100 people suffer from coeliac disease but only 36 per cent of people have received a diagnosis. For information about symptoms and treatment visit https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/coeliac-disease/.