A FORMER Sedbergh housemaster has turned his hand to baking, offering healthy treats that do not compromise on taste or texture.

Stephen Hall began making low sugar bakes for his children Adam and Sophie as an alternative to the artificial lunch box snacks found on supermarket shelves.

"Adam does not react well to sugar - he gets a bit hyper," the 47-year-old explained. "As an alternative I came up with a recipe for a low sugar brownie."

Now, following the decision to leave his job of 25 years as an English teacher, he has launched 'Bakes and Balls' - offering high protein goodies that suit a variety of dietary requirements.

Using an array of ingredients including avocado, coconut oil, cannellini beans, coconut sugar, dates and maple syrup, Mr Hall hopes that he can provide an alternative to sugar-filled cereal bars.

Texture has also been important for Mr Hall as it can be difficult to get right in gluten-free bakes and something he has been working hard on.

He said that he enjoys being in the kitchen and experimenting with flavours. Included in his energy ball repertoire is a Howgills' Gingerbread flavour, lemon, lime and kiwi and a chocolate orange.

"I do not have a scientific mind, I have a much more creative mind," he explained. "Adam and I play with flavours and it's almost like an intuition with what will work well together.

"I feel very much at home in a kitchen. I can relax there, I can experiment with flavour and texture. Adam and I will cook an evening meal together and smell the spices and know whether it's right for a particular dish. Adam has come up with his own recipes for things."

Mr Hall will soon be setting up a commercial kitchen on Main Street in Sedbergh and has plans to attend Keswick Mountain Festival, as he thinks that his snacks will appeal to those interested in outdoor activities.

"Energy gels are dreadful," he said "I loathe the fact that people don't like the taste of them and they have an awful impact on the gut. I want to produce a serious alternative to that that is tasty and looks good.

"I'm not the first on the market they're certainly quite popular in some areas," he said. "But I want to be the best in the market."