A MUM whose gluten free diet turned her life around has put her baking skills to the test with a new 'free-from' business.

Katie Swart, of Kendal, hopes to raise awareness of the potential dangers that come with having coeliac disease while giving people with allergies the chance to indulge in delicious goodies.

Around 18 months ago the mother-of-two discovered she had a serious gluten allergy after becoming 'very unwell' - losing weight and suffering from anxiety.

"After I was tested I decided to go gluten free and it literally changed my life," said the 34-year-old, whose family has a history of coeliac disease. "But I was getting very fed up with paying extortionate prices in supermarkets for gluten free products so I started baking.

"People who have the disease appreciate the products so I thought I should start selling them."

Beginning with sponges and biscuits, Katie now has a range of allergy free treats from cupcakes, lemon and banana loaf cakes to traditional chocolate and carrot cake available from her Free From Kitchen at home.

She is also experimenting with bread - something that remains 'work in progress'.

And those who can eat gluten can also tuck in.

"You can't tell the difference and I've really tried to perfect that so we can all enjoy the same thing," said Katie, who works at Pizza Express.

With her eyes opened to a gluten-free world, Katie was spurred on to look into other allergy products for people who can't eat eggs or dairy.

"It's an allergy bakery," she added. "A lot of places will do gluten free but I don't have any cross contamination and it's a nut free kitchen."

All the toppings are hand made from candied lemon to home-roasted coffee beans.

Already Katie is receiving lots of orders and has a number of events lined up such as weddings, anniversaries, and even a hen night.

She delivers to as far south as Lancaster and as far north as Carlisle and has started supplying local cafes including Kendal's Slate bar.

With her four-year-old twins starting school next month, Katie plans to bake full-time and dreams of opening up a shop in Kendal.

For more information about Katie's Free From Kitchen visit www.facebook.com/katiesfreefromkitchen