Led by director Rachel Munro, The Rebel Baker specialises in creating allergen-free products that meet the needs of sweet-toothed individuals with food sensitivities.

All the treats are baked on site in Ayr at Rachel’s two bakeries. One creates bakes that are free from the 14 allergens named by the Food Standards Agency, and the other creates free-from cakes for wholesale to coffee shops, cafés and eateries across Scotland.

Having previously owned a bakery and coffee shop, Rachel found inspiration for her new venture when she appeared on Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Future Food Star’s’ programme, where she met fellow food entrepreneurs, sparking her decision to combine her business acumen and baking experience to create new products to meet the demands of the growing free-from market.

As well as creating a range of baked goods, The Rebel Baker is also aiming to give back to the local community through a unique social enterprise, dedicated to empowering individuals on their road to recovery from addiction. With Rachel seeing firsthand the struggles and challenges faced by people transitioning from addiction to sobriety, The Rebel Baker plans to offer employment and training opportunities, providing a platform for support and openness while learning a valuable skillset.

Since launching her business last February, Rachel has enjoyed considerable success, securing listing with a number of hotels, restaurants and retail chains as demand for free-from goods continues to rise. Having recently agreed a deal with a national supermarket chain, Rachel is planning for a bumper year and is already in talks with national wholesale and transport businesses who are looking to get a slice of the action.

Business Gateway has been on hand to support Rachel throughout her journey, providing expert advice on starting and growing her business, which has helped her to hit the ground running.

Local Business Gateway adviser, Claire Campbell, has worked closely with Rachel, guiding her through the start-up and development of her business with dedicated one-to-one assistance and access to market insight and sector reports. Business Gateway also secured a mentor for Rachel to support her SALSA accreditation, an invaluable food safety certification for the business.

Thanks to signposting from Business Gateway, Rachel has also accessed £9,000 of grant funding, which went towards the development of a website and e-commerce site, as well as the purchase of two larger ovens to allow The Rebel Baker to fulfil ongoing order commitments.

With a rebrand now in the works, The Rebel Baker is aiming to evolve its recipe for success and bring even more of its unique flavour to customers.

Rachel Munro, director of The Rebel Baker, said: “The Business Gateway team has been wonderful in supporting me throughout my journey to start up The Rebel Baker.

“Claire’s expert guidance and advice has proven invaluable in establishing my business plan and signposting me to funding opportunities that have enabled the business to get off to the best possible start.

“I’m really proud that my products will now be stocked in such a big supermarket.”

Claire Campbell, Business Gateway adviser, said: “Rachel has worked tirelessly since starting the business in February and it is fantastic to see all her efforts coming to fruition.

“Her drive to create a positive impact within the community through her work is a shining example of what can be achieved, and we look forward to supporting the next steps of her journey.”