Where It All Began
Every free-from journey is different, but one thing many people have in common is the challenge of finding delicious treats that everyone can enjoy. Whether it's the last-minute panic when a free-from friend pops round for a cup of tea, or the stress of catering for a birthday party with a long list of dietary requirements, living with food allergies and intolerances can make everyday moments feel more complicated.
Our founders, Dr Sally Beattie and Emer Bustard, understand those challenges first-hand. Sally lives with multiple food allergies, including gluten, dairy, shellfish and nuts, while Emer is coeliac. Back in 2006, both were juggling busy family lives with young children and found there were very few free-from treats available that still tasted good. Manufacturers knew what ingredients to remove to make products safe, but very few had mastered what to put back in to create treats that were every bit as delicious as their mainstream equivalents.
From Kitchen Creations to Farmers' Markets
As food scientists, Sally and Emer combined their knowledge with a passion for baking and began creating recipes in their own kitchens. Like many people living a free-from lifestyle, they started by baking for themselves and their families. Before long, they had developed recipes for Millionaire's Shortbread and Chocolate Tiffin that friends and family couldn't stop talking about.
Encouraged by the response, they began selling their bakes at local farmers' markets, where demand quickly grew. It became clear they had created something that was missing from the market: free-from treats that people genuinely loved to eat.
Growing Our Bakery
As the business continued to grow, Sally and Emer found the perfect first bakery in Chapelhall, in North Lanarkshire. They still remember walking into the building and asking themselves, "How will we ever fill this space?" It didn't take long before they outgrew it. Just one year after launching the business, Waitrose became Lazy Day's first retail customer in 2007, marking the beginning of an exciting journey.
Ten years later, Lazy Day moved into a much larger purpose-built bakery in Harthill, North Lanarkshire. Once again, they wondered how they would fill such a large space. Today, that bakery is home to around 150 employees working across day and night shifts, with a large number living in the local community.
Looking to the Future
Nearly 20 years on, the mission remains exactly the same: to create delicious gluten-free, milk-free, egg-free and vegan treats that everyone can enjoy. From those first homemade recipes to becoming an award-winning bakery supplying retailers across the UK and beyond, we're incredibly proud of how far we've come.
As we look ahead to the future, we're excited to continue creating even more irresistible free-from treats, so everyone can continue joining in the joy!