WHEN a Mold mum-of-three found herself in the middle of a health crisis, she did not know it would eventually lead to her setting up her own catering business.

Elaine Delaney’s world was turned upside down shortly after giving birth to son Ryan.

From being an active mum, Mrs Delaney's weight began to plummet and she suffered from continuing side effects and anxiety.

She explained: "My problems began shortly after I had Ryan. I had a permanently upset stomach, my weight was down to 6st 12lbs, I couldn’t put weight on and I’d gone from being an outgoing person to being anxious.

"I didn’t want to talk to anyone and all I wanted to do was hide away. I just knew I wasn’t well."

Desperate to find a solution, Mrs Delaney began doing her own research and discovered gluten – a protein found in wheat, rye, spelt, and barley — might be the cause.

She removed it completely from her diet and after eliminating it for a few months Elaine’s health started to improve.

She continued: “My own research kept taking me back to gluten and, after talking it through with my doctor, we decided to remove it from my diet.

"I felt physically different, my health started to improve, my mind and physical wellbeing altered for the better and I slowly began to gain weight.

"But it became apparent that gluten is in a lot of things, but the range of gluten-free products is quite small.

"Those treats that we often take for granted, such as cakes and puddings, weren’t as nice and there was little in the way of fresh bakes available, so I began making my own.”

Through trial and error, Mrs Delaney worked her way through different recipes to come up with a range of gluten-free treats.

She’s now launched her own gluten-free bakery, Delaney’s Gluten Free Bakehouse, and supplies fresh cakes, pastries and desserts to businesses and the general public in Flintshire.

Mrs Delaney added: "I could see a gap in the market for fresh produce and already we’ve had places such as The Olive Tree in Mold agree to take my produce.

"It is early days but this year I’ll be growing the business, taking my products out and showing that gluten-free doesn’t mean taste-free."

Mrs Delaney's husband Paul and her three children, 13-year-old Olivia, 10-year-old Joseph and 8-year-old Ryan act as official taste-testers for the growing Sychdyn business.

They’ll be supporting Mrs Delaney when she attends Mold Food and Drink Festival in September – her first food show.

John Les Tomos, chair of Mold Food and Drink Festival, said: “It is heartening seeing produce being both made and stocked locally, and we look forward to welcoming Delaney’s Bakehouse to the festival.”

Mold Food and Drink Festival will be held on Mold’s New Street car park on September 15 and 16.