Business Profiles
Profile: Jane Williams: Gorgeous and Gluten Free
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October 31, 2011 TheFreshOutlook  |
The Fresh Outlook spoke to Jane Williams, founder of gorgeousandglutenfree.co.uk, an online gluten-free cake shop and delicatessen.
Her daughter would describe her as being “fantastic, beautiful and lovable”; her son as “nice and a mum person”; her partner says she’s “moody, fun and contradictory”; and her mother calls her “vivacious, kind and intelligent”.
But there is even more to Gorgeous and Gluten Free creator Jane Williams. Jane is the founder of a platform for people affected by Coeliac disease and a shop to buy delicious gluten-free delicatessens; she used to be a singer; and if her life was a movie she would probably have Goldie Hawn playing her.
Given the opportunity to travel back in time, she would go back to the people she cared about and tell them that they are important and that they matter:
“Wearing your heart on your sleeve can be scary but as you get older I think you realise that being honest and true to yourself is what it’s about,” she said, talking exclusively to The Fresh Outlook.
Jane, who believes her family to be her biggest asset, spoke about how two major challenges made her the person she is today:
“I am a singer and have been since I was a young girl – singing in choirs, bands, Welsh TV, session work etc…so I would have to say that the biggest challenge to date is a chronic condition; I have an inner ear problem which affects my balance and equilibrium and is exacerbated by loud noise .This meant I had to stop singing with bands.”
Discovering not long after that she also had a wheat and gluten intolerance, Jane had to overcome not one but two incredibly difficult obstacles.
“I had no idea what was ‘OK’to eat, so it took a lot of experimenting and scouring the shelves at the supermarkets checking which products had gluten and which didn’t. Believe me there is gluten in no end of products.
I started baking gluten-free cakes for myself and was met with such positive results and feedback from friends and family that I realised that I had found my niche and that baking gluten-free products from home was the way forward for me .”
Speaking about her new business and her dream of becoming a singer, Jane said:
“Life threw me a curve ball and for while I wallowed and felt very sorry for myself but then I decided that there were other things I could do as well as being a singer. Since that time I have learned to adapt to my condition. The icing on the cake is I discovered that I can I still sing as long as the sound is not too loud but in this successful new chapter my primary focus now is my young but thriving business baking gluten-free products.”
Being such a determined woman, we asked Jane to share her key to success with us:
“Determination and a positive attitude. Do not let the setbacks get you down.
Learn from the mistakes and move on and don’t see them as failure but as something that’s leading you on to something better. Be willing to adapt. Don’t be too proud to take advice when it’s given, as everyday can be a chance to learn something new.”
Called ‘gorgeous’ for a reason, Jane’s gluten free products have recently been on display at the Brecon Food Festival.
Want to learn more about Jane, the gluten-free fairy godmother? Then visit gorgeousandglutenfree.co.uk.
By Rosaria Sgueglia
[Image courtesy of Jane Williams]
