Award for Battle Bake House

Proprietor Kate Kent's winning product - a gluten free star shaped vanilla almond biscuit, flavoured with pure Madagascan vanilla extract - was selected from hundreds of products that were submitted into the competition from all over the country.

This is the second gold award for Battle Bake House, having won it two years ago for their gluten free chocolate brownies. The Great Taste Awards is organised by the Guild of Fine Food retailers and is known as the 'Oscars' of fine food and drink.

Kate is an inspiration to all Mums (and Dads) who are at home with children as initially she started the business from home baking american style cookies to sell at farmers markets, she said: "Basically I had a small daughter at school and it was a case of needs must - I had to earn some money and find something to do that fitted in with her day."

The business soon took off and three years ago Battle Bake House began trading; supplying locally into Budgens as part of the Taste of Sussex range.

They went from strength to strength and now supply Waitrose stores in Sussex (along with some Kent stores) and, from the 8th August their cakes will be in Sainsbury's stores nationwide which Kate said is really scary but also quite exciting.

Kate, makes all the recipes herself describing her range of handmade cakes, sweet and savoury biscuits as "premium quality", with no preservatives or additives and they, "try to cater for everybody; including a range of sugar free, gluten free and vegan products."

All the cakes are healthier than the average cake as they are lower in fat and sugar with only real natural flavours and ingredients. Kate said all the flavours"have a bit of a twist", for example the chocolate cake is flavoured with beetroot and the deliciously moist lemon drizzle cake is sweetened with parsnip - but you'd never know.

In addition Kate said as a company they "try very hard to source good local ingredients from farmers and producers", whenever they can.

For more information visit the website at: www.battlebakehouse.co.uk.

Lynda Turner