Tina Hayes, 46, officially opened The Gluten Dodger outside her home in early April after perfecting her gluten-free baking recipes for years.
She was inspired by her youngest daughter who was diagnosed with Coeliac disease some years ago, an autoimmune condition whereby consuming gluten causes the body’s immune system to attack internal organs, including the small intestine.
The mum found it hard to see her daughter missing out on the same tasty treats her friends enjoyed.
Tina said: “I myself am not gluten free, however my youngest daughter was diagnosed with Coeliac disease some years ago. Our household has been mostly gluten free since then.
“My daughter was my inspiration behind the shed. I wanted the gluten free community to be able to enjoy a delicious dessert just as much as the next person.
“I found that there wasn’t much choice for this in the area so I decided to take matters into my own hands.”
Baking has always been a huge passion of Tina’s.
“Before my daughter’s diagnosis, I had been making personalised birthday cakes,” Tina said.
“Perfecting the gluten free recipe hasn’t been easy, but I’ve had many years to make it perfect.”
Tina’s favourite treat to bake and eat is a Victoria Sponge cake.
“It is a classic for a reason!” she said.
“However, I really love to experiment with new flavours and fillings – especially for cookies.”
The cake shed operates on an “honour system”. For previews of cakes available in the shed and opening times (Saturdays only), visit The Gluten Dodger on Facebook.
Tina said: “The shed is super simple, all you have to do is pick out your favourite treats and then either pay by cash using the cash box, or scan the QR code for mobile payment. If anyone was ever stuck, we have printed instructions in the shed and were always available to answer any questions on our social media.”
Asked whether she plans to keep the cake shed small or expand in the future, Tina said: “I love how personal small businesses are and it’s been incredibly overwhelming to receive such positive feedback already.
“Gluten free treats are hard to come by so in an ideal world, we would definitely love to expand to give the gluten free community their rightfully deserved sweet treats.
“My family have been incredibly helpful with the business and have expressed interest in helping me with this vision, which means we would always get to keep that family touch if we expanded.”
Tina advised customers: “Don’t be put off by the ‘gluten free’ label. Lots of my gluten eating customers have expressed how they couldn’t even tell it was gluten free. I’d like to think that the flavour speaks for itself over the ingredients list.
“I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone who has visited the shed already.”
The Cake Shed is located at 31 Archers Green, Prestatyn, and is open on Saturdays from 10am to 6pm or until sold out (this is subject to change).