Emma, who has lived with coeliac disease for 25 years, launched the gluten-free cake shed after recognising the lack of safe and tasty gluten-free cakes available locally.

Having spent decades adapting recipes and baking for herself and her family – several of whom were later diagnosed with coeliac disease – the idea came to her one evening to share her bakes with others facing the same challenge.

The idea followed Emma, who has been a home baker making cakes and cupcakes to order for the past two years, developed pneumonia at Christmas.

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Emma said: “I realised there were plenty of places offering gluten-free options, but very few where people with coeliac disease could feel completely confident about cross-contamination.”

“Because I’m coeliac myself, I understand how important that safety is.”

Emma Lumby is launching the shed over Easter Weekend outside her home (Image: Pic supplied)

All of the products produced in Emma’s cake shed are entirely gluten free, with no risk of cross-contamination.

Her baking environment is dedicated solely to gluten-free ingredients, allowing customers with coeliac disease to enjoy cakes and treats with confidence.

Emma will open her cake shed fortnightly on a Friday afternoon and a Saturday all day in Huntington, where customers can pick up a range of freshly baked gluten-free cakes and sweet treats.

The first weekend is Easter weekend and the shed is located in front of her house at 30 Southdown Road, Huntington.

The cake shed (Image: Pic supplied)

Emma also takes orders for celebration cakes, including birthday cakes and cupcakes, which have quickly become popular with local families and customers from further afield.

What began as a small idea has already started to grow. Alongside her regular cake shed openings, Emma now also runs a stall at the New Earswick Market on the first Sunday of every month, where she introduces her gluten-free bakes to a wider audience.

Her aim is simple: to prove that gluten-free baking doesn’t mean compromising on flavour or quality.

The cake shed is open (Image: Pic supplied)

Emma explained: “I’m really passionate about creating gluten-free cakes and bakes that are just as tasty as traditional ones. Everyone deserves to enjoy a good slice of cake, whether they can eat gluten or not.”

With demand for gluten-free products continuing to rise and more people being diagnosed with coeliac disease or gluten intolerance, Emma says her cake shed is already filling an important gap in York’s local food scene.

There is growing demand for gluten free (Image: Pic supplied)

For many customers, it offers something that can be surprisingly difficult to find: delicious cakes that are not only gluten free she adds, but made with the care and understanding that comes from lived experience.