Steph Croft-Simon, founder of Nom Foods, is the next Deliciously Ella

Running a blog star Ella Woodward constructed a multimillion-pound enterprise from her virtuous recipes after a uncommon situation pressured her to chop out processed meals.

But it surely appears the clear consuming guru behind the fastest-selling cookbook of all time has competitors within the type of Steph Croft-Simon, 29, who's sizzling on her heels after constructing her very personal vegan meals empire from her mom's kitchen.

Since quitting her instructing job to launch her fledgling snack firm, Nom Meals, three years in the past, Steph has seen her merchandise snapped up by retail giants together with Ocado and Holland & Barrett.

Steph Croft-Simon, from Oxford, based Nom Meals after she developed extreme meals allergy symptoms at college, forcing her to chop gluten, dairy and refined sugars from her weight-reduction plan

Similar to Ella Mills - née Woodward (aka Deliciously Ella) - Steph tapped into the clear consuming market after all of the sudden creating extreme meals intolerances while at college.

The entrepreneur turned 'fascinated' with weight-reduction plan and vitamin and began experimenting with pure components like coconut oil.

Steph was learning for a BSc in Sociology at Bristol College in 2008 when she all of the sudden developed a variety of meals allergy symptoms.

It took medical doctors two years to work out precisely what she was allergic to - which turned out to be a spice - however Steph additionally has intolerances to dairy and sugar.

'The the reason why I developed allergy symptoms all of the sudden like I did are unknown, however I'm satisfied that stress and stress on my immune system have been a set off,' Steph advised FEMAIL. 

Steph says she turned 'fascinated' with how weight-reduction plan and vitamin affected her lifestyle and began experimenting with pure components like coconut oil

Along with her allergy symptoms, Steph was identified with a metabolic situation affecting her insulin ranges, forcing her to take a completely new method to her weight-reduction plan and way of life

'My most extreme response landed me in hospital with allergic signs which developed actually quickly after consuming dinner in halls. I used to be shocked when the physician advised me it was a response to one thing I'd eaten.' 

'My most extreme response landed me in hospital 

A number of years later, Steph was additionally identified with a metabolic situation affecting her insulin ranges, forcing her to take a completely new method to her weight-reduction plan and way of life.

'There was a time period the place I used to be too scared to eat something,' Steph mentioned. 'Though I used to be a passionate foodie and prepare dinner - I misplaced my enthusiasm for cooking and baking, and located myself avoiding meals teams. 

'I had gone from being somebody with no allergy symptoms in any respect, to so somebody with a extreme allergy who wanted to hold an Epipen injection. 

'After chatting with my physician and a number of other nutritionists - I lower gluten, dairy and refined sugars from my weight-reduction plan. 

Entrepreneur: Steph stop her secondary college instructing job and began experimenting with recipes at dwelling, utilizing family and friends as style testers - and Nom was born

'Fortunately, in time, I used to be in a position to introduce issues again into my weight-reduction plan and it was at this level that I turned actually excited by free-from meals, and began to prepare dinner once more.'

After spending hours trawling supermarkets to search for gaps out there, Steph realised that many of the free-from merchandise on provide have been 'filled with sugar and flavourings' to compensate for a scarcity of style.

'There was a time period the place I used to be too scared to eat something 

She dreamed up a plan to create 'handy, nutritious, natural and attractive' snacks that have been good for folks on the go.

Coming from a household of Greek Cypriot 'foodies', Steph's ardour for cooking was 'elevated' when she needed to begin excited about each meal in intense element, consistently scrutinising components and dietary data.

In 2012, she stop her secondary college instructing job and began experimenting with recipes at dwelling, utilizing family and friends as style testers - and Nom was born.

Steph's merchandise  are natural, gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free. The truth is all of them 'prime 14 allergen free' - that means they include not one of the prime 14 main recognised allergens

'I emailed the client at an natural grocery store chain in London, who requested me to come back in for a gathering with some samples,' mentioned Steph, admitting she had no 'snazzy advertising materials' to indicate the client. 

'I went to the assembly with nothing however a Tupperware filled with Nom bars.'

Fortunately, they cherished her samples and requested to launch Steph's bars solely.

After wrangling a £20,000 startup mortgage from the financial institution, Steph constructed her recipe right into a enterprise, and in July 2013 her oat bars hit cabinets for the primary time.

Steph has since branched into vegan protein bars and popcorn, and had her enterprise named as one of many Authorities's 50 Meals Stars.

All of her merchandise are natural, gluten free, dairy free and refined sugar free. The truth is, their bars and popcorn are all prime 14 allergen free - that means they include not one of the prime 14 main recognised allergens.

Steph at a latest commerce present. After wrangling a £20,000 startup mortgage from the financial institution, Steph constructed her recipe right into a enterprise, and in July 2013 her oat bars hit cabinets for the primary time

Inside months of launching, Nom already boasted high-profile stockists together with Ocado and Entire Meals, and it's now bought in Holland & Barrett - thanks partly to a crowdfunding marketing campaign. 

Since then, Steph's enterprise turnover has elevated by 277 per cent permitting Steph to make use of a workforce and work on new merchandise.

'Each time I am going into any store and see Nom on shelf I really feel utterly elated,' mentioned Steph. 

'Operating a enterprise is sort of a rollercoaster trip with a number of highs and equal quantities of challenges.'

Steph now has her sights firmly set on increasing into main supermarkets and exporting around the globe. 

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