The diabetic owner of an alternative gourmet foods firm in London is producing tasty treats that can be enjoyed by everyone.

Jolie Gindi, 36, founded Yummzy – a vegan, keto, sugar-free, gluten-free, high protein and yeast-free brand hand-making bread, savouries, spreads and more.

“I had strict dietary requirements from a young age and was disappointed every time I found sugar-free desserts that were actually infested with fructose, honey, coconut sugar, dates or maltitol,” she said.

“Low carbohydrate and sugar-free food products existed but were rare, had hidden nasty ingredients and, while overpriced, the taste was often compromised or textured like saw dust!

“With diabetes – I am type 1 – and obesity becoming the fastest-growing health threats and stress and lifestyle causing more people to develop intolerances and requiring special diets, it only seemed natural to come up with something that those with special dietary requirements or health-conscious individuals like us can enjoy without compromise and that fits with the hectic city lifestyle – Yummzy!”

Jolie took one of her irresistible family recipes and revolutionised it to be low carb yet with the perfect consistency of family bakes.

“Then I thought about how could my lactose-intolerant, protein-loving husband or vegan friends enjoy that recipe too?” she said.

“What about my coeliac friends or those who simply love decadent, gourmet and indulgent desserts?

“Our mission was a success and the first Yummzy cake that can truly be enjoyed by everyone (including children without nut allergies) was born – inclusive, just as meals and family times should be!

“Diabetics, in particular, are often overlooked, whether through labels saying ‘sugar-free’ and deceiving them into safety or in most UK hospitals where they get over 120g of carbs in their first meal post-diagnosis! The one thing our body is not able to process, we are overdosed on it in our first hospital meal!

“We are told to live the rest of our lives eating whatever we want and just injecting our insulin after. Other countries are ahead of us in this regard as promoting low-carb or keto or truly sugar-free diets is much more common outside the UK.

“Everything we offer is under 5g of carbs and we never use sugar – not even non-refined sugars like coconut sugar or dates or honey or fructose. We only use stevia or stevia with erythritol with our organic ingredients. We don’t only care about short-term effects of health choices, we also care about the long-term effects and well-being of every person we serve!”

Yummzy’s Greenwich shop was closed at the start of 2020 but the business has been serving London and nationwide customers after it began trading online.