JUST a year after launching her business, Primal Joy Foods in Stonehouse - making healthy snacks for people with food allergies and intolerances - Sarah Mace’s tasty enterprise is booming.

Thanks to an investment of almost £3,000 from Stroud District Council through its Food Grants scheme, Sarah has taken on a new member of staff, bought larger equipment to increase production and moved out of her kitchen and in to a small business unit close to her home.

Now she has produced her first order for international health food supermarket Whole Foods Market, working flat out to make more than 8,000 healthy snack bars, paleo balls, brownies and bags of granola.

“This is a huge step forward for the business – the investment from the council was vital to take it to the next level and perfect timing,” said Sarah, who launched Primal Joy Foods from the kitchen of her home at Wycliffe College, Stonehouse, where she and her husband Justin Mace are house parents to 55 boarding boys as well their own two young children.

“We also supply local health food shops in Nailsworth, we are a Stroudco Food Hub supplier and two national online retailers also sell our snacks,” added Sarah.

“It’s been quite a year – we won a national award when our Cinnamon Nut Crunch won the breakfast category at the FreeFrom Food Awards in 2014, then we were successful in bidding for funds from SDC and I clinched the deal with Whole Foods Market. ”

Stroud District Council Environment Committee chairman Cllr Simon Pickering said: “We’re really delighted the Council’s investment in food businesses like Primal Joy Foods is making a real difference; encouraging the production and selling of innovative food locally helps to keep money in the district, and begins to develop our resilience to future climate change.

"There are also health benefits in eating foods that have less additives.”