Free From Hero Award
Sponsored by
This special award was introduced to mark our 10th anniversary, and recognises a true hero in the free from community. Whether it’s a caring school cook who caters for complex or multiple freefrom diets, a community cafe that provides freefrom food for just one customer, an innovative cook meeting freefrom needs during lockdown, a CEO who has altered manufacture protocols to ensure food safety, an NPD team member who removes unnecessary allergens from a product – or someone who goes above and beyond without even thinking about it – please scroll down to see our recent Free From Heroes!
2025 Free From Hero
Zak Marks and James Cohen, founders of Kitt Medical.
“Like a defibrillator, but for allergies” is a fully integrated service: a wall-mounted ‘Kitt’ stocked with adrenaline pens and an accompanying platform that monitors expiry dates, triggers replacements if used and reported, and provides a CPD-accredited training course. Now installed at almost one thousand sites across the UK, including schools, academy trusts, and qualifying businesses venues such as Alton Towers and Edinburgh Zoo, by June 2025, the Kitts have been used to treat 16 life-threatening allergic reactions. Learn more at www.kittmedical.com
2024 Free From Hero
Julianne Ponan MBE, Founder, Creative Nature
In the words of our sponsor Tanya Ednan Laperouse: “Julianne’s life goal is to improve the lives of people living with allergies and intolerances around the world. Julianne Ponan is the founder of Creative Nature, an innovative young brand specialising in top 14 allergen free baking mixes and snacks. She campaigns for safer spaces like airlines an schools, and raising awareness of allergies through her free School Assembly campaign. She is ambassador for Anaphylaxis UK and MedicAlert. She is a judge for the Free From Food Awards and a regular panelist on TV and Radio. Her tireless work has earned her a spot on the Forbes 30 under 30 list and most recently an MBE.”
She is everywhere, all at once, a campaigner and activist, raising awareness as both allergic consumer and free from manufacturer. A young but experienced business founder, Julianne also supports other food and drink startups and entrepreneurs.
2023 Free From Hero
Dr Rosy Wells & paediatric allergy clinicians, at St George’s Hospital, keep food allergic children safe in their local schools by giving out free allergy bags with AAIs and other medication. The bags are refreshed annually & after use. They also give allergy training to school nurses and first aiders. The dream is to get every hospital trust in the country to do the same.
2022 Free From Hero
Alexa Baracaia author of ‘My Family & Food Allergies’ and tireless campaigner on behalf of those living with multiple allergies.
Alexa has dedicated much of her time and energy over the last 11 years to improving the lives of parents and children with allergies and to opening a weekly space for exploring many different allergy themes on Twitter, @AllergyHour #allergyhour
2021 Free From Hero
Ruth Holroyd of What Allergy? – A prolific, and incredibly brave, communicator.
“Hi I’m Ruth. I’ve grown up with eczema and multiple life-threatening allergies and collected more as I’ve got older. It started with a peanut allergy and now I’m allergic to milk, wheat, soya and many more. In this blog I share tips, advice and things I’ve learnt living with allergies, asthma and eczema with a focus on topical steroid withdrawal. You can buy my books, which are brilliant by the way! The first is Anaphylaxis: The essential guide and the second, The Shape of Skin, healing poems for eczema and sensitive skin. The reviews speak for themselves. If you want to chat you can find me on Instagram, Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Do get in touch. And please comment on blogs, it makes a humble blogger do a little happy dance!”
Read about Ruth’s win in her own words!
2021 Free From Hero – Special Award
Elijah-Alavi Foundation – Such phenomenal achievements borne from tragic circumstances demonstrate just what an inspiration Thomas Silvera and Ondina Hawthorne are.
“The Elijah-Alavi Foundation was born from a deeply personal and heart-wrenching event: the loss of our beloved son, Elijah-Alavi Silvera. Elijah tragically lost his life due to a preventable anaphylactic reaction after being exposed to an allergen at his childcare center—a devastating incident that no family should ever have to endure. This profound loss galvanized us to establish a foundation with a resolute mission to ensure the safety and well-being of children with severe food allergies and asthma within educational settings.
Our foundation is dedicated to transforming educational environments into secure and nurturing spaces where every child, especially those vulnerable to severe allergies, can safely thrive and learn. Recognizing that knowledge is power, we focus intensively on educating and empowering those on the front lines of childcare and education. We provide educators and school administrators with critical training, resources, and support to manage food allergies effectively and respond to emergencies with confidence and accuracy.”
2020 Free From Hero
(Sponsored by Nairn’s)
The Ednan-Laperouse family and Natasha’s Allergy Research Foundation for their tireless campaigning on behalf of those with serious food allergies.
“On 17th July 2016 Natasha died from eating sesame seeds that were baked into the dough of a baguette. The label on the packaging didn’t include this ingredient and they were invisible to the naked eye. She was on a British Airways plane and had no way of receiving the urgent medical care that she so urgently needed. On that day her life ended and ours changed forever in ways we could never have imagined possible. There is truly no pain that can compare to that of losing your beloved child. She is now with God and lives on in our hearts and in our memories. Everything we do, we do in her memory and for all those who are living with food allergies and allergic asthma as she did.”
2019 Free From Hero
(Sponsored by Lucy Bee)
Dr Hazel Gowland BA, PGCE, MREHIS, FIFST, FRSPH an expert patient, consumer, researcher, lecturer, and trainer specialising in food allergy.
Hazel has had a severe allergy to nuts and peanuts since early childhood and has survived a number of life-threatening reactions. A leading patient and consumer advocate, she was involved in shaping the achievements of the Anaphylaxis Campaign (now Anaphylaxis UK) from its earliest days in 1994.
Hazel supports and advises those at risk from severe food allergies, both through personal experience and professional expertise.
This work also involves food suppliers as well as families, schools, food enforcement officers, local and national government, doctors, specialist nurses and dieticians. Hazel develops accessible e-learning resources and allergy training courses for food handlers in the workplace.
Hazel investigates deaths and ‘near misses’ from food allergy, provides expert evidence and undertakes scientific, clinical and consumer research into why and how allergen avoidance may fail and how those at risk may be protected.
In October 2018, Hazel completed a PhD – Food allergy: innovation in advocacy, research and training to support and protect those at risk at Kingston University. In 2019 she was appointed a Visiting Fellow in the School of Medicine at Southampton University and a member of the Safefood Knowledge Network Expert Group. She is a member of the Scientific Committee of the Institute of Food Science and Technology, and the Food Special Interest Group of the Royal Society for Public Health.
2018 Free From Hero
(Sponsored by Lucy Bee)
Jacqueline McPeake, founder of JACS Allergen Management– for her help and support of companies and individuals navigating the maze of allergens, ingredients & cross-contamination.
Jacqui’s interest in food allergies became a particular passion when her own daughter began to struggle with multi food allergies and intolerances at the age of 14. Jacqui’s unique position as a professional caterer and a parent of someone who needs to pay particular attention to her choice of foods enables her to provide valuable advice and a personal insight into this particular field.
2017 Free From Hero
(Sponsored by Lucy Bee)
Clare Marriage of Doves Farm
Established in 1978, Doves Farm Foods Ltd is a successful, award-winning, family-owned food business, specialising in artisan, organic and free from flours and foods. They operate a portfolio of loved brands including Doves Farm, FREEE and Wessex Mill.
Clare Marriage, along with her husband Michael, is the pioneering co-founder of Doves Farm Foods, starting their journey in the late 1970s to bring quality wholemeal and ancient grains (like spelt, einkorn, emmer) back to Britain through organic farming. She’s known as a CEO and pioneer in organic food, emphasising sustainable, natural ingredients for home baking.