About

Hi, I’m Sarah Howells, aka The Gluten Free Blogger. I’m an award-winning gluten free food blogger and cookbook author from sunny Devon in the UK, and it’s my mission to make sure being gluten free means YOU don’t have to miss out! No dry boring brownies or sad burgers in a soggy lettuce ‘bun’ here – we’re all about enjoying delicious, tasty and easy gluten free food!

Sarah Howells aka the gluten free blogger
Photo by Steven Joyce.

I was diagnosed with coeliac disease nearly 20 years ago (you can read my full coeliac diagnosis story here) and started my blog in 2009 when I was at Bournemouth University studying journalism. I was struggling with my gluten free diet and felt really lonely, and I wanted to reach out to other people with coeliac disease as well as start exploring how to cook food I actually enjoyed.

I soon realised lots of you also felt the same way, and now The Gluten Free Blogger has grown into not only the guidebook for living with coeliac disease, but also an incredible community of awesome gluten free people! In 2019 I left my job of eight years as a newspaper journalist and went full time working on my website. And I’ve never looked back.

In 2023 I published my first cookbook, Delicious Gluten Free Meals, with 100+ gluten free recipes from fake-aways to desserts, speedy dinners to batch cooking staples. I also co-host Oh Crumbs Podcast with my fellow blogger and friend Laura, interviewing amazing gluten free guests and experts.

As well as my cookbook and website, I also advocate for the coeliac community, speaking on panels and at events, performing cooking demos and writing in various publications to show how easy gluten free cooking can be. I love doing anything I can to help those who are struggling on a gluten free diet!

Sarah Howells the gluten free blogger speaking as part of a panel event.
Speaking on a panel about gluten free life at The Allergy and Free From Show 2025.

Starting The Gluten Free Blogger

I started this blog way back in 2009 while I was studying journalism at university, as a way of documenting my gluten free life and connecting with others. I didn’t know anyone else with coeliac disease and as the online community of gluten free-ers began to grow, it was like coming home.

My mission was always to try and show the positive side to living gluten free. You might think I’m crazy (you wouldn’t be alone!) but I genuinely think that having coeliac disease is one of the best things that’s ever happened to me. It’s helped me find a passion for creating new dishes and trying new flavours.

I’m so excited by the way my life has changed for the better since my coeliac disease diagnosis. So much so, I could transfer that happiness to anyone who is feeling down about it.

I get way too excited and dance in the free from aisles when I find new gluten free products. I want to hug all the people I see browsing the gluten free goodies and make them be my best friend. (I don’t though, because that really would be a bit weird). Stick with me and hopefully you’ll see that being gluten free doesn’t have to be boring!

Author Sarah Howells signing copies of her book on a Coeliac UK stand.

My Coeliac Disease Diagnosis

I was first diagnosed with coeliac disease when I was around 12-years-old, back in 2002. That’s right, I’ve been gluten free for a very long time!

For years I complained of stomach aches, and initially the doctors though I was intolerant to lactose. It wasn’t until my normal GP was ill and I visited a different doctor, that he suggested testing for coeliac disease. Here’s a little ‘glow up’ of me in my ‘peak coeliac’ days, as I call them, versus now on a very chilly day in a North Devon car park. Goals.

A blood test indicated I had it, and an endoscopy then confirmed my coeliac diagnosis. Since then, I’ve been completely gluten free and loving it. I don’t remember a lot about what ‘normal’ food tastes like, and to be honest, I don’t really miss it.

I guess being diagnosed as a child was a lucky break, as I imagine it would be a lot harder cutting something from my diet now. But I still believe anyone who is diagnosed with coeliac disease should use it as an opportunity to try lots of new foods. It’s not all bad!

I’ve also got a video here explaining a bit more about my own coeliac disease diagnosis story:

My Mission Statement

My mission has, and always will be, to prove that being gluten free doesn’t have to mean missing out. I want to recreate all the recipes you miss. I want to provide all the advice, helps, tips and product finds I wish had been around when I was diagnosed with coeliac disease. My mission with gluten free blogger has always been to make sure nobody feels alone in this journey, and I’m here to hold your hand along the way!

Here are some of the wonderful publications I’ve had the pleasure of featuring in or writing for!

I’ve also been regularly involved in talks, panels and cooking demonstrations at events including The Allergy and Free From Show, the Free From Festival and North Devon FoodFest.

Brand I’ve Worked With

I’ve been lucky enough to work with lots of mainstream and free from brands, advocating for the gluten free community. Some of my recent partnerships have included Tesco, Schär, Juvela, Nairn’s, Food Stardards Agency, TimTams, White Rabbit, Jubel and Asda.

Join The Community!

On Instagram? Follow me at @GFBlogger. Make sure you join my mailing list too if you don’t want to miss out on all my new recipes.

Come follow The Gluten Free Blogger on Facebook. You can also join my awesome, supportive Gluten Free Blogger Group, where you can ask questions and get all the help you need from other like-minded, gluten-free souls!

Don’t forget to also visit me on Youtube for recipe tutorials, and Pinterest for all the recipe inspo!

If you have any recipe requests, burning questions about coeliac disease or a gluten free diet, or just want to ask me a random question, or you’re a brand who wants to work with me, get in touch! Drop me a line at [email protected].

I just really hope that if I achieve one thing with The Gluten Free Blogger, it’s to show you that being gluten free isn’t all that bad, really. In fact, it really can be quite awesome.

delicious gluten free meals a cookbook by sarah howells

Get my cookbook!

Want more gluten free meals inspiration? My debut cookbook, Delicious Gluten Free Meals, has 100+ gluten free recipes, from breakfast and lunch ideas to dinners, desserts and sides.

Order Now