Rachel Munro (pictured above), founder of The Rebel Baker, an allergen-free bakery shaking up the snack game, is among 14 businesses announced today as a Start Up Loans Ambassador.

Based in Ayr, the bakery can produce over 10,000 cookies per day and supplies products to food service clients across the UK. Every item is free from the 14 allergens defined by the Food Standards Agency, with a commitment to taste and quality.

The Rebel Baker was launched in January 2024, and more recently, Rachel received a £15,000 loan from Virgin StartUp through the British Business Bank’s Start Up Loans programme to support with equipment costs as her order book grew.

This expenditure was a heavy cash drain on the business and Rachel was down to her last £1,000 in her bank, so the finance came just at right time to save the business.

As a single parent to a daughter with several food allergies, Rachel previously struggled with finding options that her child could enjoy that tasted the same as the ‘regular’ cakes, pastries or biscuits.

Despite many supermarkets now having aisles of allergen-free options, she found herself still needing to check labels on every item, as there were limited choices that exclude all 14 allergens.

After being told at school that she would “never amount to anything”, Rachel has grown the business substantially in its first 18 months with stockists including over 20 Glasgow and Ayrshire cafes, as well as national partners.

Before starting the bakery venture, Rachel was running a café called Thyme on Ayr’s Alloway Street and appeared on Gordon Ramsay’s ‘Future Food Stars’ alongside other food and drink entrepreneurs, which helped inspire her decision to start up the manufacturing business.

Rachel said: “The idea for the Rebel Baker came to me in the bath in November 2023, and by the following January, I was up and running, creating allergen-free baked goods for a range of local suppliers.

Having seen first-hand how tricky it can be for my daughter to find tasty treats, it is so important to me that there are allergen-free options readily available which taste just as good, if not better. As the rebel name suggests, I wanted to challenge the status quo.”

She added: “I’ve worked in a range of roles in hospitality and events in the past but, after losing my dad when I was just 24, it put things into perspective for me. You only get one chance at life, and that pushed me to be my own boss and carve out my own path in an area that I am so passionate about.

Funding and support through programmes such as Start Up Loans has been a critical part of my journey so far, so it is great to be representing Scotland in this year’s Ambassadors programme. At the same time, I’m in talks about some major contracts with retailers and catering companies, so it is a really exciting time for The Rebel Baker.”

Barry McCulloch, Senior Manager, UK Network, Scotland at the British Business Bank, said: “We are incredibly proud to mark ten years of Start Up Loans Ambassadors, which continues to highlight the achievements of extraordinary UK entrepreneurs who have brought their business ideas to life with the help of our government-backed scheme.

Over the past decade, our Ambassadors have embodied the resilience, creativity and determination it takes to succeed in business, while inspiring countless others to follow in their footsteps. I have no doubt that Rachel will encourage other aspiring business owners to bring their start-up plans to life.”

Chloe Fenn, Start Up Lead at Virgin StartUp, added: “We’re incredibly proud to support Rebel Bakery at this exciting stage of growth. With a strong brand and clear traction in the market, it was evident that Rachel had a fantastic route to success. The Start Up Loan has provided her with the backing she needed to propel the business forward.

Rachel’s passion for creating an allergen-free frozen bakery range shone through in her application. Born out of her own frustrations at the lack of inspiring, tasty allergen-free treats, she decided to do something about it – and we were delighted to help unlock the funding required to purchase essential equipment and scale her vision.”

She added: “Rachel is one of many inspiring stories within our growing Virgin StartUp community of more than 7,000 funded founders, and we wish her every success as she continues her journey.”

Now in its tenth year, Start Up Loans Ambassadors shines a spotlight on remarkable UK entrepreneurs who have turned their business ideas into reality with support from the government-backed initiative.

Each Ambassador has been chosen for showcasing the determination, innovation and resilience needed to grow a small business, while inspiring others to pursue their own entrepreneurial journeys.

Since its inception in 2012, the Start Up Loans programme has delivered more than 8,000 loans to business owners across Scotland, amounting to more than £82m of funding.