Member Event with Lucinda Bruce-Gardyne, Genius Foods

With ambition to have a career in medicine, Lucinda tried to get the cooking bug out of her system by attending Leiths School of Food and Wine, but quickly realised this was her true calling.

A gruelling but memorable education followed in Terence Conran’s Michelin-starred restaurant Bibendum, before Lucinda’s entrepreneurial spirit led her to set up a catering company, which she ran successfully for three years.

After returning to Leiths Cookery School as a teacher, she lectured and devoted four years to co-authoring the award-winning Leiths Techniques Bible. It was during this time that her first two sons were diagnosed with a severe allergy to dairy products and an intolerance to gluten.

The situation challenged eating normally as a family and led to Lucinda’s second book, How to Cook for Food Allergies.

Her determination to create soft and tasty, fresh brown and white bread, firstly for her son and the book, and then for people like her, became her all consuming passion and these gluten-free recipes became Genius Foods.

Now selling in North America, Europe, Australia and the UAE, the last few years have proved particularly dynamic for Genius, with the innovation and achievements of Lucinda and her team leading to immense business growth and a number of coveted award wins.

EXPLORE how after hundreds of attempts, four years and a broken oven, Genius Foods was born.

LEARN how an innovative approach can bring huge opportunity, even in established markets.

GAIN an understanding of how a strong belief and determination can make great things happen.