A YORK butcher has done his best to make sure his mum can still enjoy a sausage – despite the fact that she suffers from Coeliac Disease.

Lee Bell, who runs family butchers Ged Bell & Son, in Dringhouses, has created a gluten-free banger which his mother, Lynn, says is “bang on” when it comes to flavour, and he’s already planning to add a burger to the range.

Lynn, 56, was recently diagnosed with the disease, which means consuming food containing gluten could trigger an immune reaction.

“I’ve got to follow a strict diet and it’s a life-long diet,” Lynn said.

“There’s no cheating on this one, otherwise I’ll know about it.

“It’s quite complex and it makes going out for meals, having snacks and particularly breakfast difficult.”

But Lynn says awareness was growing, and some restaurants in York offered coeliac options, including the Blacksmiths Arms at Naburn, which holds a special night once a month.

“That is brilliant, because I can just pick anything from the menu and know it’s okay,” she said.

As for the sausages, it seems that Lee, whose late father, Ged, established the business in Dringhouses 30 years ago, may have hit on an untapped market.

“People who try them are really liking them and coming back for more,” he said. “A hotel we supply had guests from Cumbria who couldn’t get anything like them at home and asked if we could courier them.”

Lee makes the thick-cut sausages first thing in the morning to avoid cross contamination, using pork shoulder and belly pork, which are minced. Gluten-free seasoning is added as well as herbs and spices – including a secret ingredient – which help to bind the sausage together as well as adding flavour, and there is no bread rusk, as with normal sausages.

“It took a few attempts to get it right but we’ve nailed it now,” said Lee.