Ezy as to get gluten free

ALLERGY FREE: Tara Apperley, Video Ezy Carterton manager, and Tony Allen, owner, are selling allergy-free foods at the store.

The food allergies that left Carterton's Tara Apperley wheelchair bound have inspired a new business venture -- and a new direction in which to take her current job.

Ms Apperley, manager at Video Ezy Carterton, and store owner Tony Allen have started Cornucopia, a small business specialising in gluten-free, vegan and organic food options, which they have set up on the Video Ezy site.

After several months of research and tasting food samples, Ms Apperley and Mr Allen launched Cornucopia in July, stacking gluten-free pizza bases, nut-free snacks and blocks of soy mozzarella next to copies of The Avengers.

At first, DVDs and allergy-friendly snacks seem an odd mix -- but it is one that's piqued customers' interest.

Ms Apperley said she felt compelled to start Cornucopia after she was diagnosed with coeliac disease (severe gluten intolerance) -- which left her with crippling whole-body cramps.

"I was hunched over like an old lady -- at one point, I had to spend a couple of days in a wheelchair," she said. "After I was diagnosed, I went to the supermarket and came out with only a small basket of food. I cried, as I could find hardly anything I could eat. I wanted to start the shop so people can see there are options for them."

As well as filling a need, Mr Allen said having Cornucopia on site has helped reinvent Video Ezy during a difficult time for the DVD rental businesses.

Since he took over ownership of the store six years ago, Mr Allen has seen rentals and sales decline rapidly, thanks in part to streaming programmes such as Netflix and LightBox.

"The writing's been on the wall for DVDs for sometime -- they are a dying breed," Mr Allen said. "

"Things were pretty bad for a while with illegal downloading, but they've gotten worse with things like Netflix.

"In the last 12-18 months, half of the Video Ezy stores throughout New Zealand have closed down."

These says, as well selling the Cornucopia products, the Carterton Video Ezy acts as a New Zealand Post outlet, having moved into the old post office building on High St in 2011.

"That does keep us busy," Mr Allen said. "Times are hard for a lot of businesses -- we've found we've had to adapt and try new things, and not just stick to our knitting. "

Ms Apperley said Cornucopia's range of allergy-friendly products -- including breads, cheeses, pastas, lunchbox fillers, puddings, and even tomato sauces -- have been a talking point for customers.

"We get a lot of mums coming in, looking for bread for their kids' sandwiches. There is a lot more awareness of things like coeliac disease, and more people are getting diagnosed.

"So gluten-free food is definitely a growing industry."