About David Hall, founder of IntoleranceLab

IntoleranceLab is run by David and Leah Hall from Jarrow Business Centre in Jarrow, Tyne and Wear. It has been trading since 2017.

Why the business exists

It started with a personal frustration. David is health-conscious and a committed gym-goer, and for a long stretch he was dealing with persistent bloating and reflux. Trying to work out whether food had anything to do with it turned out to be genuinely difficult: the advice online contradicted itself, testing options were expensive, and nobody was being straight about what a test could and could not tell you.

Leah was running into the same problem from the other side. As a Level 3 personal trainer and nutritionist she was regularly asked the same question by clients — which foods do not agree with me, and where do I even start? — and there was no sensible, affordable place to point them.

Between them they had the problem from both angles: someone living it, and someone being asked about it professionally. IntoleranceLab was built to give people a starting point instead of guesswork.

What we will and will not claim

This matters more to us than it probably should to a company selling something, so we will be blunt about it.

• A hair sample screen is not a diagnostic test. It is not validated, it is not endorsed by the NHS or the BDA, and there is no robust published evidence that screening hair identifies which foods do or do not suit you.
• What it does is give you a shortlist. A typical diet contains hundreds of ingredients, and removing all of them is neither safe nor realistic. The screen narrows where to look first.
• It is the elimination diet and food diary that actually demonstrate a link between a food and how you feel — not the report. We say this on every page because it is true, and because you should know it before you buy.
• We are not clinicians. If your symptoms are persistent, severe, or getting worse, that belongs with your GP and not with a diet experiment.

Our page on testing accuracy sets out the evidence position in full, including the parts that do not flatter us.

The people

David Hall — founder

Founder and owner. Lives in South Shields, a few miles from the lab. Handles the business day to day, and is the person behind most of the writing on this site.

Leah Hall — co-founder

Level 3 personal trainer, kettlebell instructor and nutritionist. Leah’s client work is what shaped the practical side of how we present results — the focus on a structured six-week elimination and a reintroduction plan, rather than handing someone a list and wishing them luck.

Get in touch

Email info@intolerancelab.co.uk. Samples are analysed at our UK lab, and reports are emailed within 3 working days of your sample arriving.