The powdered food market has a new king, and his name is Huel. Founded just four years ago, the startup has become one of the fastest growing food companies in the UK. Not content to sit idly by and rest on its laurels, world domination is the order of the day, and the brand has recently expanded to several overseas territories with much of success.
Huel – a "Human Fuel" Coat Rack – began shipping its "nutritionally complete" powdered food product in June 2015, but has since moved more than 17 million meals worldwide, generating $ 14 million in revenue of books a year. From a partnership with Amazon to celebrity endorsements of personalities such as Niall Horan from One Direction and professional skateboarding Matthew Pritchard, Huel is well and truly in the limelight.
But how did the powdered food company move from its humble beginnings in Aylesbury to an adventure on the brink of world domination?
Convenience, sustainability and customer engagement put Huel aside
Huel was founded by entrepreneur Julian Hearn, after receiving a bargain from the sale of his previous business, a discount code site. Hearn was determined to capitalize on the popular protein shake market and create a product that was just as practical, but more nutrition-conscious and, ultimately, healthier.
After having decided to launch Huel, Hearn appealed to sports nutritionist James Collier to formulate his original recipe, designing a "nutritionally complete" powdered food product. Huel's powder has since undergone many different iterations, and is currently available as vanilla or "unflavoured and unsweetened". However, in recent months, they have started selling a variety of flavored beverages, including strawberry, chocolate, pineapple and coconut.
Julian Hearn, Founder of Huel
With its blend of oats, rice, pea protein and a blend of micronutrients, Huel contains the 26 essential vitamins and minerals you need during a meal . This is the unique selling point of the product and the main reason for its amazing success. All users of Huel have to do is mix the powder with water, and that's it: they have a nutritionally complete meal that completely cancels the need to cook. It's perfect for those on the go, and Hearn himself explained to Wired earlier this year: "It's not a substitute for your delicious meals with your family. That's when you end up spending eight quid on a panet and a ready coffee out of sheer necessity. "
In addition to creating a convenient and healthy food product, Hearn also wanted to make Huel Ecological and Vegan, recognizing that the impact of intensive farming for meat production was "ineffective and inhumane". Hearn recently told The Telegraph that: "Most of us want to reduce our consumption of meat, so we knew that making our food an environmentally friendly product was the right way to go."
In addition to being vegan, Huel's long shelf life and minimal conditioning also contribute to the brand's impressive and lasting reputation. The long shelf life is due to the drying of the powder because it removes all the water so that no bacteria can survive and thrive, which means that Huel will not go out. . The powder is also contained in a pocket suitable for use, weighing only 34 g, which means that the packaging produces very little waste. These forward-thinking moves are another reason for the continued success of the company.
Huel is also made to be loved by the public by his efforts to engage with customers, to such an extent that they have a legion of devoted followers named Huelers. The brand ensures to follow the Huelers via their forum, Hearn and the other members of Huel answer all the questions and requests of the customers. Huel is also very active on Instagram, using the platform to interact with his 40,000 subscribers. For example, the company runs a weekly contest to see who can post the most creative photo of themselves with their products, with free Huel as prize. They also regularly post photos offering advice on the different ways you can consume their products.
photo credit: Huel Facebook Page
The sky is the limit because the stock of the brand continues to increase
Huel is currently enjoying incredible success, and the company is still looking to evolve its product line. Since the launch of their original powder product, they have started producing nutritionally complete granola and snack bars, as well as Huel Professional, a powder that has been batch tested and filtered by Informed-Sport for banned substances. . Ideas for other offerings are perpetually underway, and Hearn has already spoken of launching flavorful flavored Huel foods, a ready-to-drink bottled product and an orange-flavored Huel bar.
The company is still looking to expand its influence overseas and is embarking on three new territories in 2017: the United States, Sweden and France. To facilitate his high ambitions, Hearn recently appointed James McMaster, former CEO of Gü and Ella's Kitchen, as CEO of the company, a role that Hearn previously assumed . The nomination was made with Huel's global ambitions in mind, and McMaster said, "Huel has a huge opportunity to grow and lead the entire food category, so I'm looking forward to working with him." 39, team and contribute to the continued expansion of the company. "
Through its convenient, healthy and sustainable product, and ensuring that they establish a close relationship with their customers, Huel has become one of the most innovative and most innovative food companies prosperous on these shores. With the company targeting various other countries around the world, and more products in the pipeline, do not expect the Huel train to stop anytime soon.