It’s rare to be able to piece together a decent meal for around two or three dollars, let alone a nourishing and balanced one. Yet this was the challenge British entrepreneur Julian Hearn took on when he started Huel in June of 2015. With the support of co-founder and nutrition expert James Collier, Heard wanted his company to, as he puts it, “make nutritionally complete, convenient, affordable food, with minimal impact on animals and the environment.”
A little over five years later, Heard’s company has built a team of over 100 people working in offices across the U. S. and Europe. They’ve sold over 100 million Huel meals globally, making them one of the largest complete nutrition brands in the world today.
Why has Huel seen this kind of success — and racked up so much good press — in this short period of time? One might argue it’s because Heard and his team stick to what they do best, while always striving to hone and improve their products. At the center of the brand’s business are just four core products: Powder, Ready-to-drink, Hot & Savory meals, and Bars.
There’s something in Huel’s web store to cover your favorite form of consumption during your busy daily routine, whether it’s a refreshing drink or smoothie, a hearty power bar perfect for any time of day, or a full meal you can make in just a couple of minutes. (Recently, Huel Hot & Savory meals were named among Forbes Magazine’s Best Grooming and Wellness Products for Men in 2020.)
All of the company’s meals and snacks are comprised entirely of plant-based sustainable ingredients like oats, peas, rice, flaxseed, coconut, and sunflower, and contain all 27 essential vitamins and minerals. The true diversity comes in their products’ wide variety of delicious flavors — from Raspberry and White Chocolate bars to Indian and Thai curry meals — making for complete nutrition experiences that are as authentically tasty as they are energizing.
However, Huel has a lot more to offer to consumers than just what they sell. Their mission extends well beyond the purview of most food brands, since they’re focused on nurturing a wide digital network of healthy and well-informed customers. Their site features a compendium of original articles and videos from health experts about meal planning, weight loss, muscle building, and more. (There’s also hard research detailing how their products stack up against other brands in terms of healthfulness and cost-effectiveness.) The active, Reddit-like public forum on the Discourse section of the site also allows Huel fans — lovingly nicknamed “Hueligans” — to share their Huel experiences, as well as other topics relating to nutrition, fitness, dieting, and more.
Outside of the helpful spread of additional content on their site, Heard and the Huel family are intent on expanding other forms of outreach. The Huel Ambassadors program helps Huel acolytes spread the word about their favorite products, completing missions that range from maximizing social media follows to demonstrating how they make their favorite Huel. The company also shows its appreciation for the many exceptional world citizens who rely on Huel to get through their days, offering 10% discounts on all their products to military members, first responders, and medical staff, as well as students.
If you need more proof as to why Huel is one of the fastest growing food and beverage brands in Europe — and an ethical company aiming to bolster the well-being of both humans and an imperiled planet — take a good hard look around their site. When you find that perfect protein-packed snack you didn’t know you’d been looking for, you can check out with Amazon Pay. Take a look at everything Huel has to offer.