Huel
 | |
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Meal replacements |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Julian Hearn, James Collier |
| Headquarters | UK: Tring, Hertfordshire; London, Birmingham US: New York City |
| Products | Huel |
| Website | huel |
Huel, manufactured by Huel Ltd., is a meal replacement available in powder, protein shake, protein bar, grain or pasta forms.[1][2][3] Its products are made from oats, rice protein, pea protein, sunflower, flaxseed, coconut oil MCTs, and several dietary supplements (vitamins and minerals). Most products are sweetened with sucralose or stevia. The product's name is a portmanteau of human fuel.[4]
History
In 2014, Huel was founded by Julian Hearn in Aylesbury, England. The original recipe was formulated by registered nutritionist James Collier, founder and former owner of MuscleTalk, a bodybuilding website,[5] with the intention of providing the recommended daily amounts (RDAs) of nutrients as stipulated by the European Food Safety Authority, in a vegan and environmentally friendly product.
Huel powder, the first product, was released in 2015 and is sold in 1.7 kg white bags. Its ingredients contain oats, rice, pea protein, and micronutrients. Huel Powder is made up of 37% carbohydrates, 30% fat, 30% protein, and 3% fibre. Black Edition was released in December 2019, it contains 50% fewer carbohydrates, 33% more protein compared to the original Huel powder and is sweetened with stevia and organic coconut sugar, instead of artificial sweetener.[6]
A version for gluten-free diets was launched in 2016, and Huel began delivering to the rest of Europe.[7] In June 2017, it became available in the United States.[8]
In November 2017, former Life Health Foods UK chief executive James McMaster was appointed as chief executive officer of the company to oversee its international expansion.[9]
In 2023, Huel reported a 28% increase in revenue year-on-year, reaching £184.5 million for the 12 months to 31 July 2023.[10]
Huel was B Corp certified in 2023, meaning it met tight social sustainability and environmental performance standards, and became a partner of Tony’s Open Chain, an open supply chain for companies committed to ethical sourcing of cocoa.[11]
In November 2023, Huel's CEO James McMaster said the company was open to a sale, and played down talk of floating the company on the stock market, citing poor market conditions in the UK.[12]
In early 2024, Huel will open a state-of-the-art manufacturing site in Milton Keynes as part of the "first industrial and logistics business park of this scale in the UK to be delivered carbon net-zero".[13]
Controversy
In February 2023, the British Advertising Standards Authority banned two Huel advertisements after ruling that claims that Huel could help people save money were misleading, and that one of the advertisements violated the rules on making health claims about products.[14][15]
References
- ^ Butcher, Abigail (9 February 2016). "Is powdered food the future? Huel put to the test". The Daily Telegraph.
- ^ Robinson, Peter (9 May 2016). "My week on powdered food made me feel less spaceman, more idiot". The Guardian.
- ^ McEachran, Rich (17 December 2015). "Is powdered food an eco-dream or just weird?". The Guardian.
- ^ Ough, Tom (15 February 2017). "My week on Huel: can you really live off nutritionally-complete powder?". The Daily Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235.
- ^ "About MuscleTalk". MuscleTalk.
- ^ WALSH, GRACE (January 11, 2023). "Huel review: Is Huel healthy? A dietitian shares her professional opinion..." Cosmopolitan.
- ^ Nickalls, Sammy (13 June 2017). "European Soylent Competitor Huel Is Coming to America". Myrecipes.com.
- ^ "Huel Announces Commitment to the U.S. Market with New Product Launches" (Press release). PR Newswire. November 28, 2018.
- ^ Perkins, Carina (16 November 2017). "James McMaster is new CEO of 'complete food' brand Huel". TheGrocer.co.uk.
- ^ Mattinson, Alex (24 November 2023). "Retail push helps Huel return to profitability". TheGrocer.co.uk.
- ^ "Huel B Corp Certification". www.bcorporation.net.
- ^ "Huel plays down London listing as IPO market stutters". www.ft.com. Retrieved 2023-11-20.
- ^ McLouglin, James (17 January 2024). "Huel begins fit-out of 71,800ft² Milton Keynes warehouse". logisticsmanager.com.
- ^ Clark, Jess (15 Feb 2023). "Huel adverts banned in UK for claiming shakes could help cut food bills". The Guardian. Retrieved 15 Feb 2023.
- ^ "ASA Ruling on Huel Ltd". Advertising Standards Authority. 15 Feb 2023. Retrieved 2 Mar 2023.