Huel Ltd. is a British company that makes plant-based meals, snacks, drinks, and food supplements.[1][2][3] The head office is in Tring, Hertfordshire.[4]
 | |
| Company type | Privately held company |
|---|---|
| Industry | Meal replacements |
| Founded | 2014 |
| Founders | Julian Hearn, James Collier |
| Headquarters | Tring, Hertfordshire |
| Products | Huel |
| Website | huel |
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.[5]
History
editIn 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,[6] 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. Black Edition was released in December 2019; it contains 50% fewer carbohydrates and 33% more protein than the original Huel powder, and is sweetened with stevia and organic coconut sugar, instead of artificial sweetener.[7]
In 2016 Huel began delivering to the rest of Europe[8] and by June 2017, it became available in the United States.[9] 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.[10]
In 2023, Huel reported a 28% increase in revenue year-on-year, reaching £184.5 million for the 12 months to 31 July 2023.[11] In 2024, Huel surpassed £200 million in revenue for the financial year ending 31 July 2024, tripling its profit compared to the previous year. [12] Alongside its financial growth, Huel achieved B Corp certification in 2023, meeting strict social sustainability and environmental performance standards. The company also became a partner of Tony’s Open Chain, an initiative promoting ethical cocoa sourcing.[13]
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.[14] Shortly afterward, in January 2024, Huel opened a new factory in Milton Keynes to support its growing operations. [15]
Products
editHuel offers a diverse range of nutritionally complete food and supplement products designed for convenience, sustainability, and balanced nutrition. All products are plant-based and formulated to meet the dietary needs of a variety of lifestyles. Below is an overview of Huel’s offerings:
- Huel Powder: A powdered meal containing 26 vitamins and minerals, protein, and a balanced macronutrient profile.
- Huel Black Edition: A higher-protein, lower-carbohydrate version of Huel Powder.
- Huel Ready-to-Drink (RTD): A pre-mixed version of Huel in a ready-to-consume format.
- Huel Hot & Savoury: Instant hot meals made from ingredients like lentils, rice, pasta, and vegetables.
- Huel Bars: Nutritionally balanced snack bars.
- Huel Complete Protein: A plant-based protein powder.
- Huel Daily Greens: A powdered blend of fruits, vegetables, and botanicals intended to supplement a balanced diet with additional plant-based nutrients.
- Huel Daily A-Z Vitamins: A carbonated beverage containing 26 vitamins and minerals and natural caffeine.
Banning of advertisements
editIn February 2023, the British Advertising Standards Authority (ASA) 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.[16][17]
In August 2024, the ASA banned another Huel advertisement by Steven Bartlett due to undisclosed company affiliations.[18][19]
References
edit- ^ Haslam, Olivia (27 September 2023). "Challenging the vilification of ultra-processed foods". NutraIngredients.
- ^ Haslam, Olivia (22 February 2024). "Huel modernizes mission with botanical Daily Greens supplement". NutraIngredients.
- ^ Walsh, Grace (21 February 2024). "Huel review: Is Huel healthy? A dietitian shares her professional opinion..." Cosmopolitan.
- ^ "Global HQ". Huel. Retrieved 2024-06-18.
- ^ 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.
- ^ Holmes, Harry (18 November 2024). "Huel profits surge due to UK expansion". 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.
- ^ "Steven Bartlett Huel and Zoe adverts banned by ASA". www.bbc.com. Retrieved 2024-08-14.
- ^ "ASA Ruling on Huel Ltd". Advertising Standards Agency. Advertising Standards Agency. 14 August 2024.