It’s a bit of an understatement to say that Jake Kearley, the Foodservice and Vending Manager at Huel, is a busy man. Take the day of the Vendies Awards, for instance. ‘I had a commitment to attend the Brakes Foodie Expo on that morning at Sandown Race Course in Surrey. We’d just gone live with them and we really wanted to hit the ground running. When I finished up there I had to sprint for the Vendies. I missed out the meal, but I did manage to get my bum on my seat just in time for the awards announcement. It was the first time we’d attended the event and I was thrilled to pick up the ‘Best New Product’ award. I was super chuffed, as you can imagine!’
Despite the Vendies’ recognition, Jake feels that his main priority remains getting the word out in terms of what Huel is and what the company stands for. ‘There’s still a general misconception about the brand. People tend to assume that we’re just for gym bros and that essentially, we do protein shakes. But that couldn’t be further from the truth of what we do as a business.
‘The premise of the Huel brand is encapsulated in our mission statement: ‘to improve the health of people and the planet through convenient and complete nutrition.’ I think I’m fairly typical in that breakfast was the one meal of the day that I either skipped, because I didn’t really have an appetite in the morning, or I’d grab a take-away croissant on the way to work. Huel comes into play as a healthy and beneficial way to fill that void. Instead of picking up something unhealthy, or not eating at all, consumers could benefit from picking up a Huel…
‘With Huel, you’re getting 26 vitamins and minerals in a plant-based, gluten-free option, that is actually good for you’, Jake says. ‘It delivers around 400 calories, so it keeps you feeling full until lunchtime. It’s got slow-releasing carbohydrates, essential fats, fibre and phytonutrients – all good stuff. That’s why the product resonates with so many different people.’
There are those, though, who still see Huel as a sports nutrition brand, which is understandable, because there’s an element of protein in the product. That’s obviously a benefit for those who work out, but the fact is that everyone needs a protein-based diet to stay fit and healthy.
The company’s ‘giant leap’ in vending came when Huel achieved listings with ARN. ‘We were delighted when their Sales Director, Gordon Johnston featured us in his preview of Vendex North’, Jake recalls. ‘He wrote: ‘I will single out Huel. Huel has been a revelation in vending. From a standing start it’s looking as though it’s here to stay. I’m not saying that sales have gone through the roof, but they’ve definitely put a dent in the warehouse ceiling… If you’re not yet a convert, Vendex is your chance to see what all the fuss is about.’’
That’s not a bad recommendation from the nation’s only wholesaler that’s dedicated to vending. What’s more, the feedback from those operators who have got on board tells its own story, as Jake explains. ‘Whenever an operator has dedicated a spiral to Huel, the stickability has been 100%. Not one of them has given us a try and then taken us out of their machines. So my target is to encourage operators to give Huek a try and put it into a spiral, because I’ve got a good idea what will happen if they do.’
Huel is completely different from anything else on the market. As a nutritionally complete meal that consumers can drink on the go, it’s a perfect fit for vending. ‘At the moment, we’ve got around 30 Huel vending machines ‘out in the wild’, predominantly in railway stations across the UK, including London Victoria, Birmingham New Street, London Waterloo and Manchester Victoria, to name but a few. We also focus on airports, so you’ll find Huel vending machines at Heathrow, Stansted and Manchester and we’re about to go live in a few more – so watch this space.
‘We’ve had a great reception in these locations, because we’re offering a solution to a problem that a lot of people are facing, namely finding a healthy alternative to the products that have traditionally been the mainstay of vending machines.
‘Another misconception with the brand is the price point’, Jake says. ‘Let’s take our ready-to-drink as an example, because that’s our most popular vending product. It sells for between £3.50 and £4 and yes, a lot of people see that as expensive. But expensive compared to what? Some potential stockists don’t really appreciate the fact that what a consumer gets for that price is a full meal. To put that into context, if you go to a Costa and you buy a croissant and a coffee, you’re looking at £6 or £7, and that’s not even a like-for-like comparison; because with Huel, you’re getting a full, nutritionally complete meal with all the vitamins and minerals your body needs to thrive during a demanding day. That’s the story we need to get across to operators.’
NEXT TIME: Jake discusses the enlargement of the Huel range and its potential impact on vending operators. Meanwhile, here’s…
Planet Vending’s Bluffer’s Guide to Huel
- Huel is a UK business, which was founded in 2015.
- Huel has sold over 500 million meals worldwide, across 80 countries.
- Huel has hit £1bn revenue since launch.
- A Huel RTD is sold every second in the UK.
- Huel is the Number 1 Sports Nutrition brand in the UK.
- Huel is the UK’s bestselling dairy drink (even though it’s plant-based).
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