Huel Inc.

Company type	Privately held company
Industry	Meal replacements
Founded	2014; 10 years ago (2014)
Founders	Julian Hearn, James Collier
Headquarters	Tring, Hertfordshire
Products	Huel
Website	huel.com

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]

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]

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,^[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]

Huel 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.

In 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]

• Official website