Huel, the nutritionally complete food brand, is pleased to announce the planned opening of a new manufacturing site within the PLP Milton Keynes business park in January 2024. The site will produce Powder and Hot & Savoury ranges for UK and EU customers, and help to accelerate the production of the Ready-to-drink ranges.
Credit: Huel
Warehouse operations at the Milton Keynes site are expected to begin in Jan 2024, before manufacturing operations commence from Summer 2024. The site will increase Huel’s team of Hueligans by 30, taking the team to a total of 300. The factory will supply most of the business’s UK and EU customers and further support the growth ambitions for the future.
Sustainability
Over £8m has been invested into the site, which is one of the first carbon net zero manufacturing parks in the UK and will boast state of the art sustainability credentials. The embodied carbon of the site is well within the 2030 targets for commercial and residential construction, with the use of high carbon materials such as concrete and steel kept to a minimum. Combining warehousing and manufacturing at the same site will reduce Huel’s total freight emissions by 5%.
It has been constructed in line with Huel’s net zero targets and will have 100% solar coverage, that will cut total manufacturing emissions by 40% and provide up to 50% of the energy demand. The site will also include motion activated lighting installed throughout, a rainwater harvesting system and extensive levels of cycle storage, with good connections to local cycle paths. EV charging points will be available at launch, with EV lorry charging to be introduced at a later date which will power Huel electric trucks transporting goods across the UK and Europe.
The sustainability of the site enhances Huel’s commitment to having a minimal impact on animals and the environment. The sustainability credentials support the commitment to ensuring that all meals have a carbon footprint of less than 0.5kg CO2e, in line with the requirements to limit global warming to 1.5 degrees. Huel’s commitment to sustainability continues into its supply chain. It is now B Corp accredited and has partnered with Tony’s Open Chain, an open supply chain for companies committed to ethical sourcing of cocoa. GHG emissions are currently being assessed with the ambition of setting a Net Zero target in the near future.
FY23 Performance
The site opening marks another important milestone in what has already been a successful financial year. FY23 has been an evolutionary year for Huel which has included an updated management structure and the achievement of 300m meals sold worldwide.
As a result of the growth to date and the ambitious plans for the future, CEO James McMaster announced last month that Huel has advanced its management structure to create a senior management team dedicated to leading the business and its teams through the next stage of growth. The management team will include leadership from the 8 key pillars of the company and ensure that the business remains well aligned on strategy and performance across all regions and teams.
Trading to date has been impressive and reflected efforts taken to continue the widening of Huel’s appeal to consumers seeking complete nutrition that is convenient, affordable and sustainable. Since the closure of a $24 million funding round in December 2022, Huel has invested in developing the range to offer better nutrition at more occasions and created its first ever supplement with the launch of Daily Greens, the perfect blend of 91 vitamins, minerals and wholefood-sourced ingredients, in the US. The business also extended the distribution network of its Protein products into Japan.
Huel has fully transitioned to omnichannel and has seen a 60% increase in its retail footprint, driven by an expansion of Huel’s presence in Tesco and a new partnership with Morrisons which will see Huel stocked in 450 of their stores. Continued new customer acquisition in the D2C business alongside efficient management of inflationary pressures has driven strong revenue growth and EBITDA expectations for FY23.
Huel will announce its FY23 results in November 2024.
James McMaster, CEO of Huel commented:
“We are extremely excited to announce the opening of our new state of the art manufacturing site in Milton Keynes in early 2024. The site will have some of the best sustainability credentials in the country and reinforces our commitment to minimising our impact on animals and the environment.
The opening marks another achievement in what has already been a successful year as we’ve stayed on the front foot and taken important steps to reach even more people and cemented our position as the leading provider of nutritionally complete, convenient and affordable food. The site will be a key part of our growth ambitions for the future, boosting production for our customers in the UK and EU and taking our team of Hueligans well past the 300 milestone.
We’re continuing to look forward to the future and the growth still to come, and our refreshed management structure alongside the new Milton Keynes site will play an important role in helping us reach our goals.”
About Huel
Launched in 2015 by Julian Hearn, Huel’s mission is to make nutritionally complete, convenient and affordable food, with minimal impact on animals and the environment.
Offering consumers “complete nutrition” means that each Huel meal serves customers the perfect balance of protein, carbs, fibre, essential fats and phytonutrients, plus all 26 essential vitamins and minerals required on a daily basis. Formulated by Registered Nutritionist and Huel Co-Founder, James Collier, Huel is vegan, lactose-free and soya-free.
Huel is available in its original powdered range as well as a Ready-to-drink format, a Hot & Savory lunch option, on-the-go snack bars, supplements and a protein powder. All Huel products take less than 5 minutes to prepare and provide an innovative solution perfect for time-poor consumers. Each Huel product has a 6 month+ shelf life which minimises food waste and offers multiple servings to reduce packaging waste. Huel’s carbon footprint has shown our products are lower carbon than most commonly eaten alternative food products.