And some founders are playing the game so well, they’re not just growing. They’re going viral, winning supermarket space, raising millions, and rewriting the rules.
From TikTok stardom to high-performance nutrition, here’s what the UK’s top challengers are doing differentlyand what you can borrow.
SpudBros: From Preston Stall to TikTok Takeover
What happens when two brothers turn a jacket potato into a cult icon? Meet Jacob and Harley Nelson, founders of SpudBros, who’ve racked up 5.5 million TikTok followers by mixing crisp, craveable food with offbeat humour and behind-the-scenes content. Result? Daily queues in London, franchises brewing in Amsterdam and Las Vegas, and even an animated series in the works.
Forget polished ads, raw, real content that makes people laugh (and crave your food) is more powerful than any media budget. You’re not just building a brand. You’re building a media channel.
Bio&Me: Turning Gut Health Into a Supermarket Staple
Co-founded by gut health expert Dr Megan Rossi and commercial heavyweight Jon Walsh, Bio&Me makes products your digestive system actually thanks you for. Granolas, live yoghurts, porridge all prebiotic-powered and backed by science. They’ve landed in major UK supermarkets, doubled sales in 2023, and closed an oversubscribed £1.6M raise.
Make wellness feel mainstream, not niche. Health sells but only if it’s delicious, data-backed, and easy to understand on a crowded shelf.
Urban Legend: Reinventing the Doughnut
Led by Anthony Fletcher (ex-Graze CEO), Urban Legend is flipping indulgence on its head. Their doughnuts are air-fried, sugar-reduced, calorie-slashing wonders—no compromise on taste, just a smarter take on snacking. Their patented tech won over investors like Samworth Brothers and Mondelēz International. Next stop: Europe.
Solve a real tension, guilt-free indulgence and protect it with IP. Innovation that genuinely improves the product (not just the story) is rocket fuel for growth.
Freja: Bone Broth, Bottled Beautifully
Freja co-founders Jess Leather and Ed Armitage didn’t invent bone broth but they made it aspirational. Sourced sustainably, packed with protein, and ready to pour, Freja feels more like a premium drink than a traditional stock. Backers include Harry Kane and Alistair Brownlee. A £2M raise later, they’re scaling fast.
Take something traditional and elevate it with better design, better story, better nutrition. Don’t just chase trends. Upgrade them.
Fuel Hub: Meal Prep for High Performers
Founded by James and Michelle Laithwaite, Fuel Hub serves performance-focused meals designed by nutritionists and trusted by elite sports teams like Super League Triathlon. With over 168,000 athletes served, they’ve made serious inroads into a niche with loyal repeat customers.
Go deep, not wide. Own your niche and be the solution. When you solve for a specific tribe, your brand becomes indispensable.
So… How do you stack up?
These brands don’t just scale because they’re “cool” or “on trend.”
They win because they:
• Know their audience cold
• Build brand into everything from TikTok to pack copy
• Treat packaging as part of the product, not just a protective layer
Your pouch, carton, or SRP is doing more than holding the goods. It’s your billboard. Your first impression. Your operational handshake with retail. If it’s confusing, clunky, or off-brand, it’s not just your packaging that’s underperforming. It’s your velocity.
Great founders don’t just benchmark against the best ads or the smartest digital campaigns. They benchmark their print too.
Is yours helping you stand out or holding you back?
