「经济学人」Huel tide

They are being rebranded as aspirational as well as efficient

Six years ago less than one in ten British adults told YouGov, a pollster, that they would consider buying such a thing. Soylent, an American brand, found the going hard when it launched in Britain. But Britons are now taking to a food fashion with a global market worth some $14bn, by one estimate. The choice for consumers has grown. Huel, a Hertfordshire-based startup whose profits have nearly tripled in the past year along with record sales, is now available in seven in ten supermarkets across the country.

Efficiency is part of the appeal. According to a survey by Compass Group, a food-services firm, British employees spend less than 33 minutes on lunch. But given that the average sandwich is scoffed down in less than five minutes, saving time can’t be the only draw.

Economy is another. Huel’s powdered formula, and those of rivals such as Myprotein and yfood, provide meals at a cost of between £1.30 ($1.65) and £1.80 each. By comparison, an egg-and-cress sandwich at M&S costs £3.25.

Huel and its peers claim to be a healthy choice, too (because of the balance of nutrients they contain). They have dropped the “meal-replacement” label. “It’s not a term we use because it implies something that’s inferior,” says Huel’s CEO, James McMaster, “whereas our product is vastly superior.” Nu26, another brand, calls itself a “nutritionally complete” shake; yfood dubs itself “smart food”.

Clever marketing has helped shed the dour image of being diet drinks. Huel’s monochromatic look has drawn a cult following among gym rats and girl bosses. Slogans about efficiency and empowerment rather than weight loss or restriction aim to position the products as both practical and aspirational. “If everyone had Huel, the world would be a much, much better place,” Mr McMaster claims. But it’s still hard to beat a tasty sandwich.

This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “Huel tide”(Dec 19th 2024)

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