Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett steps down as director from meal replacement brand Huel

By ROBERT FOLKER, NEWS REPORTER

Published: | Updated:

Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett has stepped down from the board of meal replacement brand Huel.

Filings at Companies House confirmed Bartlett alongside fellow non-executive Emma Woods were no longer directors at the fast-growing business.

Bartlett has been a director at Huel since early 2021 and is understood to have retained a small stake in the company.

Woods, a former CEO of Wagamama and ex-marketing director at Unilever, joined the business in 2022.

'Steve has recently moved to LA and is involved with so many businesses that's it's hard for him to commit time to a Huel board role,' said a spokesman for the brand. 

'He remains an investor in the business. Emma will continue to be a supporter of Huel as she steps away from a board position.

'Huel has had a great partnership with Steven and Emma, and we are very grateful for the part they have played in the company's success.'

The brand was criticised by the Advertising Standards Agency last year - the second time in two months - over 'misleading' claims about its products, including suggesting that a portion of its Daily Greens powder worked out cheaper than fresh green veg.

Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett has stepped down from the board of fast-growing meal replacement brand Huel

Dragons' Den star Steven Bartlett has stepped down from the board of fast-growing meal replacement brand Huel 

Huel, which is available as a powder or in ready-made shakes and energy bars, takes its name from the words 'human fuel' shortened

Huel, which is available as a powder or in ready-made shakes and energy bars, takes its name from the words 'human fuel' shortened

Filings at Companies House confirmed Bartlett and fellow non-executive Emma Woods were no longer directors at the business

Filings at Companies House confirmed Bartlett and fellow non-executive Emma Woods were no longer directors at the business

The company, which takes its name from the words 'human fuel' shortened, was previously in hot water with the advertising watchdog last August after it failed to make clear in Facebook posts promoting Huel that Bartlett, who featured in the ads, had a financial interest in the company.

The recipe for the plant-based, protein rich shakes came from former NHS dietician James Collier, whose passion from nutrition stemmed from seeing his mother's food habits shift after she was diagnosed with breast cancer when he was a child. 

James, 52, a former bodybuilder, worked with entrepreneur Julian Hearn - who would go on to become the business's CMO - to develop the formula behind the offering, which made more than £200 million in revenue last year. 

In November, it was reported that Huel had almost trebled profits to £13.8million in the year to July 31. Sales rose 16 per cent to £214million. As of 2023, the business was valued at £440 million. 

Huel is touted as a cheap, quick and convenient way of getting in a nutritious meal and its shakes are made from oats, peas, tapioca, flaxseed and brown rice.

Sold in a variety of flavours, the bottled shakes contain about 20g of plant-based protein and 26 vitamins and minerals. 

Huel has secured investments from other big names along the way including Idris Elbas, Jonathan Ross and TALA founder Grace Beverly. 

The brand has recently landed on supermarket shelves and expanded into instant meals, selling noodles, curries and pasta dishes to avid gym-goers. 

Steven Bartlett

Most watched News videos