Idris Elba-backed Huel in bumper start to year

A Hertfordshire-based meal replacement firm backed by actor Idris Elba recorded its best-ever monthly sales in January.

Huel, which was founded in 2015 and has offices in Birmingham, London and New York, saw its customer base grow by double digits year-on-year, according to documents seen by the Mail.

The firm also noted that in January it had sold three of its meals every second globally. 

Huel’s products include protein powder as well as drinks and dehydrated meals such as macaroni cheese and Thai curry. 

It comes as the group prepares to launch its new product Daily Greens, a once-a-day powder to be taken with breakfast containing vitamins, minerals and nutrients, into the US.

Since its founding, Huel has sold more than 270m of its meals and, in the year to July 2022, saw sales jump 40 per cent to £141m.

Luther star Elba, 50, has previously said that he spent several years as a ‘Hueligan’, the name the firm gives its customers, and late last year backed the company in a £20m fundraising. 

The funding round valued Huel at £464m.