vybey is a young, ambitious disruptor within an increasingly frenetic protein powders fixture. Back in the day protein powders prioritised elite athletes and hardened gym enthusiasts, but today this is merely the tip of the iceberg. Today the more progressive brands have thrown their nets further to encompass both young professionals focused on optimal health and hard-working, on-the-go parents striving for optimal health.
Although the original founders Gordon and Rory are Scottish, vybey first flexed its muscles in Australia, when a long time-standing idea nestled in the back of Gordon’s brain finally came to fruition. As an accomplished sports enthusiast whose back catalogue included playing rugby and tennis to a high school boy standard, before embracing body-building (3rd in Scottish championships) and decathlon (top 5 Scottish performer) at university, good sports nutrition had long been a key consideration for Gordon.
Throughout his adult competing years, Gordon had devoted countless hours to blending nutritious concoctions with included everything from bananas, honey and oats, to flax seeds, fish oil, almond milk and protein powders. The liquid feast took ages to concoct and cost a small fortune which niggled him daily. The nagging idea that would ultimately become vybey was to produce convenient and ‘everyday affordable’ healthy foods that also gave back to less fortunate communities.
“I was working in Australia when I finally decided to get the ball rolling by liaising with bottling factories about my thoughts for a nutritious, complete meal shake. At the same time I was hiring food scientists and consultants to put my long-standing vision on a sound, commercial footing. Having paid their ‘far from insignificant’ fees upfront, I had all the incentive I needed to bring vybey to fruition.”
Australia, as it happened, was the perfect location for vybey to find its feet and shape its longer-term story. This was a time when the typical Australian consumer was so much further along the ‘appreciation curve,’ because here was a country where protein-rich products had become normalised across all age demographics.
In its initial guise vybey presented itself as a well-rounded ready-to drink (RTD) primed for online which was available in Pineapple & Coconut and Berry. Sales were ticking along and then Covid struck, resulting in risk-adverse retailers reducing their stock holdings of unpredictable ‘new’ brands.
Gordon and Rory weren’t to be beaten, so returned to the drawing board to recalibrate their vision. Five months down the line vybey reintroduced itself to an inquisitive Australian public as a complete meal powder (Chocolate & Salted Caramel and Vanilla).
One of key ways vybey stands proud from the crowd is its ‘early doors’ decision to be an early adopter of brain health nutrition. Whilst supporting muscle repair, post-workout recovery are the absolute cornerstones of any quality complete meal powder, Gordon & Rory were also keen to plot a pathway into braincare; targeting top notch ingredients that increased focus and concentration, relieved stress, improved sleep quality, in addition to amplifying brain function.
It’s fair to say that Braincare Smart Greens launched in 2023 was a burning the midnight oil labour of love for both founders working alongside a close-knit huddle of nutritionists and doctors. The final blend can proudly proclaim the presence of 54 vitamins, minerals and wholefood sources offering a staggering 150 science-backed health & wellness benefits.
The arrival of our two Braincare propositions have quite simply been a game-changer for the business, adding an extra dimension to the incumbent plant-based meal shakes by prioritising 4x less salt, only natural sweeteners and a significantly higher probiotic dose compared to the mainstream offerings that continue to dominate the airwaves.
At the back end of 2022, having returned to the UK to advance the vybey story, Gordon & Rory were joined by Hylke Reitsma who became the third founder, a seasoned supply chain planning manager tasked with spreading the vybey word to Europe.
Step forward to 2024 and vybey is motoring, extending its Amazon reach, expanding the team to 30 direct/indirect partners spreading across 6 sports nutrition savvy countries whilst achieving a staggering 600% uplift in online sales growth over the last 12 months.
The arrival of a first bricks & mortar listing in mid 24 (Wholefoods) is yet another step change in the vybey story highlighting the business’s ambitions to extend its reach beyond its online heartland.
A recent US trends report highlighted that 60% of global consumers are now choosing food & beverages with clear, preventative health benefits, recognizing the increasingly inextricable ties regarding what one consumes and wider wellbeing!
The latest offering from vybey stable launched last month Braincare Smart Focus might well prove to be the most ground-breaking to date as it’s a coffee alternative made from medicinal mushrooms. Gordon, having become increasingly concerned about his dependence on an addictive morning brew that offered no nutritional worth floated the idea of a tasty hot beverage made from increasingly sought after ‘musts,’ which included turmeric maca root, lion’s mane and chaga mushrooms.
The primary thinking is to banish debilitating brain fog that improved one’s clarity of thinking without fuelling the inevitable jitters and energy crashes.
Probably the last thing to mention is vybey’s steadfast commitment to an enduring strand of social responsibility. In their earlier careers Gordon & Rory had worked on a not-for-profit start-up that donated all proceeds to the Prince’s Trust. First hand they witnessed the very real differences such donations made to other’s lives, so were determined that their own business should tread a similar path. Mary’s Meals provides school meals to some of the poorest regions of the world, the perfect legacy for a brand committed to healthier eating
