Founded by Amy Moring (CEO) and her partner Jeff Webster (COO) in 2017, Hunter & Gather is a £11.2 million turnover B Corp omnichannel business which champions ancestrally inspired nutrition. From creating real food and supplements that are not only free from refined sugar, grains and inflammatory seed oils, but also champion quality and taste, to a welcoming community the founders Amy and Jeff call their ‘tribe’, Hunter & Gather aims to help consumers with products and valuable education to guide their journey to better health.
Can you tell us a little about your background and your company?
Jeff and I started out as childhood sweethearts at the ages of 16 and 17, meeting at the local ice rink in Romford. Who knew at that stage we would end up starting our own business together eight years later!
I was brought up in a working/middle class family environment in Essex – my grandparents were shoemakers and printers and my father ran his own business as a sole trader carpenter. I learned from a young age the importance of working hard for what you want. Whilst at college and university I worked four different jobs to pay my way and learnt how to trust my gut, an important entrepreneurial skill.
For as long as I can remember, my passion has always been horses – I even took a degree in Equestrian Management and Business and my first full time job was working in equestrian insurance, followed by a spell at an equestrian charity then Mars pet food.
It was then I had what I call a ‘reawakening’ about the importance of what food goes into our bodies. As a coeliac I already understood this but seeing what went into the manufactured food we serve to our pets impassioned me to want to do something about it. This was one of the key factors that led to the birth of Hunter & Gather in 2017. Jeff and I were 24 and 25 years old when we created our business together.
What inspired you to start your business?
I’m a lifelong coeliac and optimal health champion who has spent over 20+ years looking at the back of foods for their ingredients. I learned from a young age the impact processed food high in unnecessary ingredients had on my health. Ultra processed foods are everywhere and this coincides with huge increases in modern chronic disease and illnesses such as diabetes, cancer and heart disease that our friends, families and loved ones are suffering with in the UK and beyond.
It’s become my personal goal, and Jeff’s as well, to educate people about the importance of eating and living well and avoiding inflammatory seed oils, refined sugars and grains in their diets to improve their health and wellbeing. I’ve become a real champion of real food ingredients and transparency in the foods we eat.
Hunter & Gather was born out of this need from myself and Jeff for real food and nutrition that people could trust to always be free from refined sugar, grains and seed oils, whilst being from transparent and good quality ingredients.
Looking at current foods and their ingredients, we realised fairly early on that most modern foods have moved further and further away from their natural state. Ultra processed foods are everywhere and it’s probably no coincidence this also coincides with millions of people now diagnosed with Type 2 Diabetes, and modern chronic diseases such as obesity, arthritis and some mental health conditions increasing at alarming rates. This realisation prompted us both to want to help people through a brand to change their lives.
We started by improving our own health by changing our diets and making different lifestyle choices inspired by ancestral living. We then took it further and set on a mission to help others improve their lives in the same way.
And it all started with a jar of mayonnaise!
Our Hunter & Gather brand became a business in 2017 with the creation of our first product, a classic-tasting avocado oil mayonnaise made with simply four real food ingredients. When all the mayonnaise at the time was highly processed and laden with sugar, chemical preservatives and over 70% inflammatory seed oils, our Hunter & Gather mayonnaise challenged this convention.
Over the past eight years, our product range has expanded to include oils, dressings and sauces plus bovine and marine collagen supplements.
Eight years on from launch, we’re as committed as ever to producing the finest quality, health promoting, sustainable products we can. I’m proud to say Hunter & Gather’s is now a £11.2 million turnover business and in 2023, we were hugely proud to achieve B Corp status. Now Hunter & Gather is listed in Tesco, Ocado, Holland & Barrett, Booths, Whole Foods Market and Amazon, as well as selling direct to consumers via our website, a platform we use to educate our ever-increasing loyal band of followers.
How did you create awareness for your brand?
Hunter & Gather started off as an internet business and e-commerce was, and still is, an essential part of the business. It’s where we can engage fully with our ‘tribe’, who act as ambassadors for the brand.
Starting as an e-commence business enabled us to grow quickly with minimal overheads. It enabled us to scale quickly and respond when demand grew during the pandemic. And thanks to being an online brand initially, we were able to create a huge amount of awareness via virtual word of mouth and via social media, where health and wellness is being discussed now more than ever, particularly since the covid-19 pandemic.
We also realised that in order to educate the masses of health conscious consumers who do the majority of their weekly shop in supermarkets, whether online or instore, we needed to take Hunter & Gather to where these consumers are filling their baskets, virtual or otherwise. Which is why I’m excited our products are now available in retailers such Tesco, Ocado and Booths. Since Hunter & Gather arrived in retail, an increasing number of consumers are now aware of the brand and regularly choose to buy into it. As well as being highly visual on shelf, being part of Tesco’s accelerator programme has given us access to a host of marketing opportunities.
In autumn 2024, we undertook our biggest piece of marketing activity to date – and most impactful! It was our first six-figure brand marketing campaign which included a controversial advertising campaign calling out our higher profile competitors – namely Heinz and Hellmann’s.
We were super excited to see our new, hard-hitting brand campaign go live with the purpose of challenging people’s – and brands’ – thinking on what constitutes real food and whether we should be putting things like refined sugar, chemical preservatives like EDTA and seed oils into our bodies on a regular basis.
As a challenger brand, we’re not afraid to stick our heads above the parapet and question the big brand players in our industry. We want to educate people on how to rise above the noise and to eat and live more naturally – the Hunter & Gather way. We did get into a little bit of legal trouble for our cheeky billboard campaign though (whoopsies!).
What strategies helped you secure funding and scale your business?
In the first 12 months, we were still working day jobs and running the business from our kitchen table. Overheads were very low and we were able to test and learn.
We used our credit cards to get the business off the ground and then were fortunate enough to be included in the Mission Ventures (previously Grocery Accelerator) training and mentoring programme which connected us with SFC Capital who went on to support the brand with investment raising over the next six years. Our initial investment raised was around £17,500.
As the business grew quickly, especially during the pandemic, we were able to scale quickly due to the fact we were an online business and had the infrastructure, such as outsourced manufacturing and warehousing, so we could respond quickly. In 2022, we raised a significant investment round in order to keep up with expansion, enabling us to bring on a team and move to an office.
Today, the business is growing apace, almost doubling in turnover in the last year alone, so it’s a constantly evolving business. Every six months the business seems to change its requirements. We now forecast every month and do a total business reforecast of all spend every three months. We have debt funding facilities and supportive investors as well as a sensible P&L which enables us to re-invest profits for further growth.
We reported our first ever seven-figure net sales month in 2024 and first eight-figure year. The company turnover stands at £11.2 million for 2024, almost double that of the year before. The forecast for 2025 is between £16m and £20m with continued growth of 50%+.
We now employ 22 staff and recently appointed three experienced FMCG players to our team as our first-ever finance, marketing and sales directors, who have a critical role in helping the business achieve its ambitious growth aspirations in 2025 and beyond, achieving mainstream retail distribution and helping to change the way the nation eats along the way.
Over time, mine and Jeff’s roles have also evolved and we now focus on areas that play to our strengths. For example, Jeff is COO and heads up operations and finance. I’m the CEO and head up sales and marketing as I’m definitely the more creative of the two of us. Jeff brings a lot of ideas to the table of how the business could evolve and my strength lies in project management as I like to get things done. This balance has helped to create a fast growing, stable business.
What have been your biggest successes so far?
We have had a number of key successes along the way including:
- building a database of hundreds of thousands of consumers in the UK who have bought via our website;
- being part of Tesco’s accelerator programme in 2024
- our inaugural 100% Avocado Mayonnaise product is now one of the Hunter & Gather’s best sellers and has been listed in Tesco stores nationwide since March 2024.
- our sales performance in Ocado and Tesco, where we have amazing repeat purchase rates and rate of sale (showing the consumer need and want for a healthier product);
- awards wins including Great British Entrepreneur Award Winner 2024 Purpose Entrepreneur of the year for the South East region and Ocado’s “Rising Star – Best of British”;
- being brave and challenging established ‘big brands’ head on with a controversial advertising campaign at the end of 2024, resulting in getting in a bit of legal trouble…they say no news is bad news right?!
- growing the team with the hiring of experienced sales, marketing and finance directors to help take the business to the next level.
- linking up with other like-minded brands such as John West, Frive, Healf, Welleasy, London Nootropics, Curators, Cheesies, Montezumas, Lumi, Awfully Posh, Truestart and so many more!
I am also immensely proud that we achieved B Corp accreditation and have been ranked the best B Corp business in the sector. This accolade is really significant as it demonstrates we are leading the field in terms of product quality, transparency and integrity; there aren’t many other brands that can really stand up to that level of scrutiny.
What challenges have you faced, and how did you overcome them?
Creating better for you products that taste great has its challenges and we’ve not always got it right. For example, we had a lot of mayonnaise that split initially whilst we perfected the art of making the mayonnaise commercially with only four ingredients. Thankfully we have now sussed it, but it takes time and money to do so. We also recently reformulated our Rise & Glow collagen range based on consumer insights and feedback. We continue to evolve and develop our existing product range as well as spending time looking at new ideas.
What are your plans for the future?
Our aim has always been to be an omni-channel brand that is available where a health conscious shopper shops. We want Hunter & Gather to be up against the big guys on shelf as well as online, so that we can educate and encourage consumers to question their incumbent choices to improve the lives of themselves and their families. We want to encourage people to take a simpler, ancestral approach to their lifestyle and be happier and healthier doing so. So keep your eyes peeled for Hunter & Gather in more retailers and potentially more western markets too.
What advice would you give to aspiring female entrepreneurs?
I’m a big believer in the power of community in building strong, meaningful business relationships and learning from people who inspire me. I am a member of the Buy Women Built Community and love supporting fellow entrepreneurs. I regularly talk at industry events where I actively support and mentor fellow entrepreneurs, many of whom are women, who are making their way in the sector. I always offer the following advice:
- Being a female founder, especially in a male dominated sector, can be tough at times. You need to be driven, determined and exceptionally focused.
- Running your own business isn’t for the faint hearted and it’s really not for everyone – but if you find yourself eager to learn, open for feedback and bored easily in a 9-5 then entrepreneurial life might suit you as it does myself.
- Growing a business, as with any relationship, is a marathon not a sprint, it takes time, dedication, passion, communication and consistent effort to deliver and enjoy yourself at the same time. And it doesn’t matter if you “fail” as long as you gave it a go. But make sure for time for yourself as burn out is real and it’s not good for you or the business.
- Learn the ropes of running a business by doing every role yourself, at least initially, from sales to website building, which will help you to gain a wealth of experience along the way. But then find someone who does it better than you and hire skills into the business to scale up quicker.
What are your top three tips for entrepreneurial success?
- Recognise and play to your strengths.
- Be quick to evolve and don’t put yourself into one pigeon-holed area you can’t move out of.
- Stay ahead of the competition to help achieve longevity. Be first in the things you do.
- Make sure you have a good work-life balance. It’s too easy to get sucked into living, thinking and breathing your business, but you and your business will be better for having some time away from it.
Who are five people who inspire you the most, and why?
- Henrietta Morrison, founder of natural pet food brand Lily’s Kitchen, who taught me the importance of creating healthier products and instilling your brand values into everything you do.
- My partner and Hunter & Gather co-founder Jeff Webster, whose passion, commitment and obsessiveness for real food that positively benefits our health is nothing short of inspirational. Hunter & Gather wouldn’t exist without him.
- Sahar Hashemi – Founder of Buy Women Built, she is amazing at bringing together a community and championing other women.
- Joanna Jenson – Founder of Childs Farm (Exited), she has taught me to be myself, say it how it is and how to be a strong successful woman whilst growing a family.
- Kim Kardashian – because she has built a business empire and has utilised social media and TV to benefit the brands as well as keeping close to family. She has a really strong work ethic and if she says she is going to do something she does it – like her, I like to show up consistently and be reliable.
What are your favourite inspirational or motivational quotes?
- We have a saying at Hunter & Gather that came from US author and former Navy office Jocko Willink: “Good, so now what?”. Things are inevitably going to happen that are a challenge. So, when faced with something seemingly bad, say “Good, so now what” and you will often find that what seemed bad, can actually work out for the better in the long run.
- Don’t compare your chapter one to someone else’s chapter 20.
- Little by little becomes a lot.
Where can our readers connect with you?
Instagram: @hunterandgatheruk
LinkedIn: https://www.linkedin.com/company/hunterandgather/
X: @HunterGatherUK
Website: www.hunterandgatherfoods.com
