Why Nourished became Supreme Champion of the Future Food Awards

On 3rd October 2019, at Bread & Jam Festival held at the Institute of Directors on London’s Pall Mall, nine truly innovative food and drink brands went head-to-head to impress a panel of illustrious judges from across the world of food, drink and technology. The panel – including such industry icons as Monika Linton, founder of Brindisa; John Stapleton, co-founder of Little Dish and Covent Garden Soup Co.; and Ed Mehmed, director at ?What If! – was there to uncover the future of food and drink, and they found it in Nourished. The business has all the hallmarks of a future food: personalisation, nutrition, sustainability, attractiveness and great taste. Speciality Food caught up with Melissa Snover, CEO and founder of Nourished, to find out more about her truly innovative business.

THE BEST IDEAS OFTEN STEM FROM PERSONAL EXPERIENCE. WHAT LED YOU TO CREATE NOURISHED?
I have been an avid consumer of vitamins for years and used to carry a large container of all my different tablets and pills with me wherever I travelled. On one particular business trip I was going through customs at an airport in Germany and accidentally dropped my Tupperware – spilling pills and tablets all over the floor. I had to crawl round in my suit and heels picking them all up, and the idea for Nourished came to me. My team and I spent the next 18 months developing a patented 3D printing technology and vegan encapsulation formula which allows us to combine seven different active ingredients into one convenient and delicious nutrition stack.

WHAT MAKES NOURISHED’S PRODUCT A FUTURE FOOD?
We are passionate about providing truly personalised nutrition and making it easier and more affordable for people to take the vitamins and supplements to suit their lifestyle and goals. We believe that, of all the things we personalise, our health makes the most immediate difference to our lives and should take priority.

Nourished utilises innovative 3D printing technology and allows the consumer to create a product completely customised to them. We have over one billion combinations available, and each Nourished stack is as individual as the person who made it. We 3D print each and every order on demand, and allow the consumer to make changes to their monthly subscriptions as their lifestyle also changes. Nourished eradicates consumers having to swallow multiple pills each morning, having to order from numerous suppliers and take nutrition products which have been sat on the shelves for months and lost much of their efficacy. Because Nourished is consumed as a food macro, the active ingredients are digested much more effectively into the body, meaning they have a much higher absorption rate than most vitamins in pill format.

THE JUDGING PANEL WAS IMPRESSED BY THE YOUR PASSION FOR SUSTAINABILITY. HOW ARE YOU PAVING THE WAY FOR OTHERS TO FOLLOW?
We really believe that food companies have a responsibility to reduce their carbon footprint and make products which are inclusive rather than exclusive. Every ingredient we use in Nourished is vegan and at least 95% of them are sourced in the UK. All of our packaging is recyclable and plastic-free, and our individual Nourished flow wraps are made from wood pulp which is home compostable in just 32 weeks! At Nourished innovation is our blood and we think that to establish a sustainable and healthy food industry in the UK we need to incorporate new technologies and processes. 3D printing not only allows us to customise each order quickly and efficiently; it also means we produce extremely little waste and can introduce new products to our range in just two weeks.

WHY IS IT IMPORTANT THAT FUNCTIONALITY AND HEALTH ARE ADOPTED INTO THE FOOD AND DRINK INDUSTRY, RATHER THAN BEING SEEN AS A SEPARATE ENTITY/MARKET?
With a growing trend for more nutritious and versatile food products, it is obvious that consumers are increasingly seeking ways to boost their health through the food that they eat. In today’s fast paced society, time poor consumers are looking for healthier and more convenient food. We believe there is a huge advantage in providing functional micronutrients and active components from superfoods into personalised on-the-go snacks to make staying healthy more convenient, more affordable and more sustainable.

FINALLY, WHAT MAKES NOURISHED WORTHY OF THE SUPREME CHAMPION ACCOLADE?
My team and I at Nourished have worked long and hard to bring this innovative product exclusively to the UK market, and we really proud of everything we have achieved so far. We started as a young team of just four people in Birmingham, and in a matter of months have grown to over 20 employees. We are incredibly passionate about what we do, and are committed to making a difference in the food tech industry with our 3D printing technology. Our vision is to change the way people take vitamins and supplements – one Nourished stack at a time – and being Supreme Champion of the Future Food Awards 2019 will certainly help us along that journey!