From Road Digger to Multi-Millionaire: The Huel Founder's £860m Success Story
A former labourer who left school at 16 with just two E grades is now poised to become a multi-millionaire after selling his drinks company Huel to Danone for a staggering £860 million. Julian Hearn, 54, is set to make more than £400 million from the deal, capping an extraordinary rise from humble beginnings to entrepreneurial triumph.
A Journey from Buckinghamshire Roads to Global Business
Julian Hearn's first job as a teenager involved digging holes in roads in his native Buckinghamshire. His then-girlfriend remarked he was 'too bright' for such labour, prompting him to return to education. He studied marketing at Bournemouth University, achieving a 2:1 degree, and later worked for major retailers including Starbucks, Tesco, and Waitrose.
In 2011, he sold his creative agency Mash up Media, and by 2015, he founded Huel from his garage. The company's name derives from a combination of 'human' and 'fuel', reflecting its mission to provide nutritionally complete food products aimed at health-conscious millennials, busy commuters, and those with limited time for cooking.
Rapid Growth and Celebrity Backing
Huel has expanded rapidly since its inception, moving into retail stores and diversifying its product range to include powders, snack bars, drinks, and instant pasta pots. The brand's main offering remains its meal replacement drink, marketed as 'nutritionally complete'.
The business now posts annual profits of approximately £14 million and is sold in over 25,000 stores worldwide. In 2022, Huel secured £20 million in funding from high-profile backers including actor Idris Elba and his wife Sabrina, broadcaster Jonathan Ross, and influencer Grace Beverley. This funding round valued the company at more than £400 million.
Other investors include Steven Bartlett, presenter of the Diary Of A CEO podcast and a star on Dragons' Den, who holds a small stake. However, in 2024, advertisements featuring Bartlett were banned by the Advertising Standards Authority for failing to disclose his financial interest in Huel.
Danone Acquisition and Future Prospects
The acquisition by Danone, the French company behind Activia yoghurts and Evian water, represents a significant move into the 'functional nutrition' sector. Huel chief executive James McMaster will remain in charge, expressing excitement about leveraging Danone's infrastructure, distribution, and research capabilities to expand into new markets.
McMaster stated: 'We've grown into an omnichannel business with a strong direct-to-consumer foundation. With Danone, we will have the resources to reach more people as demand for convenient, complete nutrition continues to grow.'
Danone CEO Antoine de Saint-Affrique added: 'We are delighted to welcome Huel into the Danone family. Their achievements in the fast-growing complete nutrition space resonate with our mission of delivering health through food.'
This deal underscores the booming market for health-focused, time-saving food products and highlights a remarkable entrepreneurial journey from modest origins to a multi-million pound exit.
