Julian Hearn is one of the UK's most successful makers of meal replacements. Building on innovation, sustainability, and the power of talent recruitment, Hearn founded Huel and now serves as its Chief Marketing Officer. Launched from a garage in 2015, Huel has grown to become a global brand. The company today has offices across the UK and the US, with over 100 employees, and it's valued at £220 million. The brand's exponential growth and acceptance are rooted in its commitment to nutritionally whole food in line with the international issues of waste food, carbon emissions, and veganism.
Hearn also credits much of Huel's success to hiring strategy, "which is absolutely one of the key things to making a business": he did recruit himself in the early days, basing hiring more on cultural fit, integrity, intelligence, and hard work. This approach enabled Huel to attract a motivated staff who aligned with the mission that the company provided. In response to this, Hearn rejected traditional recruitment agencies as being far too expensive with a connection seemingly lost from how the needs of the company worked. He merely used platforms such as Indeed and LinkedIn through which he sourced talent in a much more affordable way.
Another benefit in the recruitment process for Huel has been its location outside the city of London. Being outside the capital has prevented the firm from facing as much competition over talent, allowing it to recruit excellent people who have a cheaper lifestyle and are in balance with work. Last, but not least, there is Huel's mission—which appeals to any candidate interested in sustainability and working within an ethical business environment. This repositions the values of the company, aligning with what ignites the workers to become a robust and unbroken chain.
Hearn remains directly involved in the hiring process as part of the culture of Huel's recruitment. He conducts personal interviews with each candidate to ensure they are aligned with the company's values and culture. This highly selective recruitment approach has helped in building what Hearn describes as a "Huelligan" culture—a playful term for the identity of the company, much like Google's "Googlers." The company encourages employees to succeed through benefits such as a free on-site gym, unlimited Huel products, and an academy program for upskilling.
Beyond recruitment, Hearn emphasizes creating a workplace that employees genuinely enjoy. Huel has made great investments in office spaces, making them comfortable and well-planned. A good working place, for Hearn, implies that employees should be happy and working well. Such employees work in his favor for success. His simple philosophy: the employee must be busy working for their business within their official hours; no one can demand to kill a person's private life. It thus helps Huel retain top talent while instilling a sense of belonging and commitment from its employees.
Its rise to success has been made possible by its constant innovativeness while keeping true to its mission. Sustaining a great deal of emphasis on sustainability, the company offers products that are vegan, eco-friendly, and designed to avoid creating food waste. Focusing on doing the right thing for the planet, customers, and employees has helped Huel become a brand people are proud to be associated with.
Throughout, Hearn proved resilient, versatile, and absolutely visionary. "It was from scratch," said Hearn to Entrepreneur. Beginning his first business with a mere £1,500, developing it into such a global power brand like Huel—his story shows the very potential of unyielding perseverance and purposeful action. Hearn's leadership at Huel is bound to the creation of a company that not only brings outstanding products but also leaves a good mark on the world. As Huel continues to grow, it is becoming the epitome of how companies aligned with their mission can achieve remarkable success with utmost tenacity.
