F&D Heroes Issue 1

Food & Drink Hero:
Hunter & Gather
Founded by British couple, Amy (lifelong Coeliac) and Jeff (self-declared
experimenter), Hunter & Gather are on a mission to provide you the tools you
need to thrive. By creating healthy, nutrient dense products, recipes, articles
and content for you to enjoy.
The last time I had 400 words to write about
myself was back in 2008 when I was crafting
my university application and was mandated
by my (in special measures) comprehensive
school in Dagenham (the world’s largest
council estate don’t you know) to include the
‘disadvantage background’ statement which
could potentially help level up the playing
field (so to speak).
Roll on a decade and a bit and I’m now sat
here as a co-founder of a multi-millionpound
optimal health focused food start-up.
We’ve seen triple-figure growth year-on-year
since Hunter & Gather’s inception in October
2017 and are quickly garnering national and
international recognition as a key player within
the keto and ancestral health-oriented space.
My journey to entrepreneurship is not typical.
We don’t have any business owners in
our family but my parents supported me
to get the best education available in our
circumstances. I did however, have a very
supportive Business Studies teacher at
school who’d had his own business - this
always interested me. In subsequent years
I was always fascinated by business and
creating something bigger than myself.
Back in 2012, the trajectory of my life
changed dramatically when I was introduced
to and adopted the concepts of low carb
and paleo diets - in essence, removing
grains, sugars and inflammatory seed oils. It
resonated deeply with my contrarian nature
and questioning mind. It all just made so
much sense and I wanted the world to know.
I just commenced my final year of Uni at the
time and the transformation in my wellbeing
and health was nothing short of a miracle.
I could think creatively, concentrate deeply,
be free from debilitating stomach pain and
resolve what seemed like perpetual hunger
for the first time in forever.
I graduated with a 1st class honours
degree, secured a much sought after
graduate role with a leading contractor
and commenced my career as a Quantity
Surveyor - a lucrative career that
promised all the trappings of ‘success’.
But three years into the corporate world,
I just wasn’t satisfied. There was an
insatiable desire to enrich, empower and
encourage others to become a better
version of themselves which I could
foresee was not possible in my corporate
role. I sought a solution and even
considered graduate entry medicine.
The answer was staring me in the face.
My co-founder (and partner in life) Amy
was working at a pet food start-up that
questioned the status quo. Using the
career capital I’d developed in supply
chain, procurement and cashflow
alongside with Amy’s pedigree within
the food industry we created Hunter &
Gather, which launched in October 2017.
There is a strange sense of this journey
being pre-determined. Increasingly it
feels that everything was for a reason
and that we are merely custodians of
this business that is positively impacting
thousands of lives. With an incredibly
passionate team and customers
demanding more and more, we feel like
we’re only just getting started.
hunterandgatherfoods.com
@HunterGatherUK
@hunterandgatheruk
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