As a long term user of Huel powder I can safely say that it has great value for money, the same cannot be said for Hot & Savoury.
When I saw this new product from Huel I brought the 3 bag mininum instantly, finally a quick fix healthy meal that doesn’t feel like a ‘meal replacement’.
I tried a portion as soon as it came, the Thai flavour has had mixed reviews but I enjoyed both flavours, I took some to work the next day, then when I went home to fill my pot for the next day in advance, realised I had almost finished the bag.
The 3 bags in total contain just 8400 calories! This is the equivalent of just over 3 days worth of food if you were living off this stuff - £55 for 3 1/2 days of food, no thank you.
Considering the ingredients dont seem much more complex than regular Huel, which is essentially the same nutritally complete food (or so they claim) just blended into a powder, I cannot understand how this new product can be marked at such a high price in comparison.
I hope Huel company will rethink their pricing/bag sizes with H&S, as it stands I do not believe this is sustainable enough to be considered “The Futue of Food”.
there is another thread on this and I dont think it is regarded as a full replacement for the core powder range but a complimentary product - even the packaging recommends using its as only 1 or 2 meals a day.
I understand that, I would not live off it, but it simplifys comparison if you imagine doing so.
There are hundreds of other nutritious foods you can live on for half the price it would cost to live off this.
The post is regarding pricing and comparing it to alternatives, Huel gives you the benefit of great nutrition without the hassle of shopping and cooking it yourself, but I do not think that justifies the current price.
Read below the cited statement, yes Huel gives you the benefit of quick & easy no fuss no shopping ect… but when compared to other nutritious whole foods, its simply not worth it.
Again I would not live off but for the sake of simplicity - £55 for 8400kcal, 3 1/2 days worth for an average adult male, think about your weekly shop, average how much it would cost you for 3 1/2 days of food, for me its less than a 1/3!
I’m simply sharing my opinion, yes the form factor is great, efficient, fuss free and great for the busy lifestyle, maybe you’re an expensive shopper but for me its means paying over double what I would normally spend on the same amount of food from a supermarket, just not worth it for me.
But your comparisons do not make sense. You are comparing a brand new product, produced in a time of world instability where the cost of doing business or making things has gone up, which was not intended to be used as sole nutrition and the ingredients cost more to process (ref Tim’s comments about freeze dried ingredients), against either the powder which has been out about 6 years and costs less to make or against alternatives which aren’t in the same form factor.
It costs a lot more than doing it yourself with raw ingredients from a shop but if people don’t want the hassle which goes with that then this is what the cost is for the alternative.
The bags are too small and once the product has become established they might look at that which may bring the cost down a bit.
A brand new product yes, but Huel is not new and seems quite successful, they do not need to overprice a product as if it is a start up/kick-starter.
I think my comparison makes perfect sense, you seem to think because a product is new that automatically justifies overpricing, in some cases yes, you may find that with new cars or tech with new technologys that you are paying for the next best thing and the price will reflect that in comparison to its predecessor.
But the ingredients in H&S are nothing new, they are not some rare superfood they are basic common ingredients and have been for years.
Yes times are tough and certain steps needed when developing a new product may prove tougher and more expensive than before, and if that is why H&S is overpriced then it seems as if the extra weight of supporting the products development has fallen solely onto the customer, and that is simply not how you treat your consumers.
The problem is the process… it has to be cooked, then dried and freezed, or something like that, but I guess is a very slow process for Huel or its suppliers.
Its a pity, because without that long process it could be even cheaper than Huel (which is not cheap btw).
I know Huel powder is cheaper than a sandwich and whatever lunch you want to compare, but its not a completely fair comparison, and with the Powder is okay to do that comparison because the price difference quite noticeable, but when you start creating new (and great) products like H&S the comparison starts to get very very catchy because its price bump. It is still cheaper than alternatives? Yes, but now its in the middle of an enormous market of alternatives (homecook, healthy foods to eat as snacks, buy lunch, delivery…), you have to really sell the Huel brand to sell H&S.
For a single meal of 3,21€ H&S (400kcal) I can cook 1300 kcal of legumes to eat for 3 days.
I am glad of the development of this product and I will encourage it and share it like I always have done, but it not for me, it does not fit me as an efficiency seeker.
The way I see it is Huel is designed to provide a relatively hassle free and convenient alternative to meal preparation as well as for some, to replace expensive takeaway meals for lunchtimes.
Huel is still investing loads of money into product Research and Development and I expect behind the scenes they are beavering away with loads of new products to part us from our money. That’s the nature of businesses moving forward.
It’s not the cheapest option for sure (I’ve just made a big pot of lentil dal for my evening meal which will last all week and cost me less than a fiver and very little effort apart from a couple minutes chopping a couple of onions, tomatoes and garlic bulbs) and I will eat a mixture of Huel powder and Hot and savoury for my breakfasts and evening meals alongside this, and I’m happy with the compromise.
I can’t eat too many lentils but make chunky soups from whatever veg I have to hand. Spice it all up and it’s lovely. Like @hunzas I eat this alongside whatever Huel meals I fancy, including H&S from time to time. Huel is great for not having to think about food or food prep all the time and it’s fast. In this context I don’t find it expensive.
We aren’t suggesting you live off hot and savoury, it’s highly convenient food that is nutritionally complete. There are cheaper nutritious foods, I would argue strongly that there are no nutritionally complete foods in this form you can buy for cheaper. We’ve said for a long time that Huel isn’t a replacement for a varied and nutritious diet made from whole foods, but the point is that many are not having this diet for every meal, every day. So the comparisons to your weekly food shop aren’t comparing like for like.
As Phil has linked to, I’ve explained the price of H&S. We use great quality ingredients that are uniquely convenient through freeze-drying.
Huel Powder isn’t just rice, pea and oats ground down. For info on how Huel is made you can read more here
The foodbars, RTD, H&S, Granola, Black Edition, are luxury products and hence should cost significantly more than the base powder.
In an ideal case they would cost even more and help subsidize the base powder so that Huel is as accessible as drinking water, and can eliminate malnutrition in UK and rest of the world.
Speaking as an exclusive powder user of BE with the odd bar and H&S I really hope no one takes your idea seriously! We shouldn’t be subsidising a slightly different powder!
And it’s completely up to you if you buy the product at the offered price or not.
Just be realistic with your claims and try to understand the given reasoning. Of course nobody forces you with a gun to get H&S. For me it’s still cheaper than going out for an unhealthy takeaway lunch.
