yep, same as powder and all other products
1 Like
Yes, but for instance Jake does not use soy for the powders but they do for the RTD. It has to do with texture and flavour. So I wasn’t 100%sure they would.
I feel like if we hadn’t released an RTD then it would have been marketing spin. Plastic reduction is important but not as important as the overall slowing of climate change, is the nation’s focus on plastic reduction it in detriment to the other factors of sustainability? Maybe.
Releasing RTD is absolutely about putting Huel in front of a new group of people, but Huel Powder will always be the best (nutritionally and environmentally), but it’s a stepping stone for others. Although there is a negative element to using plastic, there’s also a huge positive here about bringing more people on our journey to get more people eating less meat. If we can take two steps forwards but one step back, we are still going in the right direction.
I can’t describe how considered this decision was, choosing to use plastic was not about profit but about function.
12 Likes
Good luck. Every complete food brand is working on releasing ready to drink products right now. It’s what mainstream consumers want.
5 Likes
Fact.
E.g.
Jimmyjoy: Released on September
Jake: Released on November
Also, companies that have gotten considerable funding:
- Saturo (primarily RTD)
- Soylent (primarily RTD)
- Feed. (has RTD)
- YFood (only RTD)
- Huel
3 Likes
I’m clearly not the RTD target market as I work from home so have no problem mixing up my Huel.
But this would seem like a total faff to me - you have to buy and store loads of bottles of stuff? Fair enough!
2 Likes
Thanks for that! I think there may be an error (or I’m reading this wrong) as the website says, Berry
x 12 bottles and then in a faint grey it says 24 bottles)
Powdered Huel is still a niche product. Rtd is a bigger niche. I still think it needs a high St. Marketplace where single bottle purchase is required.
12 Likes
12 x vanilla is also selected
It’s too much of a financial outlay on something I may not like, will stick to the powder. Also I prefer U/U Huel , the other is too sweet for me.
3 Likes
I get the argument about plastic use. What I would like though is a sample pack. Having previously ordered the huel bars (and been incredibly disappointed) I’m not about to pay for 12 bottles of something I may not like the taste of. Can you please release a sample pack?
5 Likes
I doubt that people who are afraid of powdered food aren’t suddenly going to jump onto RTD liquid food. Do you have market research you can show us that there is demand amongst meat-eaters for meal replacements? And that they wouldn’t be happy with powder? Could you share it?
I just feel we shouldn’t give people that less sustainable option when you had such a good solution. I’m scared this will turn proper huelers houses into plastic bottle factories.
3 Likes
Yeah, “Huel shots”!
1 Like
Nevertheless, I should add that I really like the layout of front-label of these bottles. Yes yes yes.
And +1 for a sample pack (6 bottles, 3 of each savour).
3 Likes
About price. A comparison with other RTDs in the market:
| £/400kcal | £/Day | |
|---|---|---|
| Soylent Drink | 3.33 | 16.65 |
| Saturo | 2.14 | 10.75 |
| YFood | 2.49 | 12.45 |
| Plenny Drink | 2.23 | 11.15 |
| Mana Drink | 2.3 | 12.5 |
| Feed. | 2.69 | 13.45 |
| Feed. Organic | 4.34 | 21.7 |
| Trinkkost | 4.74 | 23.7 |
| Jake Drink | 3 | 15 |
| Huel RTD | 3.08 | 15.4 |
| Huel (powder) | 1.61 | 8.05 |
Price is based on no subscription
Nutrition:
Huel is also Soy free.
About plastics:
It is true that plastic bottles are an issue. But just saying that Huel RTD is a step backward is being short sighted. Yes, it is a less environmentally friendly than the powder, but it is better for the environment than many other meals out there.
“That’s not good enough”. Let’s not rush things. Revolutions happen one step at the time. If we were to tackle the whole issue in one go it would never be solved. As someone pointed out to me on another thread, perhaps it is more fair to compare the RTDs with normal food, instead of the powder versions.
This is so, because the RTD is not trying to appeal the hardcore fans (mostly), but to a wider audience that has not been introduced to meal replacements yet, and most likely consume food with a larger environmental impact.
Furthermore, saying “plastic bottles are bad” is as short sighted as saying “meal replacements are bad for you”. There are a lot of missconceptions and missunderstandings about how plastic is used and recycled. there are many factors that end up contributing their environmental impact:
- Plastic type
- Easiness to Recycle
- How much it costs to create
- What it is recycled into…
I am not saying using plastic bottles is ideal, but just saying that they are not as bad as people might think. It all depends.
10 Likes
Maybe this is outlandish but in the future maybe you can give RTD people a refillable metal bottle and instead of ordering their plastic RTD bottles they can order kegs they use to fill up their metal bottle 
5 Likes
I think getting into RTD is easier. Let’s take protein for example. You are less likely to buy powder protein than to try an RTD in the supermarket. I think it is key to think that part of the target audience for Huel coudl be office workers that buy meal deals in Tesco or Sains. At least for me this is the case.
There are other “pros” for RTD vs powder products:
- Convenience . Let’s start with the most obvious one. RTDs are far more convenient than powders, particularly if you are to drink them on the go. It is not only that, but there is also the accountability factor. RTDs do not require use of scoops or any measurements. You know what you are getting in each drink, and that is a big load off some people.
- Portability . Tied with the last point, it is obvious that RTDs are more portable than the powders. You do not need to bring a shaker, a pouch and/or water. You can take them almost anywhere (except plains) and drink them in an instant.
- Time . Meal replacements are partially about saving time. There is not a quicker meal than the one already prepared for you in a bottle. Just open and drink.
- Stigma . Complete foods have a certain stigma. “They are not real food”. “They are unhealthy”. “They are weird”. Some people are put-off by shakers, powders and the preparation. However, the same people will likely buy a smoothie in the supermarket or even a protein shake. Just because they do not see the preparation method and these two are more accepted in the society.
- Easier to sell in retail . Partially linked with the last reason I gave, RTD products will be more easily sold in retail. Think about it. Are you more likely to buy protein powder or a protein shake in the supermarket. There are a lot of factors that influence this decision in the consumer, but familiarity is one. I feel that currently customers are more familiar and comfortable with nutritional drinks than are with nutritional powders (the second just does not seem natural).
- Easier for people to start with . Maybe a follow up of the last point, RTDs are easier to start with (if sold on retail). You can easily only buy one and it is not a big commitment (maybe a €2-4 commitment). If you see them close to the usual protein shake you buy, you might think “why not?”.
- Easier to buy . If they are in fact, expanded to real world stores (not online), like Soylent in US and Saturo in Austria, they are easier to buy. Not only because they are easier to compartimentalize in a store than powder (think about all the types of store that sell some kind of drinks over powdered food), but also because as said before they require less commitment and not preparation at all. Just buy and drink.
- Consistency and taste . This one is subjective and personal, but RTD shakes are blended with industrial blenders, which creates smoother and better mixed shakes.
11 Likes
I was really hoping for larger bottles than 400ml. 1L ideally.
1 Like
Thanks for posting that, really interesting to see it all against each other. You also get bulk discount with the RTD, which I don’t believe all other RTDs offer.
Hopefully the RTD will be a more interesting product for high street shops, wouldn’t it be cool for people to not have to get a sweaty meal deal?!
We’ve got some plans to do something similar but it won’t be a sample pack.
But if not many people use that solution then surely giving them a solution they might use is a good thing?
Thanks a lot, we’re really pleased with the design too 
2 Likes