Hmm, maybe the US version is tailored to the Yanks’ and Limeys’ unsophisticated palates. The EU version isn’t worse, it’s just more complex! 
Some comments here are about bad batches and off-notes. My point is simply that we haven’t been getting as many of those same remarks from those that drink the EU RTD, which suggests but isn’t 100%, that it’s less to do with it being a “bad batch” but more because it’s different.
The blender experiment actually makes more sense to me now as my boss only uses RTD and didn’t make any comment about a difference but I just remembered he always blends his with ice because he likes it to be like a foamy milky shake. A bit weird but he’s from Newcastle so I let it slide.
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The entire EU is getting a bad batch! 
The poor buggers have never experienced a good batch.
Just imagine the rejoicing if you start making the good stuff for them! (Although @Phil_C is probably right and they’ll hate the change. The real lesson is that all change is bad and you should keep everything exactly as it is forever)
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My initial thought was that it seemed like madness to have differing products depending on the location produced but reading up on it; it seems like this is quite common in food/drink production and now I’ve thought about it I can remember a lot of things tasting differently to how I expected when I’ve had ‘foreign’ versions of something I knew and loved in the UK. Cadbury in the US and Coke Cola in India both come to mind.
“Why not just make the production processes the same” seems so simple, but I can imagine it’s quite a challenge and certainly with the Cadbury/Coke examples it seems they deliberately adjust things to better suit particular markets tastes.
definitely - Cadbury chocolate in Asia is nothing like the European market as they use less cocoa solids and add anti melting agents to make it more suitable to the climate.
Same like if they launched Huel in Asia - here they like food to be ridiculously sweet or mouth imploding sour - neutral doesn’t cut it with the masses - so would probably need an amended formulation again.
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Is there no possibility of a genuinely off batch?
I have tried both bottle design variants of RTD via Sainsburys here in Sheffield in Choc and Vanilla flavours (not Berry as somehow that isn’t an option that has reached Sheffield) and they seemed nearly the same in terms of taste/texture.
From some of the comments above what I have tried seems a completely different substance, as I noticed no grittiness/sourness/lack of flavour.
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I’d say there’s always that possibility with any food manufacturing but as no Euro zone customers have been on here complaining about a sudden change in taste and texture, that seems less likely.
I’m just going to add that I have tried the EU vanilla RTD and it tasted off, just like people describe it over here.
If Huel wouldn’t offer Europeans an inferior product with a higher price then I might actually buy it.
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Hi, I’ve been buying Huel RTD chocolate from the Edgware Road Sainsbury’s 2-3 times a week for the last couple of months. The USA Huel has been excellent but noticed today they had a mix of the USA and Austrian ones, so picked up an Austrian one to try.
The flavour is OK but there is a weird taste that I can only describe as ‘slimy’ that wasn’t present in the USA version. It’s immediately noticeable when you drink it, then it fades only to come back as an aftertaste that lingers for 2-3 seconds. I doubt I will continue to drink Huel RTD if this flavour profile stays like this: I’ll definitely pick up a USA one next time if there are any left.
The consistency of the mix is pretty smooth though: not noticed any gritiness that others are mentioning.
Anyone else experienced this?
I have now had the opportunity to taste 3 of the vanilla RTD in what I described as the european style. Each of the RTD’s had a quality consistent with each other. The drink has a chalky texture. I think this chalk texture gives the illusion of the drink being not as smoothly blended. However I feel granules in the drink. It tastes and less sweet then the US/US version. I also felt that there was a plastic/chemical aftertaste. Furthermore it left a gritty feeling film on my tongue that muted my tastebuds for at least 30 minutes after completing the drink. Fortunately this was removed by sugar free chewing gum.
If I had these drinks side by side for a comparison I think the difference would be obvious. I read that there was a mixing process that was different between the 2 sites. However to me, the products appear to be different.
I didn’t encounter any issues with the foil or with the bottle lip being too sharp or preventing me drinking the RTD.
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Same here - I found that a quick blast in a high speed blender made it pretty much the same as the US spec in taste and texture. However, as I’m used to Original 2.3 i found the euro RTD to be a similar experience - so certainly not an inferior product - just different. Undeserving of the exaggerated backlash it’s been getting. One thing I did note though when it’s VERY chilled it tends to separate a little. The US one doesn’t do this but can instead become ‘lumpy’ so there seems to be a temperature sweet spot that they both work best in when cooled.
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I’m so glad I’m not the only one. The EU berry one tastes VILE. Very gritty. It’s also causing stomach upset which the US RTD didn’t. The Vanilla one is gritty but still just about palatable.
I’m going to cancel my subscription until this issue is resolved and genuinely would seek a refund on the berry. I can’t bring myself to drink the rest of them and we were not warned about the different product.
I just took delivery of the Berry one today, truly nasty, like drinking liquid chalk, the powder is even superior. It doesn’t feel like Huel are taking much notice though. If I have another delivery like this I’m cancelling.
they have already said they are aiming to restore the US spec stock back to the UK by April
@Tim_Huel Am I correct in presuming that UK customers are now receiving chocolate RTD made in Europe? If so can we expect this to be added for us Europeans as an option too?
Additionally want to comment that I have only had the European version of the RTD and I found it delicious and pleasant in texture. However I have never had the UK version so I don’t have a comparison.
I agree that the EU version isn’t as bad as made out. I dont doubt that bledning or having an optimal temperature improve the product. However, these processes devalue the nature of a convenience product. By this I mean it should be able to be consumed as soon as opened and within room temperature norms.
for sure - I was just putting it out there as a solution for people who wanted to continue using their delivery rather than returning it. I’ve tried them blended and out of the bottle at room temp and don’t mind either.
Hey there, we absolutely are, it’s just that we can’t fix this problem right now. Myself, @JamesCollier and @Charlotte_Huel have all responded to all the questions around this (there’s a few threads about this topic, but you might not have seen them.) Currently, our hands are tied due to supply. We haven’t started using the EU product in the UK market because it’s a new version or because we think it’s an improved product; equally it’s not off or a bad batch - it’s just different production methods but the same ingredients and recipe which means it’s tastes different.
This really is an important point. Our options are either to put the RTD out of stock everywhere or what we’re doing currently. Typically putting products out of stock, especially for subscribers, causes far more complaints and that’s what we’re seeing.
We know this has caused a lot of annoyance amongst you guys, we’re really sorry and are working so hard to improve supply so that this doesn’t happen again. By the end of April this year we should have this cracked.
Our Chocolate RTD isn’t produced in Europe. We want to get Chocolate RTD into Europe asap but need to sort the supply out first.