When they launched their business in 2017, twins and co-founders Lisa MacFarlane and Alana MacFarlane Kempner wanted to take the mystery out of the gut microbiome by carrying out public education on a large, evidence-based and entertaining scale.
The Gut Stuff was borne out of an ‘obsession’ with gut health that developed after lending themselves as ‘guinea pigs’ to the Predict twin study led by Professor Tim Spector at Kings College, at which time they discovered that despite having identical DNA they only share 30% to 40% the same microbiota, answering many of their long held health-related questions.
What began as a YouTube series of video interviews with gut health scientists and experts, has become a multi-faceted empire including a line of fiber-rich snack bars and drinks, an app, podcast, event roadshow, global corporate education program and more.
Bars breaking boundaries
As their recognition within the UK Fast Growth 50 index proves, the business-savvy sisters have hit the mark with their fruit, nut and chicory root bars and their ‘fibre pop’ drinks, all of which contain around 10 grams of fiber per serving.
The bars launched in 2021, and the drinks rolled-out earlier this year, following in the business mission to democratize gut health.
The entrepreneurs, who oversee a team of five staff, told NutraIngredients they were particularly proud that the 90% YoY sales growth for the bars has been organic, with almost zero marketing spend.
“The retail data suggests our customers are really loyal, and while we expected the majority of consumers to be 18 to 34 year old females, the demographics of buyers is really wide,” Lisa said. “Importantly, we over-index in the non-affluent areas which is the best thing for us as we wanted to democratize functional snacks.”
The RRP is £1.30 per bar, or three for £3, which has been a challenge to achieve.
“I think if we had realized how much of a volume game is was, we may not have made snack bars,” Lisa admitted. “It was a big purpose versus profit game for a while, and it’s paid off now, but it was hard, and it was only really possible because we had so many different facets to the business which bought us time.”
Alana added: “One highlight had to be when we both walked into Tesco with the kids, and my daughter ran up to the bars on shelf saying ‘mummy’s bars!’”
Unlocking new audiences
The popularity of the snacks is largely thanks to the wider consumer awareness and interest in gut health and fiber, which They Gut Stuff has helped amplify across the UK through its multiple initiatives.
The company’s corporate education program, which provides employees with gut health education and nutrition advice, has been another huge success, with clients reaching out from across the globe, including Lloyds, Accenture, Lloyds, the RAF and Balfour Beatty.
And aiming to provide the public with a one stop shop for gut health questions, tools, expert advice and products, The Gut Stuff app has built-up 20,000 users since its launch earlier this year.
The app ‘gamifies gut health’ by helping users to hack their health in 100 days through diet and lifestyle data collection, weekly challenges, quizzes, recipes and product recommendations.
“We wanted a platform that didn’t involve expensive testing because we know that can often create a price barrier to these health apps,” Alana explained.
The app also includes a marketplace of around 20 gut health products alongside The Gut Stuff’s own snacks and drinks.
And the twins’ podcast, sponsored by Novonesis and Danone in series one and two, delivers conversations between scientific experts and celebrities to provide listeners with science-led knowledge in an easy-listening and entertaining style.
“It’s been a headache essentially running three business together,” Lisa admitted, noting that there has been method in what may appear to be madness, and that ultimately, their gut feeling was always right.
“We found a business plan that we wrote back in 2017, and its pretty bang on, she said. ”We have been so mission led to make gut health as habitual as brushing your teeth.”
Alana added: “That is definitely coming to fruition. We kept saying ‘gut health will be big,’ and now it has crashed onto the shore, and we’re seeing that with the growth of the company as well as the wider conversations.”
Going global
Next for the team is further NPD in the food-to-go category, and beyond that, the duo has its sights on global expansion.
“We have a huge amount of organic website audience from the US so we know there’s an appetite for what we are doing, and we are just waiting for the right time to move the brand over there,” Alana said.
While they are proud to have reached this milestone with minimal marketing investment, the twins, who have both become parents in the last few years, said the achievement has not come without its costs.
Lisa, who is soon to become a mum-of-two, said: “Handing over your babies to someone else to look after at six weeks old because you have to get back to work is a huge sacrifice, so winning this sort of recognition does help to make us feel our work, and the work of our incredible team, has been worth it.”