£15M worth of meals BOOTSTRAPPED with GSN founder Craig Allen (Gold Standard Nutrition)

£15M worth of meals BOOTSTRAPPED with GSN founder Craig Allen (Gold Standard Nutrition)

In the latest episode of Brand Growth Heroes, Fiona Fitz sits down with Craig Allen, the founder of Gold Standard Nutrition (GSN), who joins us from Selby, York. GSN has become a standout brand for its high-quality, healthy, and convenient frozen meals that taste amazing!

At just 21, Craig launched GSN with a bold vision, growing it into a multi-million-pound business—all without any external funding.

The idea for GSN was born 12 years ago during a family outing to a local Chinese restaurant with his Dad. That “light bulb” moment set Craig on a pathway to create a brand that thrives today as a case study in profitability, brand growth, and focused strategy.

In this episode, Craig shares the triumphs and challenges of his entrepreneurial journey, highlighting how staying true to his vision and focusing on overlooked market opportunities propelled his success. Enjoy!

Useful Links:

Key Takeaways

Spotting a Market Opportunity

  • Craig reveals how he identified a gap in the high-protein, healthy frozen meals market and turned it into a thriving business.

The Bootstrapping Journey

  • Building GSN without external funding wasn’t easy. Craig discusses the challenges and rewards of starting and scaling a business from scratch.

Hard Lessons in Business

  • An early hurdle forced Craig to downsize his team, teaching him valuable lessons about thoughtful growth, self-belief, and sound financial planning.
  • Cash flow management became a critical takeaway after hard-won experiences.

Staying Focused in Entrepreneurship

  • Craig’s journey underscores the importance of adaptability, clarity of vision, and self-belief, even when navigating competitive pressures.

The “Where-to-Play” Strategy

  • GSN thrives by serving underserved markets—like police stations, gyms, and universities—rather than competing directly in crowded grocery aisles. This strategic focus has been a cornerstone of the brand’s growth and scalability.

Responding to Market Needs

  • GSN’s rebrand from Goldstein Nutrition to GSN reflects a strategic pivot to resonate with mainstream audiences. This move expanded its appeal beyond bodybuilders, championing an inclusive vision for healthy eating.

Looking Ahead: GSN’s Future Growth Potential

  • Craig’s commitment to “doing things properly” underpins the brand’s success, and he shares exciting plans for the next phase of GSN’s journey.


If this episode inspires you to think about new ways to drive business growth, don't forget to click FOLLOW or SUBSCRIBE on your favourite podcast app and leave a review!

You won’t want to miss the next episode, in which Fiona Fitz talks with another successful founder of a challenger brand who shares more valuable insights into driving growth. Plus, your small gesture will be truly appreciated.

The Brand Growth Heroes Mini MBA Powered by Alantra has opened (Jan 6th) - apply here!

Please don't hesitate to join our Brand Growth Heroes community to stay updated with captivating stories and learnings from your beloved brands on their path to success!

Follow us on our Brand Growth Heroes socials: LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram and YouTube.

Thanks to our Sound Engineer, Gyp Buggane, Ballagroove.com and podcast producer/content creator, Kathryn Watts, Social KEWS


Episoder(111)

How Bio&Me's 'Good for your Gut' Ranges are Driving Growth Across TWO Categories

How Bio&Me's 'Good for your Gut' Ranges are Driving Growth Across TWO Categories

Bio&Me offers consumers a range of granolas, porridges mueslis and yoghurts, all of which are allowed to carry the claim 'Good for your Gut'. In this episode:Dr. Megan and Jon tell us why Megan started Bio&Me instead of working with some well-known Big Food brandsThe science behind why Bio&Me was the first to be allowed to say that their products are 'Good for your Gut'How business is going now, and where it's going to next!

22 Sep 202140min

Dr. Will's: Taking on 'Big Food' in the Ketchup & Mayo Aisle

Dr. Will's: Taking on 'Big Food' in the Ketchup & Mayo Aisle

Dr. Will Breakey is the Co-founder of Dr Will's natural condiments brand. In this episode you'll hear:How Dr Will's is taking on Big Food in the Ketchup & Mayo aisleWhat it's like being a real doctor and the founder of a food companyAbout the brand's recent successes on social platforms like TikTok and LinkedInWhy did they choose to have a virtual teamAnd their recent crowdfunding, that resulted in nearly 800 new investors.

17 Sep 202129min

Scrumbles: How Pretty Poos are Driving Growth in Petfood

Scrumbles: How Pretty Poos are Driving Growth in Petfood

In this episode, Fiona speaks to Aneisha Soobroyen, founder of the gorgeous pet food brand Scrumbles, food for cats and dogs that's good for their gut AND good for the planet. Hear how 'pretty poos' are driving category growth, how Scrumbles competes in the highly competitive pet food category against global players, what it's like to work with your husband... and why they decided to raise funds early on in their growth journey.

14 Sep 202130min

Strong Roots: Heading for £100m by Driving Growth on a GLOBAL scale.

Strong Roots: Heading for £100m by Driving Growth on a GLOBAL scale.

Strong Roots has strong plans to hit £100 million in sales over the next few years.In this third episode together, the founder Sam Dennigan and I discuss HOW they're going to do this.So if you want to hear what big-ticket innovation really means, how Sam and his team are approaching international expansion in both the USA and Europe, how their foray into Dark Kitchens in New York City is going AND why they've brought their creative agency in-house - and how that works - then don't miss this! https://www.strongroots.com/usa/https://www.instagram.com/strongrootsusa/https://www.facebook.com/strongrootsirl

2 Sep 202137min

How to Build a €50M Brand - Twice. Founders of Fulfil Bars and Cali Cali Foods.

How to Build a €50M Brand - Twice. Founders of Fulfil Bars and Cali Cali Foods.

You may not know their names yet, but you certainly know the first of their €50M brands. Niall McGrath and Tom Gannon are legends in the Irish Consumer Goods industry, but in all fairness, they should actually be named and recognised as Consumer Goods brand-legends globally. The Founders of Fulfil Nutrition protein bars, they built this business to €60M in the 2 years after launch, and ranking in the Top 5 brands in Ireland. How did they do this? They are proud to have taken a systematic, strategic approach to brand building, an almost geeky dedication to The 4Ps and Byron Sharp's rules for Brand Growth.  Listen and weep at just how systematic serious success might need to be! Cali Cali FoodsInstagram Cali CaliFulfil Nutrition

16 Jun 202146min

Biotiful Dairy: Creating the Gut Health Category

Biotiful Dairy: Creating the Gut Health Category

Natasha Bowes, the founder of innovative Kefir company Biotiful Dairy, shares the spellbinding business story behind the brand's success.  It's a story that highlights the dedication, hard work, and obsessional focus on product quality that's necessary to become a brand leader in today's competitive marketplace. With a portfolio of 7 ranges and market retail sales value of around £30M, this is a brand we're going to see a lot more of in the future.

2 Jun 202143min

Minor Figures: The £30M Secret Success in Oat Milk

Minor Figures: The £30M Secret Success in Oat Milk

Minor Figures is the secret success story and insurgent brand that I really wasn't all that aware of before now. At its origin, Minor Figures is a coffee business that was started in 2013 by barista friends Jonathan Chiu, Stuart Forsyth and Will Rixon. But although its original home was in the food service channel, in recent years a tremendous amount of growth has come from the Oatmilk category in Grocery Retail.The business now has retail sales of around £30M, employs 71 people across 3 offices, and is selling in over 25 countries across the globe..  Fiona speaks to Commercial Director Ben Vear, who along with his team has been behind much of this transformational growth. instagram: https://www.instagram.com/minorfigures/facebook: https://www.facebook.com/minorfigures

17 Mai 202138min

How to win in Consumer Packaged Goods...without Competing

How to win in Consumer Packaged Goods...without Competing

Fiona talks to Alex Smith, the founder of innovative Strategy Consultancy Basic Arts. A TedEx veteran, Alex has got some really interesting and different ideas around how a brand can create uncontested market space, how we should all avoid the current trend of 'Blanding', and how Brand Purpose has been hijacked.I came across Alex's Ted talk when I was deepening my understanding of Blue Ocean strategy or how to compete in uncontested market spaces, and you can find it here.Alex has a a great weekly newsletter and an email-based short-course that will stretch your strategic brain, which you can sign up for here

4 Mai 202140min

Populært innen Business og økonomi

stopp-verden
dine-penger-pengeradet
e24-podden
rss-penger-polser-og-politikk
rss-borsmorgen-okonominyhetene
pengesnakk
lydartikler-fra-aftenposten
finansredaksjonen
utbytte
pengepodden-2
tid-er-penger-en-podcast-med-peter-warren
livet-pa-veien-med-jan-erik-larssen
morgenkaffen-med-finansavisen
stormkast-med-valebrokk-stordalen
rss-markedspuls-2
rss-sunn-okonomi
lederpodden
aksjepodden
okonomiamatorene
rss-rettssikkerhet-bak-fasaden-pa-rettsstaten-norge-en-podcast-av-sonia-loinsworth