A mom of two put £4000 into her own muesli brand—now it’s turning over £28 million and she goes on vacation twice a month
What would you do if you had a six-figure salary? Perhaps you’d never cook another meal again or indulge in a monthly Thai massage and a Soho House membership to unwind from the stress that comes with being at your A game.
Here at The Good Life you don’t have to imagine what life at the top looks like anymore: Get real-life inspiration for how the most successful live their lives.
Today Fortune meets Camilla Barnard, the co-founder of Rude Health—the artificial-free food and drinks company that’s best known for its wide range of dairy-free milk.
Although today, the healthy food industry is worth billions, back when Rude Health launched in 2006 there wasn’t quite the #cleaneating cult that there is today. The few people consuming soya or almond milk (myself included) were either lactose intolerant or vegan—rather than on-trend.
It all started when Barnard was at home with a toddler and baby, talking about the sad state of supermarket muesli with a neighbor.
“We were struggling to find the time and energy to make our own muesli— babies do that to you—and all the mueslis in stores were very basic,” the 53-year-old London-based entrepreneur tells Fortune. “We knew we could do better and that people deserved better.”
“Quite why we thought that starting a business making muesli would be easier than just making our own muesli shows just how baby addled my brain was, but I don’t regret it.”
Rude Health
Barnard and her now ex-husband put £4,000 into turning their 23-ingredient muesli recipe (instead of the usual 6-10) into a purchasable product before friends and family pumped in another £150,000 in 2008 to get Rude Health off the ground.
“We knew we could do better and that people deserved better.”
Camilla Barnard
They immediately moved to a commercial kitchen so that they could be organically certified, before partnering with the likes of Riverford Organic Farmers—the British farm that delivers home-grown produce straight to people’s homes.
£28,000,000,000
The projected revenue the business is expected to turn over this year.
But the turning point came when Rude Health ventured into porridge and cereals and started selling in Waitrose. The supermarket is still its biggest customer. Meanwhile, having noticed customers’ feedback that they wanted a dairy alternative milk to go with their cereal, Rude Health launched alternative kinds of milk in 2013.
Today, almond milk is the brand’s top seller, it’s latest launch (an Organic Oat Barista milk) hit shelves in September and the business is on track to turn over £28 million this year.
The finances
What’s been the best investment you’ve ever bought?
My campervan. I bought the van and then had it converted. In total, it was about £50K. Eye-watering I know, but the plan is that it sees me out. And I go on short breaks so much more than I ever did before. It’s so easy to be spontaneous and have a night away somewhere.
And the worst?
The money I lent to a friend. I shouldn’t have broken my rule of not mixing friends and money or business.
If you have children, what does your childcare arrangements look like?
I am very happy that they are now 18 and 20 and the years of trying to work and look after children full time are over. I don’t know what the answer is but I always felt I should have been doing more work and been around for the children more.
How do you commute to work?
I usually walk, as it’s a great walk, partly along the river in Putney. I jump on the bus if it rains.
Do you carry a wallet?
Yes. Is not carrying a wallet a new thing?
What personal finance advice would you give your 20-year-old self?
At 20 I wouldn’t have listened to any advice, not least because I didn’t have any money, so it all seemed a bit abstract.
What’s the one subscription you can’t live without?
Akt—a totally natural, actually effective and incredible-smelling deodorant.
Where’s your go-to wristwatch from?
The one I wish I had is the discontinued Time Traveller from Mr Jones Watches. My go-to is my bright orange Komono.
Where do you shop for your work wardrobe?
Agnes b and Toast are regulars.
The necessities
How do you get your daily coffee fix?
I stop by the Rude Health Café and usually get a flat white with Roasted Almond and Oat milk, or when it’s hot an Iced Hazelnut Latte—not a syrup but with our Hazelnut Milk. It’s ridiculously good.
What about eating on the go?
Having our own café makes life easy and delicious. The cheese and kimchi sandwich is still my all-time favorite. I’m not a fan of eating on the go, as I like to sit down and enjoy my food. Borough Market has seen a slew of really good restaurant openings recently, so it’s a good destination to take anyone. Elliott’s or Oma with a client.
Where do you buy groceries?
Wimbledon Farmers’ Market for all my fresh food, then top up and buy the heavy stuff at Ocado mostly. I am pretty powerless to resist the appeal of a good deli or food shop if I’m walking past.
How often in a week do you dine out versus cook at home?:
I usually cook for the kids, occasionally get cooked for by the kids, and eat out once or twice a week. Most regularly at Bottle & Rye in Brixton.
The treats
Are you the proud owner of Meta’s smart glasses or anything other futuristic gadgets?
No. The only gadget I’d get excited about is if Google Maps could be in my glasses or something. Or I could have a sense of direction implanted in me.
How do you unwind from the top job?
Either yoga and breathwork or food and drink with friends.
What’s the best bonus treat you’ve bought yourself?
The extension on my house. It wasn’t big, but it completely changed the way the whole ground floor works and flows, and brought in loads of light. It’s still bringing me joy 10 years later.
How do you record your notes in a meeting?
This was never a strong point.
I’m now in the privileged position of there always being someone else to take notes.
Take us on holiday with you, what’s next on your vacation list?
I have a campervan, so my holiday view is never the same and I can take holidays at least twice a month. I also love Portugal and have been every year for the last 18 years or so. Mostly staying in or around Monchique in the hills of the Algarve. The original attraction was the sun and the west coast beaches, but recently the food scene has picked up hugely. My favorite pizza place in the world is Arte Bianca in Aljezur.
Here at The Good Life you don’t have to imagine what life at the top looks like anymore: Get real-life inspiration for how the most successful live life. Dive into our other The Good Life profiles.
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