Published: March 23, 2026 at 4:27 pm
Sports nutrition brand Huel has been acquired by food giant Danone in a deal worth €1 billion.
Dragons’ Den star and Diary of a CEO host Steven Bartlett hailed the firm as a “Great British success story” on LinkedIn and said he had shared a phone call with founder Julian Hearn this morning.
In 2024 Bartlett came under fire after he promoted Huel on Facebook without disclosing that he was a director at the firm. In two ads subsequently banned by the Advertising Standards Authority, Bartlett was shown drinking a supplement beverage and claiming it was the best product released by the company to that date.
Bartlett then stepped down as a director of Huel last year.
“what a ride! had a beautiful, emotional & reflective call with Huel’s founder Julian Hearn this morning as the news broke!” he wrote today.
“This company changed my life in so many ways… as a customer, an investor, a board member and as a partner.
“And it serves as a great reminder that successful category defining companies can come out the UK AND can come outside of London!
“This company beat all the odds – a great British success story! ❤️👊🏾
“So happy for all the team!”