Supplier stories

Dr Megan Rossi, also known as The Gut Health Doctor, co-founded Bio&Me in 2019, inspired by the memory of her grandmother and also by conversations with thousands of her Instagram followers, which made her want to bring both the physical and mental benefits of gut health to as many people as possible. Frustrated by trying to persuade other companies to change their products to deliver these benefits, she decided the best way was to set up her own company to do it. And Bio&Me is the result.

Bio&Me was created as the pinnacle ‘Good for your gut’ foodie brand. Bio&Me is named after your microbiome, where the biome encapsulates the trillions of bacteria each of us host in our gut. And each of which is uniquely individual to us. Hence the Bio & Me

Of course, Dr Megan couldn’t do all of this on her own! And Bio&Me only started to come to life when Dr Megan met her Co-Founder, Jon Walsh. Jon, CEO has had a 25-year career in food and drink, having been MD and UK Board Member at Nestle UK, European Marketing and Innovation Director at Thai Union (John West) as well as more entrepreneurial companies such as Betfair and Meadow Foods. Since their meeting, Bio&Me has become a multi-category brand, in order to be able to deliver the maximum gut health benefits to as many consumers as possible. All of the products designed by Dr Megan adhere to her own strict nutritional guidelines.

Bio&Me products proudly boasts the EFSA “Good for your gut” health claim, setting a standard for gut-friendly nourishment. Our porridge pots are meticulously crafted with up to 13 different plant-based ingredients, a double dosage compared to competitors. Not only do these diverse elements foster a thriving gut biome, but they also contribute profoundly to the delectable taste profile. Every added ingredient is a flavour enhancer in its own right.

Notpla is a UK-based material innovator who create regenerative packaging materials using seaweed.

Notpla was founded by Pierre Paslier and Rodrigo Garcia Gonzalez when they were students studying Innovation Design Engineering at Imperial College London and the Royal College of Art. As part of a student project, they explored ways to deliver water without using plastic.

They were inspired by the idea of fruit peel being a natural form of packaging and experimented with using edible ingredients like seaweed extracts to create a sustainable alternative to plastic packaging.

In their kitchen, Pierre and Rodrigo developed early prototypes of Ooho, an edible and biodegradable bubble made from seaweed to encapsulate liquids. Their Ooho bubble went viral online in 2014, gaining over 20 million views on a Business Insider video. This immense public interest convinced Pierre and Rodrigo that their idea had potential and they went on to officially establish the company Notpla, named as an abbreviation for “not plastic.”

Over the next few years, Notpla developed other seaweed-based packaging products beyond Ooho, including a seaweed coating for takeaway boxes and flexible seaweed film. We have received grants, formed partnerships with major brands, and continue to expand our sustainable packaging solutions to meet the growing demands of the foodservice market. In December 2022, Notpla won Prince William’s prestigious Earthshot Prize, globally recognising our innovative work to tackle plastic waste.

At Flawsome! they believe in making the world a better place, one delicious drink at a time. That’s why they started using Wonky fruits to create their great tasting drinks. After all, why waste perfectly good produce just because it doesn’t look perfect?

Co-founders Karina and Maciek were inspired by their childhood memories of making juices from the fruit they picked in their grandparents’ gardens. They put that same love and care into Flawsome! Juices today.

Their Wonky Fruit drinks range, including Cold-Pressed Juices, Sparkling Juices, Health Shots and new Wonky Fruit Cartons are not only delicious and packed with flavour, they’re also healthy and sustainable. They’re fairer to farmers and pay them surplus for the rejected produce supermarkets don’t take. They don’t add any sugars or sweeteners to their drink and just let the natural sweetness of the fruit shine through!

Join them on their mission to reduce food waste. Give wonky fruit a chance!