Mum-of-two plowed £4,000 into her own muesli brand – now turns over £28million and goes on holiday twice a month

Here at The Good Life, you don’t have to imagine what the high life looks like anymore: get real-life inspiration for how the most successful live their lives.

Today wealth meets Camilla Barnard, co-founder of Rude Health, the artificial-free food and drink company best known for its wide range of dairy-free milks.

Although today the health food industry is worth billions, when Rude Health launched in 2006 there wasn’t quite the cult of #cleaneating that exists today. The few people who drank soy or almond milk (myself included) were either lactose intolerant or vegan—rather than trendsetters.

It all started when Barnard was at home with a toddler and a baby, discussing the sad state of supermarket muesli with a neighbour.

“We struggled to find the time and energy to make our own muesli – babies do that to you – and all the muesli in the shops was very simple,” says the 53-year-old entrepreneur from London. wealth. “We knew we could do better and that people deserved better.”

“Why we thought starting a muesli business would be easier than making our own muesli shows how messed up my brain was, but I don’t regret it.”

Rude health

Barnard and her ex-husband invested £4,000 to turn their 23-ingredient muesli recipe (instead of the usual 6-10) into a buyable product before friends and family put in a further £150,000 of pounds in 2008 to start Rude Health.

They immediately moved into a commercial kitchen so they could be certified organic, before partnering with farmers like Riverford Organic Farmers – the British farm that delivers home-grown produce straight to people’s homes.

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, after seeing customer feedback that they wanted a dairy alternative to go with their cereal, Rude Health launched milk alternatives in 2013.

Today, almond milk is the brand’s best seller, its latest launch (a Barista organic oat milk) hit shelves in September and the business is on track to turn over £28m this year.

FINANCES

What was the best investment you ever bought?

My van. I bought the van and then traded it in. In total it was about £50,000. I know, but the plan is for him to see me out. And I go on short breaks a lot more than I ever did before. It’s so easy to be spontaneous and have a night somewhere.

And the worst?

The money I lent a friend. I shouldn’t have broken my rule about not mixing friends and money or business.

If you have children, what do your childcare arrangements look like?

I am very happy that they are now 18 and 20 and that the years of trying to work and take care of children full time are over. I don’t know what the answer is, but I always felt like I should have worked harder and been more for the kids.

How do you commute to work?

I usually go as it’s a great walk partly along the river in Putney. I jump on the bus if it rains.

do you have a wallet

Yes. Isn’t a wallet a new thing?

What personal finance advice would you give your 20-year-old self?

At 20 years old, I would not have listened to any advice, not least because I had no money, so everything seemed a little abstract to me.

What’s the subscription you can’t live without?

Akt—an all-natural deodorant that’s actually effective and smells incredible.

Where is your wristwatch from?

The one I wish I had is the Time Traveler, discontinued from Mr Jones Watches. My go to is the bright orange Komono.

Where do you shop for your work wardrobe?

Agnes b and Toast are regulars.

necessities

How do you get your daily dose of coffee?

I stop by the Rude Health Café and usually have a flat white with roasted almond milk and oats, or when it’s hot, an Iced Hazelnut Latte – not a syrup, but with our hazelnut milk. It’s ridiculously good.

How about eating on the go?

Having our own coffee shop makes life easy and delicious. The kimchi cheese 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 some really good restaurant openings recently, so it’s a good destination to grab anyone. Elliott or Oma with a client.

Where do you buy food?

Wimbledon Farmers’ Market for all my fresh food, then top up and buy the heavy stuff from Ocado mainly. I’m pretty much powerless to resist the lure of a good deli or grocery store if I’m walking by.

How often in a week do you eat out and not cook at home?:

I usually cook for the kids, occasionally cook for the kids, and eat out once or twice a week. Most commonly at Bottle & Rye in Brixton.

TREATMENT

Are you the proud owner of Meta smart glasses or other futuristic gadgets?

Not. 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 relax from the top job?

Either yoga and breathing, or food and drink with friends.

What’s the best bonus you’ve bought?

Extension of my house. It wasn’t big, but it completely changed the way the whole ground floor worked and flowed and brought in a lot of light. It still brings me joy 10 years later.

How do you record your notes in a meeting?

This has never been a strong point.

Now I am in the privileged position of always having someone else to take notes.

Take us on holiday, what’s next on your holiday list?

I have an RV so my vacation outlook is never the same and I get to vacation at least twice a month. I also love Portugal and have been every year for the last 18 years or so. Mostly in or around Monchique in the hills of the Algarve. The initial attraction was the sun and beaches of the west coast, but recently the food scene has grown enormously. My favorite pizza in the world is Arte Bianca from Aljezur.

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