76. Freja: the bone broth brand bringing Viking diets to your kitchen table

Founder: Jess Leather and Ed Armitage
Year founded: 2020
Website: frejafoods.com

Fancy a Chocolate Bone Broth Shake?

Quick meals that have high nutritious value have never been more popular for those with busy lives but want to prioritise their health. In the UK, we’ve seen an increase in the popularity of meal and meal-kit delivery services. But many of these focus on convenience over healthy ingredients.

Frustrated with the lack of genuinely healthy, quick meal options available on the market, cofounders Jess Leather and Ed Armitage created Freja Foods with its range of bone broths that are nutritious and delicious, as well as having a long shelf life and being made from 100% natural ingredients.

One challenge was raising consumer awareness about the benefits of bone broth, a product that had been largely forgotten in modern times,

Health-conscious customers can opt for one-off purchases via Freja Foods’ website or sign up for a monthly subscription. Its target audiences range from those interested in specific dietary needs like intermittent fasting, to those seeking natural, non-ultra-processed food options​.

According to cofounders, though, whilst bone broth is packed with protein, collagen and amino acids to make you feel great, it’s not the easiest sell to the average Joe. Most consumers tend to associate it more with Viking dinner tables than 21st century dining.

“One challenge was raising consumer awareness about the benefits of bone broth, a product that had been largely forgotten in modern times,” says Leather. “We focused on education and positioned our product as a natural, nutritious alternative to ultra-processed foods.”

We focused on education and positioned our product as a natural, nutritious alternative to ultra-processed foods.

Freja Foods rebranded to Freja in May 2023 and later closed a £2M funding round, tripling revenue from the previous year. It names high-profile figures such as Harry Kane and Alistair Brownlee, as well as FMCG industry leaders like Joanna Jensen, founder of Childs Farm, as investors, and also has support from Mint Ventures, a syndicate of female-only angel investors.

The Startups judges were particularly impressed with Freja Foods’ clarity of ambition. By 2030, the company aims to be the leading bone broth brand in Europe, focusing on international expansion and creating new products that align with its commitment to health and sustainability​.

Clearly this scrappy startup has a bone to pick with anyone not familiar with the benefits of bone broth. Freja Foods is bringing this nutrient-dense food into the mainstream market. This, in addition to its easy subscription model, makes it a trailblazer in the health foods sector.