Vital ingredient

Vital Ingredient
Company typePrivate[1]
IndustryRetail outlets
Founded2001
Headquarters7 Carlisle St, London W1D 3BW
Key people
ProductsSalads, soups, juices, smoothies and breakfast
Websitehttp://vitalingredient.co.uk

Vital Ingredient was a UK brand which operated a chain of made-to-order salad and soup bars in London, mainly in the City and around Soho.

Vital Ingredient primarily marketed its own range of salads and soups made on site. Juices, smoothies and hot breakfasts were also on the menu. Each store used an American style counter service format to assemble meal orders from individual ingredients within view of the customers.

The company was founded by Alex Heynes, with the first store opening in Soho in 2001. It expanded to five stores by 2008.[2]

In 2011, Vital Ingredient secured £2.75 million in funding from Santander Corporate & Commercial's Breakthrough programme.[3] The company's annual turnover doubled to £12 million by 2013.[4]

From 2011 to 2015, the company tripled its number of outlets after it took on some equity investment from the property entrepreneur Paul Oberschneider and, in 2015, it opened its 17th outlet on Artillery Row in Victoria. In early 2015, Paolo Peretti was appointed managing director.

In April 2016, the chain underwent a £12m management buyout led by Heynes & Peretti, which was backed by the private equity house LDC.[5]

The chain also secured £4 million in growth capital from Santander as it aimed to grow to over 40 stores.[citation needed]

In January 2018, Vital Ingredient went through a pre-pack administration and was acquired by FCFM Group. 13 stores were acquired andseven were closed permanently as a result.[6]

In March 2018, Tossed announced that it had bought the Vital Ingredient chain from FCFM Group.[7]

In July 2020, during the first COVID-19 lockdown for in central London, Zest Food, the company trading as both Tossed and Vital Ingredient, filed a notice of intention to appoint administrators.[8]

The Vital Ingredient brand has not been traded since the COVID19 pandemic.

References

  1. ^ "Company Details - VITAL INGREDIENT (UK) LTD". Companies House. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  2. ^ "Make to order Salad Revolution". Food Service Europe. 13 November 2008.[dead link‍]
  3. ^ "Local entrepreneurs secure Vital Ingedient 11 new stores". B4 Network Oxfordshire. 4 March 2013.[dead link‍]
  4. ^ Bennett, Asa (2 June 2013). "Q&A;: Paul Oberschneider of the £5m Vital Ingredient food chain". London Loves Business. Archived from the original on 11 June 2013. Retrieved 20 May 2023.
  5. ^ Edward Devlin. "Vital Ingredient ready for UK rollout with LDC backing". The Grocer. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
  6. ^ Seymour, Andrew (9 January 2018). "Troubled salad chain sold by administrators in pre-pack deal". Food Service Equipment Journal. Retrieved 3 April 2023.
  7. ^ Witts, Sophie. "Tossed buys Vital Ingredient creating new healthy eating group". Big Hospitality. Retrieved 19 September 2018.
  8. ^ McAllister, James (9 July 2020). "Tossed and Vital Ingredient operator to appoint administrators". Big Hospitality. Retrieved 27 August 2020.