Warrington-based premium meal prep company FuelHub, launched by former Warrington Wolves player James Laithwaite and his wife Michelle, has cemented its status as one of the fastest-growing businesses in the North West.
Projected to pass £7 million in turnover, the company is expanding its 15,000 sq ft manufacturing facility and tripling production to meet explosive demand for its high-protein, chef-prepared meals.
Founded in 2019 by husband-and-wife duo Michelle and James, the brand has seen remarkable year-on-year revenue increases of up to 90%. What started at their kitchen table with just £2,000 in savings now sees the company supplying over 20,000 meals a week to doorsteps across the nation.
The firm’s rapid expansion has been fueled by its dominance in the elite sports sector. FuelHub now partners with more than 50 professional UK sports organisations, delivering meals to athletes at top-tier clubs like Chelsea FC, Fulham FC, Manchester United Women, and England Rugby, as well as local favorites like the Warrington Wolves.
A major catalyst for this B2B and consumer scaling was a £1.2m investment secured in 2022 from city veteran and AJ Bell founder Andy Bell, alongside former director Fergus Lyons. Backed by this financial injection, the company has heavily upgraded its Warrington operational capabilities at Europa Trade Park to automate labour-intensive processes and support a growing workforce of over 50 employees.
Despite producing meals for high-profile clients like Matchroom Boxing and Team GB Olympians, the founders emphasise that their services are designed for everyday professionals and busy families looking for macro-controlled, fresh food that can be prepared in just minutes. As it aims for continued regional dominance and potential supermarket expansions, the FuelHub success story highlights Warrington’s growing reputation as an epicentre for scalable, health-conscious eCommerce and manufacturing in the North West.
As a result, the company has now featured in The Sunday Times 100 – Britain’s fastest-growing private businesses, coming in at Number seven in the top 10 in the North West with 98.69% sales growth over the last three years.
TGG, a legal claims service company based in Altrincham, Greater Manchester, is the northwest’s fastest-growing private company, according to the fifth annual Sunday Times 100 rankings.
The list is published today online at thesundaytimes.com/100 and available as a supplement with the print edition of the newspaper this Sunday, 7th June.
The annual ranking identifies and celebrates Britain’s 100 leading entrepreneurial businesses, and showcases the people behind these most dynamic private companies. The Sunday Times 100 excludes companies selling their own technology, which now feature in the sister table, The Sunday Times 100 Tech.
