You can also drink your meal while you eat — YFood sells healthy nutritional drinks, catering to a global trend. Tonight, founders Benjamin Kremer and Noël Bollmann will be appearing on the VOX show "Die Höhle der Löwen." We spoke with them about their TV appearance and the current state of affairs.
Almost exactly a year ago we presented in our 7 questions. How have you been since then?
A lot has happened at our company in the last year. 20 food tech enthusiasts have joined our team in Munich. Via our online shop www.yfood.eu We currently supply satisfied customers in over 25 European countries—all united by the desire for healthy, affordable nutrition on hectic days. While we started with 500ml bottles (500kcal), we also launched smaller bottles (330ml / 330kcal) in summer 2018. These are specifically designed for breakfast, snacks, or people with lower calorie needs. We are now available in almost 5,000 supermarkets and drugstores to make YFood accessible to as many people as possible.
What is your own favorite YFood variety?
In our interview last year, we announced our first flavor, "Smooth Vanilla," as well as two new flavors, "Alpine Chocolate" and "Cold Brew Coffee." "Fresh Berry" has now been added as a fourth flavor. A real bestseller!
For us, it's all about the mix: In the morning, we need a caffeine kick with "Cold Brew Coffee," while on warm days, we like "Smooth Vanilla" or "Fresh Berry" for lunch. With winter just around the corner, our insider tip: simply warm up "Alpine Chocolate." Delicious!
“We don’t want our customers to replace every meal with YFood”
Your appearance on "The Lion's Den" will air tonight. How did you prepare?
The last few weeks have been truly hell for us. We had to massively ramp up production, meticulously stress-test all processes, and ensure the stability of our servers. Our office became a call center for three days, and we called all the supermarkets that had listed us to personally pick them up and prepare them for broadcast. Working to the limit really bonded our entire team.
How do you plan to convince people who don't like liquid food per se to try YFood?
We don't want our customers to replace every meal with YFood. To be honest, we simply enjoy good food far too much ourselves. Our idea is to replace meals we can't enjoy anyway, and which are usually very unhealthy, too. Our ready-to-drink YFood is perfect for these situations. It satisfies hunger without feeling heavy in the stomach and provides constant energy throughout the day by providing you with plenty of protein, 26 vitamins and minerals, essential omega fatty acids, and important fiber—and it's delicious, too! You just have to try it, and any initial doubts will quickly be dispelled.
“Smart food instead of fast food”
If we talk again in a year, where will you be then?
Our clear goal is to further expand our market leadership in the DACH region. YFood should be available to as many people as possible, anytime and anywhere, whether online or in brick-and-mortar stores. Of course, we're also working on new YFood varieties and other healthy meal replacement products. We have a lot in the pipeline—so it remains exciting.
You were recently in the German Accelerator and will travel to the USA with the program starting in January. What do you expect from this?
It's a great honor for us to be able to participate in the German Accelerator program, and we're delighted that the jury also sees great potential in YFood for the American market. We're confident that we can benefit massively from German Accelerator's extensive network and gradually conquer the US market. Our slogan "Smart Food instead of Fast Food" should have a particularly strong impact there!
