Based in 2019, Vow Vitamin was constructed on the core values of high quality, belief and transparency. Providing a spread of high-quality sports activities dietary supplements, from protein powders, bars and fizzy drinks to pre-workout and creatine, the sports activities vitamin model has rapidly grow to be extremely revered, utilized by Olympic athletes and Premier League soccer groups.
Stevens’ private journey as a physique builder and athlete knowledgeable the model’s ethos, with innovation a key pillar of the model’s success.
“Once I was first constructing Vow, I appeared on the trade and seen there was an actual lack of innovation,” he informed NutraIngredients. “Everybody was attempting to make the most cost effective protein powder. There wasn’t any actual innovation there; manufacturers have been promoting flavoured protein powders as cheaply as attainable to try to take market share.”
“We got down to innovate and create merchandise that athletes wished and wanted—one thing that added a real profit and helped them to succeed in their objectives,” he stated.
Now, the model is engaged on a spread of recent merchandise, together with savoury protein snacks, athlete-targeted nutritional vitamins and minerals, and chewable dietary supplements.
Going towards the grain
Vow Vitamin is a UK-based firm that was based on the literal ‘vows’ Stevens made when creating the model. This included manufacturing and creating all of the merchandise within the UK, testing them for banned substances, and making certain they have been adequate for the elite, however accessible to everybody.
“I had this massive listing, in all probability about 15 ‘vows’, which made me suppose the phrase ‘vow’ can be an ideal model title,” he stated.
These core ideas have remained central to the model’s id, and paved the way in which for Vow Vitamin to grow to be a associate of Group GB on the 2024 Olympic Video games.
Now, the model has a spread of nutritionally targeted merchandise in progressive codecs, from Sparklean, a carbonated protein drink, to their newest product growth: Creatine Chews. These retro sweet-style dietary supplements supply a substitute for the favored creatine gummy—bypassing a lot of manufacturing challenges whereas remaining handy for customers.
“We examined a lot of creatine gummies two years in the past and located massive discrepancies, however I don’t consider the manufacturers knew,” he stated. “We didn’t go public with the knowledge and as an alternative targeted on creating a greater resolution.”
“We all know by formulating creatine right into a chewable that it’s a correct complement,” he added. “The chews will not be as luxurious as a gummy, however we’re not a confectionary model, we’re a sports activities complement model. Sports activities dietary supplements are a efficiency pushed, results-based class.”
Vow’s Creatine Chews are made utilizing a low-moisture format, which protects the creatine from degradation and ensures shelf-life stability. Formulated with dextrose and sweeteners, they’re designed to be taken all through the day to maintain creatine ranges topped up.
“Primarily based by myself analysis, I consider topping your creatine ranges up throughout the day is the easiest way to take creatine. The dextrose provides you a faster uplift of creatine and the chews could be stored within the automotive or someplace handy for ease of use,” he stated.
Out there in three flavours—Strawberry, Mint, and Apple, Mango and Lime—the chews are at the moment the model’s best-selling product, with gross sales rising, partially, following a packaging rebrand.
“Because the unhealthy press on creatine gummies, our chew gross sales have gone up,” he stated. “We’ve additionally modified the packaging on our chews so that they enchantment to a wider viewers, together with ladies. There are such a lot of hardcore-looking tubs of creatine which don’t enchantment to ladies in the identical approach, so we’ve tried to make the product extra enjoyable,” he stated.
Stevens stated he’s now trying to increase the chew vary additional to embody new elements, with Vow’s Berry Burst-flavoured amino chews already available on the market.
This will likely be launched alongside the savoury protein snack vary, giving health-conscious customers the prospect to devour nutrient-dense meals that may be deemed as a ‘deal with’.
“We’ve obtained some nice new product growth that we’re engaged on,” he stated. “We really feel that we’re now main the market due to the route we’ve taken over gummies.”
Wanting forward
With Vow’s merchandise already out there in 16 international locations, Stevens is now trying to develop distribution channels even additional, together with his sights set on breaking into main UK supermarkets, in addition to international retailers similar to Walmart.
He’s additionally trying to increase Vow’s present product providing to incorporate different elements that may very well be of profit to athletes.
“We’re trying to associate with some extra sports activities groups and increase our providing to incorporate merchandise which sports activities science departments wish to give their gamers,” he stated. “This would possibly embrace issues like nutritional vitamins and minerals or different elements which they deem to be essential. Magnesium, for instance, has emerged as one of many high elements nutritionists are recommending for restoration and sleep.”
Nevertheless, Stevens stays targeted on accessibility, vowing to make sure the on a regular basis client can proceed to entry Vow’s product providing.
“Understanding that now we have been fuelling the elite and the very best profile athletes is superb. For me, that’s what it’s all about,” he stated. “However we’re additionally giving the on a regular basis client the prospect and the chance to purchase the merchandise the elite are utilizing.”
“We’re Knowledgeable Sports activities examined and use solely the very best high quality elements, however we’re not overpriced. Now we have decrease margins than different manufacturers, however now we have tried to make it really feel extra mainstream, to try to get extra folks to make use of our model.”
