This December sees GSN (Gold Standard Nutrition) complete a fantastic year with the creation of a ‘limited edition’ festive wrap which marries tasty high protein convenience with a large dollop of seasonal good cheer. This is one lavishly packed protein wrap which lovingly binds together tender roast chicken, mouth-watering turkey bacon, a generous scoop of traditional stuffing and the all-important drizzles of rich gravy and tangy cranberry sauce.
According to GSN founder, Craig Allen, ‘Our 4-strong wraps range that were only launched back in August have hit the ground running in terms of broadening GSN’s appeal. We’re a young business with nationwide reach that’s finding its voice, thanks to a snowballing account base and sales, which means we are now sufficiently big to launch seasonal specials that our customers adore.’
GSN is a proud, Yorkshire based business that seeks to show tasty yet healthier eating in a more convenient light. Their starting point was the bustling independent gym and leisure centre communities who were appearing in ever greater numbers to support a growing appetite for healthier living lifestyles.
These ambitious outlets who found themselves pitching up against the financial muscle of the well-backed gym chains were always on the lookout for ways to offer easy-to-prepare, nutritious fayre that grew their bottom line. In addition to 400 such outlets, GSN is fast establishing a reputation for supporting university campuses, armed forces refectories, fire and police stations, the NHS estate, and the aforementioned chains of gyms & leisure centres. In addition, there’s also overseas expansion in Ireland and imminently the Middle East.
‘This isn’t a business that came about by chance,’ stresses Craig. ‘For three years I spent an inordinate chunk of my life travelling up and down the motorway in a converted Tesco van, armed with 3 chest freezers and 225 bags of steamed chicken. Having never had the privilege of a big budget, we simply grew organically, reinvesting everything we made back into our fledgling project. In the early days we made our own luck courtesy of a few timely lucky breaks; including the timely recycling 50 chest freezers that had begun their lives at the London Olympics.
e-commerce (B2C) is yet another a growing sphere of GSN influence, a strand of business that was always present but took off exponentially during the pandemic when the business’s gym & leisure centre heartland was temporarily closed down. Like many businesses of GSN’s size they had to adapt quickly or sink. Fortunately, everything worked out really well, because the business quickly broadened its skills set, learning about Photoshop and the manifold merits of a sound online advertising strategy to create yet another profitable, end consumer channel.
‘We are,’ concludes Craig, ‘a brand of now, in the sense that we appeal to anyone with an active interest in athleisure, who is actively seeking out the right balance of meaningful exercise meets good nutrition. Some might describe GSN’s range of Protein Wraps, Protein Pizzas, Pots of Gold, Chicken Bites….. as functional food, which is fair in the sense that we provide a unique balance of convenience, taste and nutritional profile. In truth, our success revolves around championing complete meal solutions that support a healthier living lifestyle.
In 2024 we intend to broaden our appeal yet further by extending our reach into ‘sharing meal’ formats for 2.
