Mar 22, 20202 min read

If Only They Knew Alan Barratt, Founder of Grenade

Meet Alan Barratt, founder and CEO of Grenade - the worlds' fastest growing sports performance/weight management brand.

West Midlands based Alan Barratt has always had a love for fitness, prioritising the gym over his school life at an early age - working in his local gym at just age 14. He also, much like his name (Barratt) suggests, has a love for the military, so it is no wonder that his company is called Grenade!

But what is his story?

Back in 1997, Alan became the manager of a gym called Future Fitness, then soon got into importing and distributing US sports nutrition products under the brand name 'Fusion'. However, very quickly, Alan got very tired of selling products that all looked and sounded the same.

So in 2008, Fusion was sold and Alan turned his focus to 'Grenade' with the help of his wife Juliet, which really took off in 2010 and had dreams of emulating the success of Red Bull - with a lot more excitement than the products he was used to selling via Fusion.

"I wanted us to be the Red Bull of sports nutrition. I still want our products to be sold everywhere in the UK where you can buy a Red Bull"

The name Grenade stemmed from the feedback the team got from their first attempt at a weight-loss formula as a friend described the results as explosive (just like a grenade).

For those who think that there is a right moment where everything will be in your favour to start a business, this is rarely true as Alan started his business during a recession, having less than £30 in his bank account at the time. However, the company did come about in a time where men's health was moving away from the typical excessive bodybuilding image.

But, how did Grenade stand out? Before people could actually trust the brand enough to try Grenade products, the first step that Alan had to complete was great branding. As the majority of their competition had products in white, medical-looking tubs, Grenade went in bold with innovative packaging and marketing, showing that these types of products can have personality.

Grenade will always be bold and colourful - and we make no apologies for it either!

Going beyond the packaging and the products, Alan ensured that Grenade's actions were just as explosive as the name suggests, once driving a tank into a trade show as they couldn't afford a booth.

These wacky, outlandish stunts have been part of the reasoning (as well as the great products) as to why the brand now has customers in over 80 countries and was valued at over £72 million in 2017!