Meet Segun: the entrepreneur reshaping the ready meal aisle for health-conscious individuals

• Business name: The Gym Kitchen

• Industry: Food

• Founded in: 2017

• Top business products: Business bank account

• Key learning: “Building strong relationships and truly understanding the market has been key.”

In 2016, Segun Akinwoleola found himself staring at a supermarket shelf full of ready meals that didn’t fit his lifestyle, forced to choose between convenience that tasted good, and healthier options that lacked flavour.

The Gym Kitchen was built to change that, offering familiar meals reworked to be healthier, higher in protein, and more accessible to a health-conscious audience. The brand has since grown from a spontaneous idea into a nationwide retail presence, stocked across major UK supermarkets. 

Here, Segun shares how he turned that initial frustration into a scalable business, the realities of breaking into a competitive food category, and the lessons he’s learned along the way.

You started The Gym Kitchen out of a personal need for convenient, nutritious meals. How did that idea evolve into a full retail brand?

As a gym-goer, I started The Gym Kitchen out of frustration at the lack of convenient, high-protein, great-tasting, nutritious meals to fuel my lifestyle. What started as a personal need soon made me realise there was a wider market for high-protein food that was approachable, enjoyable, and not just aimed at bodybuilders. 

From the start, I took a community-first approach, focusing on diversity, inclusivity, and affordability to appeal beyond fitness enthusiasts. Engaging with influencers and building social channels allowed us to understand real consumer needs, validate demand, and smoothly transition from concept to retail.

What were the biggest challenges of launching a food brand in a highly competitive sector, and how did you overcome them?

Retail shelf space is limited, and competing against established brands is tough – for one product to go in, another will nearly always have to come out. 

Building genuine USPs takes time; for us, that meant achieving the highest protein per gram without compromising taste or nutritional balance. 

Breaking through barriers required persistence: I faced years of rejection before landing our first major listing in Asda. Ultimately, community engagement, a compelling brand proposition, and a focus on a new approach to healthy eating helped us prove our value in a category long dominated by dated slimming products. 

There’s still work to do for a level playing field. As a Black founder in a sector where less than 1% of VC funding goes to Black entrepreneurs, I focus outside the day-to-day business on collaborating with industry leaders to change this. I hope The Gym Kitchen’s journey inspires others to believe in their potential and the value of their business ideas.

How has your background shaped your approach to business and opportunity?

I firmly believe that your background doesn’t define your potential. Growing up in a deprived part of East London, surrounded by gang culture and poverty, gave me the drive to succeed, the resilience to never take no for an answer, and the ability to connect with anyone while thinking street smart. Failing my GCSEs was a pivotal moment that forced me to change my life’s trajectory. I re-sat my exams, went on to earn a first-class degree in business management, and built a career in corporate FMCG.

The Gym Kitchen has secured listings with major outlets like Asda, Tesco, Sainsbury’s, Co-op and Morrisons. What helped you break into these big retailers?

Building strong relationships and truly understanding the market has been key. We don’t just offer insights; we show retailers how to grow the category with us. This approach has been fundamental to expanding our distribution across the major multiples. From the start, we focused on creating mutual value rather than transactional selling.

How do you balance innovation, taste and nutrition while keeping products appealing to a broad audience?

Rather than reinventing food culture, we upgrade comfort favourites like chicken tikka and chicken korma. It’s a simple concept, but it involves extensive work behind the scenes to match the taste and quality of premium meal prep while achieving high protein density without compromising overall nutrition.

Looking back, what milestones have given you the greatest sense of pride?

There have been many incredible moments on The Gym Kitchen journey, but I’m especially proud that we’ve secured listings in nearly all major UK supermarkets, and that we’ve grown from a solo founder to a team of 12. Being named the Food & Drink Federation SME Emerging Business of the Year was also a major highlight, and it’s been hugely rewarding to see the brand resonate with communities who previously felt excluded from the “health” category.

What financial products/services have supported the business’ growth and operations?

Being part of the Tesco Accelerator Programme provided strategic retail support and visibility. Early-stage investor backing helped us scale production and operations, while strong business banking relationships supported working capital management. Careful cash flow management has always been crucial, especially in the early days of building the business.