Deliciously Ella

Deliciously Ella is a plant-based food and wellness platform that originated from a personal blog created by Ella Mills (née Woodward) in 2012. The venture began as Mills, then a university student, was diagnosed with Postural Tachycardia Syndrome and started exploring a whole-food, plant-based diet to manage her health. Documenting her recipe creations online, the blog's following grew rapidly, attracting over a million monthly views and amassing 130 million hits within a few years.

The brand's commercial journey began with the release of its first app, which quickly topped the UK App Store's food and drink category, and the publication of its debut cookbook in 2015. The cookbook became the fastest-selling debut cookbook in UK history. That same year, Ella's partner, Matthew Mills—son of the late Labour cabinet minister Tessa Jowell—joined the company as CEO to scale the business. The husband-and-wife team have since driven the company's expansion. In September 2024, the food products division of Deliciously Ella was acquired by the Swiss food group Hero, with both Ella and Matthew Mills remaining to lead the next phase of growth, including further expansion into the US market.

Deliciously Ella operates a multi-faceted business model, generating revenue through several channels. A primary stream is the sale of a wide range of plant-based food products, including breakfast cereals, oat bars, energy balls, and snacks, which are available in over 10,000 stores across the UK and Europe, including major retailers like Waitrose, Tesco, and Starbucks. The company also offers a subscription-based wellness app, 'Feel Better', which provides users with thousands of plant-based recipes, guided workout classes (such as yoga, pilates, and cardio), meal planners, and mindfulness content. Additional revenue comes from the sale of numerous best-selling cookbooks. The business also operates a restaurant in London called 'Plants', which serves as a physical home for the brand, although this was not part of the Hero Group acquisition.

The company's target market encompasses individuals interested in plant-based diets, wellness, and healthier lifestyles, extending from dedicated vegans to a broader mass-market audience seeking to incorporate more plant-based foods. The core philosophy is to make healthy, natural food accessible and enjoyable. All products are plant-based, and the Deliciously Ella range is gluten-free. The brand has built a substantial and engaged community, with a social media following of over 4 million, which has been instrumental in its growth without a traditional marketing department.

Keywords: plant-based food, wellness platform, recipe app, healthy snacks, cookbooks, food and beverage, consumer goods, digital media, subscription service, e-commerce