10 YEARS FROM THE TUB TO THE TOP (Well almost)

Well it's been almost 10 years to the day since we sold our first juice out of an old cast iron bathtub in Old street station. I can’t tell if the time has flown by or if it feels like a lifetime ago… probably both.

Firstly I just want to express my gratitude to all the wonderful customers who have supported us on the journey, ​​to my co-founder extraordinaire Georgie for starting it all, and to the incredible team members that have been part of the journey.

I also want to congratulate George, Head of product innovation as it's his 10 year
anniversary too this week… way too long to have had to put up with me every day.

PRESS has been the single most important relationship of my life, something I had not appreciated when we started on the path. At times, it has nearly broken me emotionally but also been the making of me as the person I am today.

I never appreciated how human focused starting and running a company would be and it's amazing just how broad the spectrum of wonderful people across so many industries that we have got to work with over the years. Everyone from farmers to financiers, from retailers to market researchers have affirmed my belief that people are willing to help and support and that building friendships as part of doing business is both a source of smart strategy and nourishing to the soul. It’s also a moment to shout out to all the fellow founders we have met along the way. They have been through it all themselves and have been a source of sanity and acted as part time therapists when needed. You know who you are.

There are so many pivotal moments to reflect on; bringing our first cold pressed machines to the UK, all the way from Buffalo, New York, to opening our juice cocktail bar in Spitalfields market (one of the funnest but not necessarily the savviest decisions). Launching our global partnership just before the pandemic with Soho House was a hard task to get an entire chilled supply chain setup in the US, but has taught us so many things about scaling and working with big brands. Lots of great moments and lots of hard ones but nothing will ever compare to the memory of spilling 30 litres of kale juice I had just pressed, creating a green
tidal wave across our entire kitchen in a Battersea railway arch… I was not a popular person that day.

At its core, this business has always been committed to helping people discover a happier way of life through giving their body the right natural nutrition. This year to help people on that journey we were so excited to expand our offering into meals and snacks as part of our new nutritionally complete meal plans. It has been incredible to see how the world of nutrition has changed over the past 10 years, and It really feels like we were part of the movement and that the power of good, natural plant based nutrition has the power to change the way you feel and to help you achieve your dreams in life.

It is truly incredible to speak to customers about their own journeys with nutrition and how it has had a positive impact on their lives. I remember a campaign we did years ago where we had friends of the brand do a 5 day cleanse and then asked them questions afterwards.

Everyone was so emotional afterwards, it was so much more than just food, they felt they had taken back control of their lives. Tears were shed both in front of and behind the camera. Such is the power of nutrition to transform people's lives. It is a privilege to be a small part (or sometimes a large part) of that.

Looking ahead, we continue to chase our dream of becoming one of the world's most trusted health food companies and to help transform people's lives through the power of natural, balanced, plant based nutrition.

It is the greatest privilege of my life to run PRESS and I am taking this moment to celebrate
the success we have had to date including launching internationally and being available in over 1200 stockists and delivering to thousands of customers each week, we’ve come a long way since the bathtub.

I also want to thank our incredible team, past and present, for their energy, love and talent, and to look to the future to the many adventures yet to come and to helping create a healthier and happier world.

Raising a glass (of green juice) to the next 10 years!
Ed
Co-founder & CEO