Meet the Founder: Mr Lee’s, most cancers survivor and creator of one-of-a-kind wholesome on the spot noodles

At any given time, the Seedrs platform is residence to plenty of inspiring entrepreneur tales, throughout each sector from finance to meals and beverage – and Damien Lee’s journey in creating Mr Lee’s Noodles is strictly that.

We sat down with Damien to learn the way his game-changing fast noodles recipe is remodeling a beloved family staple for the higher.

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What’s Mr Lee’s mission, in your individual phrases?

Mr Lee’s Pure Meals are all about enhancing wholesome meals decisions globally, for time-pressed individuals and meal events. In brief, we consider that everybody has the proper to fast, trustworthy and attractive meals.

Our mission is to disrupt on-the-go meals with our award-winning on the spot noodle vary, new Congee rice porridge and growth of our food-tech innovation.

What was the inspiration behind the enterprise?

Just a few years again I used to be identified with late stage 4 most cancers and my prognosis was simply weeks. Naturally, I used to be devastated, however I knew I needed to act to combat it; firstly as a single father, I needed to make sure I used to be round for a very long time formy two younger sons. Being a agency believer in ‘you’re what you eat’ I instantly took all of the nasties out of my weight loss plan. It was throughout this time I discovered I couldn’t have my favorite snack of on the spot noodles anymore as a result of they have been so stuffed with salt, sugars, Es and synthetic preservatives. I made a pact with myself then that as quickly as I acquired higher, I’d create noodles that didn’t have nasties in. This led to the creation of Mr Lee’s Noodles!

What differentiates you from different gamers out there?

Mr Lee’s use solely the best freeze-dried components, actual beef, beneficiant chunks of 100% hen breast, actual broccoli florets, actual cauliflower – you identify it. The noodles and their six various flavours are uniquely crafted from genuine Asian recipes, people who I grew up with as a child again residence in Australia. They’ve recreated precisely my imaginative and prescient – wonderful tasting noodles with completely no nasties! 

This freeze-drying course of is progressive and disruptive for the comfort meals trade, drastically altering the standard of meals on-the-go. Our rivals restrict compared, as they primarily use dehydrated components which pulls many of the vitamins out and fills them with junk, they typically use flavourings that create one over-saturated style, which means each chunk is just like the final. Mr Lee’s gives a totally totally different expertise!

How did your earlier profession expertise put together you for this?

With all the companies I’ve ever constructed, they’ve been in industries I’d no expertise inside, this permits me to steer with a contemporary new perspective, carving new routes to market via industries that won’t have modified for a few years.

How will the proceeds from this spherical assist the enterprise develop?

Our manufacturers & food-to-go propositions will increase additional in Europe and Asia-Pacific, concurrently launching nationwide within the USA in 2020. 

Throughout three continents our enterprise is scaling-up with new meals and companions becoming a member of our current vary & customer-base. We’re in search of capital to gasoline our Could 2020 USA launch, and speed up different current enterprise.

How has your model technique/id advanced over time?

Since this initiative started, Mr Lee’s has created vital advantages to each our clients and staff. Our promise to supply fast, trustworthy and attractive meals for all has taken form attributable to a quick path to market, significantly in export, impressing each stakeholders and clients. Our sturdy advertising and marketing technique has positioned suitably healthful, allergen-considerate, handy merchandise in entrance of a number of influencers, and the enterprise has seen elevated engagement from energetic communities, together with; coeliacs, diabetics, vegans, individuals attempting to drop pounds, busy mother and father, college students, professionals and extra.

With a big hole to fill within the on the spot noodles sector, Mr Lee’s has triggered a shift in pondering from the as soon as ‘nasty noodles’ mindset, to offering merchandise extra respected and trustworthy about their components, and in addition introducing merchandising machines which uniquely supply sizzling and wholesome choices in distinction to the usual fashions individuals are used to. 

What are the important thing values and expertise you search for in members of your core crew?

Get the individuals round you which can be higher than you at sure expertise. If you’ve acquired individuals with these expertise sharing your imaginative and prescient,then you already know you’re in the proper place.

The enterprise has benefitted via better retention attributable to a high-degree of ardour for the model shared by the crew (which is without doubt one of the essential necessities to work at Mr Lee’s), the businesses international outreach resulting in enterprise journey alternatives and cultural endeavors to encourage the crew and nurture international enterprise pondering. 

What’s probably the most helpful piece of recommendation you may give?

The recommendation I’d give to budding entrepreneurs or start-up homeowners is to not be held again by the norms of your trade, and positively don’t be deterred by not having expertise. Every part will be learnt on the job and being new to the trade isn’t essentially at your detriment. Use your creativity to innovate the market and don’t comply with the identical path that different entrepreneurs have taken. The giants of the market which can be caught following the identical previous methods and creating the identical previous merchandise can’t sustain with the ever-changing calls for of the patron in the mean time, so it is a nice time for start-ups to get forward of the sport. Get in there, take your individual path and get the job finished.

In gentle of the Covid-19 disaster, Mr Lee’s is providing free supply and 20% off for all UK orders right here to assist with the present disaster. 

To seek out out extra, go to Mr Lee’s pitch.

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Michaela Salomon

Marketing campaign Assist Group