Xing Health

As with any business it all started with an idea…as students, (Simon and Phil) always struggled to get anything healthy to eat while on campus, never really fancying the reheated, processed, or pre-packaged food, all lacking in fresh, energizing ingredients. That was until they went to study abroad for a year in Amercia where they we’re introduced to the revelation of a smoothie bar on campus!
They loved the fresh made, fast served smoothies so much they became passionate about making the same healthy choices available to their friends back in the UK. It was obvious to them that when we all eat better, we feel better!
After graduating with the customary student debt they raised £12,000, partly by working the summer in a pea factory and received support from the John Cracknell Youth Enterprise Bank. They bought a mobile cart and began trading at outdoor events as well as from an isolated University sports centre location during term time. They learned at firsthand what products students liked, what prices they we’re prepared to pay and how to get their attention. The management of the centre saw for the first time ‘non-sports centre members making trips over from the Union building, just to get a Xing smoothie’.
Their reward was permission from the students union to build a flagship smoothie bar in the main union building with the support of staff, sabbaticals and students, proving in the process that our generation of students weren’t fruit dodgers and we’re happy to ditch the pot noodle and baked bean eating stereotype of the past. They now have Smoothie outlets in Hull, Liverpool and York Into Schools At the outdoor events they discovered that kids would queue up to buy a burger or soft drink from a neighbouring stand but decide to join their queue after watching the brightly coloured smoothies being whizzed up in their blenders. On many occasions they would hear “I don’t know what to order because I don’t like fruit”....whilst using their own money to buy a smoothie! Xing Health are now Ambassdors for Make Your Mark and visit schools to talk about their experience

w: www.xinghealth.co.uk
e: simon@xinghealth.co.uk