A business is only as strong as the people who run it. No matter how great the idea, product, or strategy, success ultimately depends on the people executing the vision.
For entrepreneurs and founders, letting go of the reins and allowing their team to take ownership is a huge step. Why? Because, generally speaking, their team will never have the same level of care, connection, or ambition for the brand.
And that makes sense, right? Ultimately, it’s just a job; they didn’t build it from the ground up, nor would it be difficult for them to move on to the next project if things went south.
But sometimes—just sometimes—you come across someone who fully buys in, as if the business were their own. Someone, for example, like Hunter & Gather’s Head of Product, Harry Noel-Smith.
As part of our new ‘Behind the Brand’ series, we sat down with Harry to explore how a chance meeting at a conference led to him landing a major role at Hunter & Gather, why his alarm is currently set for 5am each morning, and why he believes Ghee is the way forward.
Harry Noel-Smith
If you haven’t heard of Hunter & Gather, let’s get you up to speed. Founded by Amy Moring and Jeff Webster in 2017, the brand set out to challenge the status quo of heavily processed foods loaded with added sugars, chemical preservatives, and inflammatory oils.
After years of struggling with food intolerances and various health issues, Amy and Jeff made a life-changing discovery: our well-being is largely shaped by how we fuel our bodies.
Inspired by ancestral nutrition, they created a range of keto-friendly kitchen staples, condiments, and supplements—harnessing every natural nutrient Mother Nature has to offer.
While Hunter & Gather’s mission was gathering pace, Harry was also beginning to wake up and smell the ketones. A lifelong endurance fanatic, he was no stranger to extreme challenges.
From hiking across the Andes to rowing the English Channel, Harry has always embraced the suffering that comes with pushing his physical limits.
But while training to cycle from London to Africa and back in less than two weeks, his seemingly endless energy reserves ran dry.
Determined to find a solution, he began experimenting with his diet—eliminating gluten, refined sugars, and grains while turning to healthy fats as fuel.
This journey didn’t just lead him to adopt a Ketogenic lifestyle—it also inspired him to launch his own keto-friendly doughnut business, Kinetic Kitchen.
The parallels between Harry’s trajectory and Hunter & Gather were undeniable— all that was missing was a chance encounter. That moment came when he met Amy and Jeff at a low-carb and Keto trade show.
“I was at the show with my company, Kinetic Kitchen,” he explained. “We stayed in touch, and when I moved to London, an opportunity opened up to assist Amy with some project work on a freelance basis. One and a half years later, I’m now their Head of Product.”
One of Harry’s first major projects as Head of Product was to spearhead the relaunch of Rise & Glow, a daily beauty tonic containing Type 1 marine-caught collagen, hyaluronic acid, and Vitamin C.
Debuted last year, the product hit the mark in terms of functionality but left people wanting more when it came to taste. Asked what’s changed in the new-and-improved formula, Harry explained:
“Function and flavour—it’s hard to come by. You either have a very healthy product that tastes like earth or a beautifully tasting product filled with garbage.
“In early 2024, we’re launching a groundbreaking recipe with all the active ingredients to make a killer beauty collagen blend. Unfortunately, it fell short with the customer experience—the berries were too rough/bitty, and the flavour wasn’t strong enough.
“With a few trade secrets, we’ve kept the formulation very similar but tweaked a few areas to bring a better flavour experience for our customers. So far, the results are five stars.”
Taking on negative feedback isn’t easy in any walk of life, and it’s even harder when countless hours have gone into perfecting a formula.
Harry explained that at Hunter & Gather, the development process can take anywhere from three to 18 months—from inception to launch.
Despite the challenges, Harry remains adamant that there’s no such thing as negative feedback—only lessons.
“One of our brand maxims is ‘the customer is our compass,’” he continued. “Staying closely connected to our customers through constant feedback—whether good, bad, or ugly—is essential.”
“We engage with our customers through various channels like customer support, surveys, and website reviews to ensure we understand their needs.
“When it comes to negative feedback, we view it as a golden opportunity to improve. We ensure every piece of feedback is addressed and used to enhance our products and customer experiences.
“We’re not just pushing products to market; we’re refining them based on what our customers tell us they want and need.”
For every rare learning curve, Hunter & Gather has produced dozens of instant hits. From unsweetened tomato ketchup to MCT-enriched coffee, very few brands boast such a diverse roster.
In a role where the products are his “babies,” it was always going to be difficult for Harry to pick a favourite—but of course, we asked anyway.
“Choosing a favourite feels like picking a favourite child,” he joked. “I’m a man of simple pleasures. My morning routine includes a pint of our Restore, washing down some Perform capsules, and then a bulletproof coffee crafted with our bovine collagen, pure C8 MCT, and ghee. It’s the perfect cocktail for optimised health.”
When it comes to Ghee, Hunter & Gather don’t mess around. This organic certified clarified butter, made from grass-fed British cattle, is low in lactose and casein and packed with vitamins A, D, E, K, and omega-3s.
A two-time award-winning product, Harry believes it’s undoubtedly the most slept-on item in the entire range.
“Definitely our Ghee! It’s incredibly versatile—you can use it in curries, coffee, roasties, or even as a skin moisturiser. Organic clarified butter really is a hidden gem in our lineup.”
New Products Ahoy!
An interview with Hunter & Gather’s Head of Product wouldn’t be complete without probing him on whether we should keep our eyes peeled for any upcoming drops.
Providing the kind of coy answer we’ve come to expect, Harry gave us just enough to keep excitement levels high for the coming months.
“No comment—but yes, it’s exciting,” he teased. “We’ve got some groundbreaking stuff in the works for 2025 that we believe our customers will really love.”
With news of new product launches in the bag, one thing remained: Has Harry got his sights set on any more endurance events? Silly question—of course, he has.
“At the moment, I’m training for a 24-hour row later this year, so there are plenty of mind-numbing sessions on the erg at 5am,” he said.
With the foundations in place, it’s time for some quick-fire questions with Harry Noel-Smith, Hunter & Gather’s very own Ironman.
Quick-Fire Questions With Hunter & Gather’s Harry Noel-Smith
Describe the perfect Rise & Glow customer in under 5 words
Invests in inner health and beauty.
How do you react to positive feedback?
I love all types of feedback; there’s no growth without it. Positive feedback is particularly energising—it lets us know when we’re hitting the mark, and I thrive on it.
But I also get a lot of value from constructive feedback because it’s what challenges us to make even better products.
Whether it’s celebrating successes or navigating criticisms, feedback forms a big part of my role – I believe it is crucial no matter what stage you are in your career.
If you could wave a magic wand and create a product that 100% solved a problem what would it be and why?
This is a compelling thought. I’m deeply passionate about mental health and the impact our diet and lifestyle choices have on our well-being.
While I believe that the entire Hunter & Gather portfolio, coupled with the educational resources we provide on our Hub, contributes positively to mental health, the dream would be to create a product that could completely revolutionise this area.
Imagine a product that could effectively and comprehensively address mental health challenges—providing not just relief but a real, lasting enhancement of mental well-being.
Describe the process of developing a new product. What are the steps before it even hits the shelf?
The product development cycle at Hunter & Gather is quite extensive, typically ranging from three months to as long as 18 months. It starts with the discovery phase, where we look at market trends, brainstorm internally, and engage with customers to gather insights and ideas. From there, concepts are screened and assessed to align with our brand values and market viability.
The next phase is concept development, where refined ideas undergo further exploration and validation through customer surveys. Once a concept is solidified, it moves into the business case stage to ensure it’s commercially viable.
Following approval, we dive into development and testing, working closely with our NPD teams to create prototypes. These prototypes are rigorously tested both internally and externally to ensure they meet our high standards.
Once we’re confident in the product’s quality and market fit, our internal teams—from sales to marketing—gear up to support a strategic launch.
We closely monitor the product post-launch, adjusting strategies based on real-world feedback and performance. This meticulous process ensures that every product we introduce is not only innovative but also perfectly aligned with consumer needs and brand values.
Any failures? Products you developed but just didn’t make the cut?
Certainly, not every idea turns into a successful product. For instance, last year we began developing a menopause-specific collagen product infused with adaptogens.
It was an ambitious project with a robust blend of functional ingredients aimed at providing significant health benefits. However, despite the promising concept, the product didn’t progress beyond the testing phase due to flavour challenges.
The potent functional ingredients made it difficult to achieve a palatable flavour profile, leading us to put the project on hold.
This experience, while a setback, provided valuable insights into balancing functionality with consumer palatability, shaping how we approach product development going forward.
