Protein is everywhere. Crisps, bread, ice cream, chocolate bars — you name it, there’s probably a “high-protein” version fighting for shelf space.
The category is bursting at the seams with brands going gram-for-gram, each trying to outgun the next in a macro arms race.
But for anyone thinking we’ve already hit saturation point? Not even close. The next frontier isn’t about cramming in more protein — it’s about which brands can bring something genuinely fresh to the space.
And as long as innovation keeps pushing boundaries, there’ll always be room for disruptors.
Industry newcomer nowhey is living proof of that. Founded by Luis Evitt and Jesse Bate, the flavoured protein water has enjoyed a prolific start to life.
As close friends and athletes operating in completely different sports, the pair spotted a universal gap in the market: a quick, convenient, and complete protein solution that sipped like a soda but fuelled like a shake.
Just months into their journey, nowhey has sold thousands of cans and is already eyeing a global takeover.
As part of our Founders Series, we sat down with Luis Evitt to talk formulation, shaking up protein water, balancing friendship and business, and plans for international expansion.
The Birth of nowhey
Luis and Jesse first met at school, but their friendship didn’t blossom until years later during the pandemic. A chance meeting in their local gym led to the discovery of two mutual interests: fitness and entrepreneurship.
“Jesse and I are best friends,” said Luis. “We have worked together for a number of years now on other businesses.
“I’m an ex-professional rugby player and started my own marketing agency about seven years ago after suffering a bad injury.
“Jesse runs a wholesale coffee business, and his sport is super bike riding, so we both have very different training needs.
“We’ve wanted to do something together for a while, but needed to ensure that when the time came, it was exactly the right idea.”
Coincidentally, the original concept for nowhey started in the very same place as the pair’s friendship: the gym.
“Jesse was drinking a clear whey shake and said, ‘Why doesn’t someone just put this in a can?’
“We got thinking, and wanted to take it a step further by making the product more accessible to people who either didn’t like or couldn’t drink whey.”
The duo brainstormed all the usual pitfalls with whey protein shakes — on-the-go convenience, subpar taste, digestive discomfort — and set about creating something lighter.
That saw them arrive at the idea of flavoured protein water in ready-to-drink cans. Protein water certainly isn’t a new invention, but it is one they felt could be improved.
Most formulas feature collagen as the protein base — a source with a Protein Digestibility Corrected Amino Acid Score (PDCAAS) of zero.
While crucial for several key bodily functions, collagen doesn’t feature all nine essential amino acids, making it a poor choice for overall protein intake and recovery.
“We wanted a clean product that didn’t use whey but didn’t necessarily compromise on the amino acid profile,” Luis continued.
“There are many protein waters on the market, but most are derived from collagen.
“However, they are still marketed as a recovery or post-gym product. Collagen has a PDCAAS of zero and is next to useless for recovery.
“It’s a beauty product, not the protein you need for after a workout. We hate that it’s marketed to consumers in this way.”
Looking to right the wrongs of those before them — and create a fresher sip — Luis and Jesse chose pea protein as the base for nowhey.
Within a week, the design and branding were nailed, and both men realised they were onto something big.
While most founders agonise for months on end over a name that embodies their company’s mission in a concise, catchy manner, nowhey flowed naturally as part of the product’s USP.
“We came up with the idea for the product before we came up with the name,” Luis added.
“We were literally like, ‘Why don’t we just call it nowhey as it has no whey in it?’
“It’s a little play on words and the first thing that people say as soon as we tell them it doesn’t contain whey. They normally respond, ‘No way!'”
The absence of whey is made all the more impressive by the 20g of highly bioavailable protein packed into every can. Pea protein peptides are mixed with water, natural flavourings, and a touch of sweetness for a simple recipe with big impact.
Two flavours are currently on offer — Mixed Berry and Mango — each delivering a refreshing hit of plant protein with zero sugar and 81-83 calories per serving.
Luis and Jesse were confident in their invention, but as many founders discover, putting a product to market can quickly become a humbling experience.
Thankfully, their faith wasn’t misplaced, and nowhey had people queuing up for a can before it had even officially launched.
“As an entrepreneur, you come to realise that just because you think you’ve got an idea, it doesn’t mean you’ve necessarily got a good idea,” Luis admitted.
“We realised we had traction after we sold over 2,000 cans in a pre-sale without a single penny being spent on marketing.
“We’ve since sold out of our first batch of 12,000 cans and have a further 20,000 cans being shipped to Saudi Arabia, with discussions for another 20,000 cans being shipped to the UAE/Kuwait.
“This is all within a matter of six months, along with listings in the UK’s major wholesalers for protein and supplements, such as Protein Bargain Wholesale, OccaStore, and Tropicana Wholesale.”
Hitting the ground running doesn’t happen by chance, and while Luis takes great pride in nowhey’s emphatic debut, he believes there’s plenty more to come.
Asked whether he predicted the early success, he admitted: “I would honestly like to say no, but if I said that I’d be lying.
“Every single step of nowhey has been the result of an extremely strategic and calculated process. Every opportunity that’s been made has been done so purposefully.
“We have very ambitious plans for the business, and if we weren’t getting these wins already, then I would be concerned. We are just getting started.”
Those plans include a shift in focus from B2B sales to establishing a D2C retail route.
Luis revealed nowhey is currently in talks with the UK’s biggest gym chains over stocking the drink.
He named the likes of PureGym and Soho House as “dream” listings, adding that one day he’d love to see nowhey lining the shelves of Sainsbury’s and Holland & Barrett.
Balancing Friendship With Business
Working with a best friend, much like working with a partner, comes with its own unique challenges.
The lines between everyday life and office chat get blurred, and suddenly every situation is a potential business meeting.
For Luis and Jesse, maintaining that balance is all about playing to each other’s unique strengths.
By staying in their own lanes, with their own specialisms, they’re yet to clash.
“Due to how our other businesses are set up, Jesse’s strengths are operations, logistics, and the actual internal workings.
“I’m much more involved with the external side, such as sales and marketing. Our skills have complemented each other nicely, and generally, we don’t really have a gap that we can’t cover between us.
“I’d say for someone my age (27), I’m extremely well-connected as I’ve put a lot of value on networking over the last seven years.
“We always know someone who can help us get what we need, or at least point us in the right direction.”
Luis and Jesse’s past ventures gave them not only the know-how to launch nowhey, but also the financial means to bootstrap it as a fully self-funded brand.
“We have set nowhey up on an extremely tight budget and been able to accomplish some amazing things already,” Luis continued.
“We haven’t had to rely on the bank or Angel investors (yet). We are in the fortunate position to have had other businesses that have been able to support nowhey.”
The pair are now in the process of raising capital to power the next stage of growth, but are willing to remain patient for the right investors to come along.
‘We have had people actively offer us cash, but they haven’t been the right people yet,” Luis admitted.
“It’s extremely important to us to find the right person and the right funding as we want to make sure nowhey goes as far as it possibly can.”
Quick-Fire Questions With nowhey Founder Luis Evitt
Describe your perfect customer in five words.
People who don’t drink whey.
Where can fans find cans of nowhey?
Our business plan has been largely focused on B2B and wholesale distribution so far. We are now pivoting due to the success of this to a more D2C and retail route. You can already find our products at OccaStore, Combat Fuel, Strom Sports Nutrition, Protein Bargain Wholesale, Tropicana Wholesale, Protein Package, and many gyms across the country. Or buy online via our website drinknowhey.com.
Sticking with that theme, what’s your dream listing for nowhey?
Our dream listing for nowhey would be in nationwide gyms, such as PureGym, along with some cool places like Soho House, and retailers like Holland & Barrett and Sainsbury’s.
What’s been your standout moment in scaling nowhey to date?
Having people actively reach out to us to stock the product, no matter who they are or how big or small, is incredibly rewarding and fulfilling. Seeing others love the products as much as we do and actually want to sell them is amazing. I wouldn’t want to single out any one moment — every day, every person we work with is just as important as the next.
Equally, what’s been the toughest lesson learnt?
Starting a supplement brand is tough. Jesse and I always want to be as transparent and genuine as possible — it’s one of the core principles of our business. We’ve called out a lot of the misleading marketing in the supplement industry. Unfortunately, challenging some of the bigger players can come at a cost, with certain businesses trying to slow down your progress in a bit of a David-versus-Goliath situation. But we embrace these challenges and, honestly, we love them.
Wave a magic wand, where would nowhey be in five years?
It’s hard to predict with so many variables, but in five years I’d like to see nowhey in every single vending machine and major gym across the UK, as well as in High Street stores. Alongside that, we want to continue supporting and sponsoring a number of athletes and brand ambassadors.
Ambassadors have been a big part of spreading the nowhey word so far. Is building that community feeling part of the vision?
We don’t believe a brand can simply sell products anymore. People want to engage with what they’re buying — communities, experiences, everything. We also want to give back as much as possible to those who have supported us on our journey, and we don’t say that lightly. Supporting athletes, no matter their size, is a core principle for us, as is rewarding those who have been with us from the very start.
Money’s no object. Who’s your dream brand ambassador?
Mark Wahlberg, Steven Bartlett, Lewis Hamilton.
NPD! Are there any new flavours or products currently in the works?
That’s a secret! Lots of new flavours and a special collab on the cards.
Why should our readers put down their current protein RTD and reach for a can of nowhey?
No protein water on the market has a macro profile like this, combined with superior taste, and actually delivers on what it promises on the can — helping you hit your protein and recovery goals. That’s simply a fact.
Pick a favourite child. What’s your go-to flavour?
Mixed Berry!
Finally, the floor is yours. Tell us anything you think our audience should know.
We understand that for a long time the supplement industry has been dominated by whey, and it’s not surprising — it has one of the best bioavailability and PDCAAS scores of any protein source. But the fact is, some people are tired of it — whether it’s the taste, the inconvenience, or the inconsistency of products. We’re not telling people to choose nowhey over whey — unless you have a dietary issue with whey, they can definitely coexist. But if you’re just looking for something that tastes ‘whey better,’ has great macros, and is far more convenient, give nowhey a try.
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