An interview with Damien Lee and Graeme Hossie, the founders of Mr Lee’s Pure Foods, one of Forward Fooding’s top 500 Food Tech startups.

It’s time to put a face to the name…

We asked our FoodTech 500 top-runners to give us a bit of insight into how they started out as a company and their thoughts on the role of technology in Food innovation. Meet Damien and Graeme, the power-duo behind Mr Lee’s Pure Foods, an innovative FoodTech company and producer of award-winning, premium noodles in a cup made using authentic recipes and the finest ingredients, certified gluten free, low-sugar and made with absolutely no nasties. Let’s see what the founders had to say.

So tell us a little bit more about you! Where did the idea for your FoodTech company come from?

Graeme: Every brand has its own unique story, but there must be few that start with the founder looking death in the face. No, not exactly ‘jackanory’, but that is exactly the story behind award-winning premium noodle brand Mr Lee’s! Rather than letting himself be side-lined, Damien Lee, founder and CEO of Mr Lee’s Pure Foods decided to face down his terminal cancer diagnosis and was determined to overcome it. His tenacious spirit and entrepreneurial brain saw opportunity and innovation at a time when others might have just thrown in the towel.

A few years back Damien was diagnosed with late stage four cancer and his prognosis was just weeks. Naturally, he was devastated, but knew he had to act to fight it; first and foremost a single father, Damien wanted to ensure he was around for a long time for his two young sons. Being a firm believer in ‘you are what you eat’ Damien immediately took all the nasties out of his diet. It was during this time he found he couldn’t have his favourite snack of instant noodles anymore because they were so full of salt, sugars, Es, artificial preservatives etc. He then made a pact with himself then that when he gets better, he will create noodles that don’t have nasties in. This led to Mr Lee’s Noodles being born!

Mr Lee’s use only the finest freeze-dried ingredients, real beef, generous chunks of 100% chicken breast, real broccoli florets, real cauliflower – you name it. But only the best! The noodles and their six diverse flavours are uniquely crafted from authentic Asian recipes, those that Damien grew up with as a kid back home in Australia. They have recreated exactly Damien’s vision – amazing tasting noodles with absolutely no nasties!

It is clear that Mr Lee’s brand really does care about people’s health and that’s why it is always at the forefront of their minds and activity. Mr Lee’s consistently develop and push the boundaries to achieve healthy products that also taste fantastic. The noodles are not only certified low in sugar and gluten-free across the range, but also lower in calories, saturated fats and salt than any competitors. They also cater for vegetarians and vegans, with two of the flavours (Zen Garden Vegetables and Dragon Fire Vegetables who have recently launched in Holland and Barrett) registered by the Vegan Society. A company with a true caring ethos, Mr Lee’s work closely with multiple charities and food banks and regularly donates noodles to people in need and good causes such as those affected by homelessness, cancer, HIV and many more..

How is tech central to your business?

Damien: Innovation has been integral to Mr Lee’s Pure Foods, and their award-winning smart, interactive Mr Lee’s Noodles Kiosks – vending noodle bars are located around the UK and will be launching in the USA in 2020 – convenient for people on-the-go or those that need the convenience of access to tasty, healthy food 24/7.

Why do you think it’s important to see the food industry embrace tech?

Damien and Graeme: Technology over the years has changed how we produce and find our food. Better processing and packaging of foods improves shelf life and safety of food.

Our freeze-dried ingredients are keeping most of the nutritional values of our veg and meats, making them healthier than the dehydrated ingredients many other brands use.

Sustainability is also a key element in Mr Lee’s values, taking care of the planet and not just people. We have been really pleased to achieve a business desire to be able to introduce a widely recyclable range with removable paper sleeves.

Our Noodle Vending Kiosks provide 24/7 accessibility to healthier, hot food options across the world.

 

 

Want to know more? Check out Mr Lee’s Pure Foods’ full profile here.

Congratulations again to Mr Lee’s Pure Foods for ranking 10th in the “Next-Gen Food & Drinks” category of the Foodtech 500 list.

To find out who else made it into the FoodTech 500; the top Food Tech companies in the world, click here.

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