Pictured: Alan and Juliet Barratt, Directors of Grenade (UK) Ltd

A husband and wife team from Solihull are behind a new weight management product that is blitzing markets world wide with help from UK Trade & Investment (UKTI).

Alan and Juliet Barratt claim their "Grenade Thermo Detonator", combined with a high-protein, calorie controlled diet and exercise routine, "declares war on fat."  

The pair, who set up Grenade UK Ltd (based at Radway Industrial Estate) in August 2009, launched Grenade in the UK in February last year, but already, they are selling their sports nutrition product globally. Closer to home, Grenade is now the UK's best selling "fatburner" and one of the country's most popular sports nutrition brands. 

Only 18 months after setting up, Grenade has distributors in France, Germany, Austria, the Republic of Ireland, the Netherlands, Spain, Portugal, Italy, the Czech Republic, Scandinavia, Bulgaria and Poland. Outside Europe, the company distributes to North America and through Sportika Export - to over 100 other countries including Iran, Iraq UAE, Qatar, South Africa, Egypt and India. 

Grenade's sales have more than doubled between their first and second years. Exports account for more than 30% of the current sales and this figure is rising. The company anticipates that by the end of its third year, exports will be 50 per cent of turnover. 

One factor in the company's success is Grenade's distinctive military themed branding. As Juliet says,

"We put a lot of effort into our unique branding and we like to be creative. For example, at the first exhibition we attended - a UK fitness show in Birmingham - instead of the usual booth,  we took a risk and used a genuine, 55 tonne military tank - which along with all our "Grenade" branding, made a  huge impact*. As a result we got lots of interest, including from the major American sports nutrition retailer GNC, which really helped us get off to a flying start. We are now one of the first ever UK sports supplement companies to launch in the US. But although the packaging is eye catching, the real key to our success is that our product really works.  The combination of ingredients has been clinically researched and has proven fat burning properties. Although the packaging might grab people's attention initially, the product has to work for people to buy it again." 

The company turned to UKTI for advice early on. Juliet says:

"UKTI has provided financial support for us to attend a trade show in Germany where we won substantial orders, as well for a trip to the US. The US visit was crucial as it helped us to secure a deal with Universal Nutrition which now manufactures and distributes our product. We also secured a deal with US based Sportika Export which distributes Grenade globally."

Juliet continues: 

"The support and information on exporting provided by UKTI has been invaluable. For new exporters like us, this has been more important than the financial assistance we've had. For example, I attended a one day Introduction to Passport to Export course, which covered areas such as logistics, intellectual property and markets and gave me the opportunity to meet with other companies starting to export. 

"Our International Trade Adviser, Jane Matty has been great. She has not only been able to provide information on training; funding and other opportunities, but has always known who to direct us to for other crucial advice. As a result, a small company like us, has been able to make a 'dent' in the sports nutrition sector globally. Usually, it's US sports nutrition products that come to the UK, so it's great to be one of the first UK brands in that sector to take their product to the US!" 

The growth of the business means Juliet and Alan are looking to employ one or two members of staff by the end of the year.

Before launching Grenade, Juliet and Alan ran a business distributing sports nutrition products mainly to local customers in the West Midlands. A chance encounter inspired them to look at creating their own sports nutrition formula. Alan takes up the story: 

"One day, I bumped into a Royal Marine friend who told me he wanted to lose some body fat and improve fitness as he was attempting selection for the SAS. Later, I talked about it with Juliet and we decided to look into how we could help. After months of research and testing we came up with a combination of ingredients that delivered the following results: suppressed appetite; metabolized body fat; controlled sustained energy release; increased alertness and focus with no jitters, cravings or crash."

Alan continues: 

"Our friend tried the formula and was the only man out of a selection of more than 200 applicants to successfully complete the arduous four week course. After he called to thank us, he told us the formula was so effective that he had friends in the military who also wanted to try this amazing product….they'd nicknamed it 'Grenade' and the name stuck!"

Jane Matty, UKTI International Trade Adviser based at Birmingham and Solihull Chamber of Commerce, says:

"Juliet and Alan are a dedicated and hard working team who have made Grenade the success it is today. They have established the company in the UK, and crucially in the US and European markets in a remarkably short time.  I look forward to working with Grenade to help them develop their offer in the future."

Grenade is currently developing a new product which it hopes to launch in the next six months.