“Only Waitrose was standing by us.”

Rude Health, an organic food brand co-founded by Camila Brench, was born in 2005 as Blench on Kitchen Table. The brand’s signature non-dairy milking played a key role in making “oat flat white” an ubiquitous coffee shop staple.

Rude Health survived the 2008 financial crash, the ouster of neighbors who co-founded a business with Camilla and Nick, and the influx of competition. In 2024, Rude Health generated more than £20 million in total revenue, selling it in the UK and Scandinavian countries.

Its success attracted attention from the Finnish brand that acquired the company for a private amount last year. He says that the sale of Blench’s 27% stake was “completely financially transformative.” She remains a part-time consultant for the brand.

What inspired you to start your own food business?

I grew up in a rather idyllic food culture. My mother cooked everything and we ate all the time around the table. There was never a feeling that the food was “good” or “bad” – it was just food. Only when I left home I discovered a connection to people’s diet.

I wanted to make something that looked delicious, appealing and had quality ingredients without making it about weight loss. In 2005, when it comes to cereals and snacks, I had to choose between taste and healthy. The same was true for plant-based milk. They tasted badly, were rough and gritty, and had ingredients that were intestinal irritants.

Rude Health started out as a side hustle on what we do in the evenings and weekends. We didn’t have a solid business plan and I didn’t have a business background – we just started research. When we started, the kids were 2 months and 6 months. I said, “Why not? How tired are you?” It was really a mixed chaos. So I was often drawn with the “manprena” label. But I found it to be very insulting. “Can’t mom work like a normal person?”

What was your first big break?

Our first client was La Fromagerie at Marylebone, selling Muesli. Mix the products at an organic cafe on Kings Road, then drive to Louisiana founder Patricia Michaelson.

We’re lucky too. Because Museli had Goji berries, just like it became a superfood trend. So we started selling berries individually for a while, but eventually generated a large amount of cash.

After that, things started picking up. By around 2008 it had generated £1 million in total revenue and distributed it to various health food stores and Delis at Delis. So we raised £150,000 friends and family. We also reclaimed our home. The funds meant that they could change from paper bags to appropriate packaging, hire and enter the supermarket.

The Lehman brothers then collapsed. Overnight everything changed. Only Waitrose was stuck on us, but it was huge. But the next few years were absolute slows. We were trying to sell premium products when everything everyone wanted was a cheaper option. Every time the phone rings, “Don’t delist it!”

What business lessons stand out from you?

One major lesson was about the focus. In 2013, they fired plant milk along with a big brand. They really took off. However, we continued to launch other products, kombucha and rice cakes. In hindsight, I had to focus on owning the milk sector. We were busy doing other things and barely noticed the competition was coming.

The other big lessons were about recruitment. We brought someone from a big company with us because there were times when sales, marketing, and business operations required skills that we didn’t have. But what we didn’t understand was that the skills required in small businesses are fundamentally different. People at large corporations often don’t make their own decisions, but literally in the small companies you do. Some people can run incredible spreadsheets to make predictions, but they can’t work effectively if everything is practical. There were some real bloopers.

How did you run a business with your then husband?

Honestly, it was the best for us. We had very different skills and personalities that make it work. He was a drive – we wouldn’t have experienced that 2008-10 period without his determination and confidence while I was dealing with the brand. It was a good combination – he pushed, I held him and asked, “Who is this for? What do they want?”

But it was all mixed up so it was tough. We’re going to be talking about business at our anniversary dinner. In hindsight, I can look at the relationship and say that it’s always something to do. There was no “existence” there. We were very functional business partners.

It was very intense, especially in the early days when the children were young, there was not much energy left for relationships or ourselves. After they grew and the business was essentially running through itself, we sat down and asked, “What’s left?” I began to wonder, “Where am I in this?” That was the beginning of the end of the marriage.

After that, we began to think about how to hand over the business. At that time, each had a 27% stake. It felt right because that was the end of it all. Nick and I created a company together.

I was also personally ready to let go. When you are in a bigger business, you will be a PowerPoint hostage. I always preferred the early brand bits.

How did you manage your handover?

We hired a great CEO, Tim Smith, in late 2021. This was really step one. Soon afterwards, something oddly good appeared as potential acquirers. I wanted someone to get the brand and take care of it. I didn’t want it to disappear or be misunderstood.

I can’t control what happens after sale, but so far it’s been very good. They are complementary – they are getting stronger in the Nordic region with yogurt alternatives, but we are getting stronger in the Milks category and the UK.

What was your most difficult financial decision?

One of the most painful experiences was our former co-founder. We started a business with our neighbors. It was like marrying someone you didn’t know. About two years later it became clear that it wasn’t working. There was a decision-making point – will we let go of the business or take it?

The whole situation was disastrous – like a business divorce. I removed them as director. We each gave the original four-way split, a designer who gave us 1% stake from Buck Nick and me. It gave us a majority. They (the neighbors) did very well financially when they finally sold their shares a few years later, but they felt like we had stole the business from them. I’ve always found it to be really difficult.

If I do that again I will be very careful about who I worked with. I ensure that I have super positive communication about my goals and how much time we spend on each one.

How has your relationship with money evolved through your business journey?

I’m not very financially driven. I like freedom. For me, the idea of ​​not having a mortgage was always free. That was really my drive.

So we paid a mortgage and partial payment in 2019 when PepsiCo acquired a share in Rude Health. That became my pension. Before that, we just had a company pension. It really made me realize that I don’t have to do anything I don’t want to. It’s a success for me. That’s not something I need to buy or buy.

The main acquisitions for oddly good things were totally financially transformative. You don’t need to work again. With this large open space, I’m excited to get this new chapter in my 50s. The freedom to choose how I spend my time is the best.

How do you approach finances with your children?

I think it’s really important for them to create their own way. They have their own drive and need to find out what it’s like to live without money.

My son still lives with us and I’m not charging rent as he started working a few months ago. But he’s saving, but I didn’t expect it! Also, I paid the university fees in advance, so I don’t have any major debts because I didn’t have any debts myself. But otherwise I don’t think it’s not healthy to support them too much financially.

As for inheritance, I set my own will so that they don’t get everything until they’re a little older. By then they will know what it’s like to have to work hard.