Heidi Normanton: the Founder of HeyLO! Chose Product Over Hype

In the second part of our conversation with Heidi Normanton, the founder of HeyLO! turns her attention to growth, geography and the realities of building a modern food brand outside the usual startup blueprint.

While many emerging brands focus on visibility first, Normanton speaks instead about patience, repeat customers and product trust. Built from Leeds rather than London, HeyLO!’s growth has been shaped less by hype and more by consistency, something Normanton believes gave the business both focus and authenticity in its early years.

As the wellness and functional food space becomes increasingly crowded, HeyLO! has carved out a loyal following by remaining grounded in everyday habits rather than chasing industry noise. In this conversation, Normanton reflects on growing independently, resisting pressure to scale too quickly, and why she believes long-term loyalty matters more than appearing successful from the outside.

You built this from Leeds. How much did that shape the way you've grown? Massively. Leeds keeps you grounded. There's a practicality here. People tell you very quickly if something isn't good enough.

Did you feel you needed London to be taken seriously? You definitely see examples that make you think that's the route you're supposed to take. But I never felt I wanted to build something that looked successful before it actually was successful.

What did building outside that bubble give you? Focus. We spent more time improving the product than worrying about appearances.

You didn't go down the big funding route. Choice or circumstance? A bit of both. But I liked growing around what customers wanted rather than external expectations.

What does your customer actually come back for? Because it fits into real life. It's not about following rules — it's because they genuinely enjoy it.

Why do people talk about HeyLO!? People recommend food when they're surprised by it. They say: "I can't believe this is low-carb."

Did you ever feel like you were growing slower than you should? Of course. You look around and wonder whether everyone else has a faster route. But we kept seeing repeat purchase and loyalty, which mattered more.

How do you stop losing what people trust? By remembering why people came in the first place. The product still has to do the heavy lifting.

Was independence intentional? Yes. I wanted to build something that felt authentic and long-term.

What would've changed with early investment? We probably would've moved faster. But I think there would've been pressure to scale before we'd fully understood what customers loved.

What becomes clear throughout this conversation is that HeyLO!’s growth has been intentionally steady rather than aggressively accelerated. Normanton speaks openly about the temptation to compare timelines, particularly in a culture where fast growth is often treated as the ultimate marker of success. Yet her focus repeatedly returns to something less glamorous but arguably more valuable: trust.

There is also a quiet confidence in the way she discusses building from Leeds. Not as a disadvantage to overcome, but as something that protected the business from distraction. While other brands focused on perception, Normanton remained focused on product.

That discipline now appears central to HeyLO!’s position in the market. Because beyond the branding, the social buzz and the category growth, Normanton still sees the product itself as carrying the weight of the business. In an industry often driven by noise, that clarity may ultimately prove to be the brand’s greatest strength.