Every year, The Sunday Times ranks the UK’s fastest-growing private companies with revenues of less than £250 million. This year, the list is filled with health and wellness brands offering supplements, sports recovery products, activewear and meal delivery services.
Ancient + Brave, a Sussex-based supplement brand, ranked seventh overall, making it the fastest growing supplement brand in the UK. In 2025, its sales figures reached £53.7 million, growing by 248% compared to the previous year.
Founded by Kate Prince, the company describes itself as a women’s health brand that is ‘rooted in ancient wisdom and validated by science’, offering collagen blends, mushroom tinctures and other functional supplements.
Dr. Macciochi said the company’s growth, and interest in supplements in general, can be attributed to consumers taking a more proactive role in supporting their wellbeing, with many increasingly looking for tools that help them stay healthier for longer rather than simply addressing problems once they arise.
“The growth of the supplement category reflects increasing public interest in supporting nutritional and personalized approaches to wellbeing,” she told NutraIngredients. “Consumers have access to more health information than ever before and are becoming more engaged in decisions about their health.”
Hydration and women’s health as key consumer interests
This year, Gary Lineker’s media production company Goalhanger ranked first on The Times 100 list, raking in £37.9 million in sales and growing at an annual rate of 321%. Top spots were also earned by board game business Lucky Egg, legal claims services firm TGG and content creator services company Viewture.
Alongside Ancient + Brave, several supplement brands made it onto the list, including women’s health brand Free Soul (#10), functional gummy brand Novomins (#27) and hydration and electrolyte brand Vidrate (#28). Sweet Bee Organics, Phizz, Trip and Hunter & Gather are also listed.
Interestingly, the three top-performing supplement brands all have a connection to women’s health. Free Soul describes itself as ‘the home of women’s wellbeing’, while Novomins offers a wide range of gummy supplements specifically designed for women.
Dr. Macciochi said women’s health is a growing category, which has achieved increasing attention as consumers have become more interested in supporting how they feel, function and age over the long term.
“One of the most important shifts we’ve seen is consumers moving away from quick fixes and toward a more holistic view of health and longevity,” she said. “We’ve seen growing interest in areas such as healthy aging, metabolic health, cognitive performance, gut health, women’s health and resilience to modern stressors. There is also a growing appreciation that things like skin, energy, sleep and other health goals are interconnected rather than separate.”
Hydration also appears to be a key trend, with both Vidrate and Phizz solely offering hydration products. Free Soul, Ancient + Brave, Novomins, Trip and Hunter & Gather also all offer electrolyte products.
The industry opportunity
With the UK supplement market estimated to grow at a Compound Annual Growth Rate (CAGR) of 8.1% between now and 2033, according to Grand View Research, Dr. Macciochi said the industry has an opportunity to redefine value creation around trust.
“The supplement market is crowded, but trust remains surprisingly scarce,” she said. “As the category expands, consumer expectations are rising. People want greater transparency, better evidence and higher standards from the brands they choose to trust.
“For the industry, this presents a significant opportunity. The brands that will thrive over the next decade are likely to be those that invest not only in innovation, but also in credibility, education and trust. The future of the category will be shaped not just by new ingredients, but by higher standards of evidence and transparency.”