The Smarter Food Company

What The Smarter Food Company does

The Smarter Food Company, operating commercially as BrocStar (previously Smarter Naturally), is a Norwich-based direct-to-consumer functional food company founded in 2019. It commercializes a patented super-broccoli variety developed over 40 years of research, delivering up to 5x more glucoraphanin than conventional broccoli as a source of sulforaphane for metabolic health. Its product line consists of two SKUs: BrocStar SuperSoup, a ready-to-prepare soup positioned for once-weekly consumption, and BrocAffexGRextra Powder, a flexible-dose raw powder supplement.

The company sells exclusively through its own e-commerce storefront (broc-star.com) using a direct-to-consumer model with both subscription (monthly recurring deliveries, loyalty bonuses, weekly reminders) and one-time purchase options. It targets three primary personas: athletes and active individuals seeking performance and recovery support, health-conscious consumers focused on longevity and preventive health, and individuals with specific metabolic health conditions (blood sugar, cholesterol, weight, cancer risk). Marketing is multi-channel, combining content marketing, earned media (featured in The Times, Telegraph, Guardian, BBC), organic social (Instagram, Facebook, TikTok), email, and a referral program.

The business has raised approximately $535,409 to date, with the last disclosed round in November 2021 via Crowdcube and Future Planet Capital, alongside earlier backing from Future Planet Capital. It maintains institutional research relationships with UKRI, BBSRC, and Norwich Research Park. Health claims are substantiated by 7 clinical trials (3 ongoing) and 8,000+ published scientific papers. The company ships internationally, including to the United States where customers bear tariff costs.

Name

The Smarter Food Company

Legal name

The Smarter Food Company

Website

https://smarternaturally.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

The Smarter Food Company, trading as BrocStar, is a Norwich-based DTC functional food company selling a patented super-broccoli ingredient (up to 5x more glucoraphanin) as SuperSoup and powder supplements targeting athletes, health-conscious consumers, and individuals with metabolic health conditions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Functional Foods

NAICS

Fruit and Vegetable Preserving and Specialty Food Manufacturing (3114), Other Specialty Food Retailers (44529)

SIC

Miscellaneous Food Preparations & Kindred Products (2090)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty & Functional Packaged Foods (Gluten-Free, Keto, Organic, Medical/Allergen-Friendly) (CRADAAAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Natural/Organic Bulk & Supplement Grocers (CRAHAMAF), Health Food & Supplement Stores (CRAHAEAC)

Keywords

• Functional foods
• Dietary supplements
• Metabolic health
• Plant nutrition
• Super broccoli

Headquarters

HQ city

Norwich

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Personnel, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Direct Product Sales: Direct-to-consumer sales of super-broccoli-based health products (SuperSoup and BrocAffex powder) through e-commerce platform with subscription model offering recurring deliveries, weekly reminders, and loyalty bonuses. One-time purchase also available.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Smarter Food Company manufactures and sells direct-to-consumer functional food products built on a patented super-broccoli ingredient delivering up to 5x more glucoraphanin than conventional broccoli. Its core product line consists of BrocStar SuperSoup (a once-weekly prepared soup) and BrocAffexGRextra Powder (a raw super-broccoli supplement powder), sold through its own e-commerce site with one-time purchase and monthly subscription options targeting metabolic health.

Product overview

The Smarter Food Company, operating as BrocStar, offers a unified product portfolio built around its patented super-broccoli ingredient. The core offering consists of two products: BrocStar SuperSoup (a ready-to-prepare soup requiring only boiling water) and BrocAffexGRextra Powder (a supplement powder for flexible dosing). Both products deliver approximately 5x more glucoraphanin than conventional broccoli, providing a powerful source of sulforaphane for metabolic health support. The company positions once-weekly consumption as the recommended regimen for optimal health benefits.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BrocStar SuperSoup

Quantifiable outcome

• Contains up to 5x more glucoraphanin than conventional broccoli
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• UK Research and Innovation (UKRI)minorOthersUKRI is shown as a partner/collaborator on the BrocStar website, indicating some form of research funding or institutional endorsement for the super-broccoli research and development.
• Biotechnology and Biological Sciences Research Council (BBSRC)minorOthersBBSRC appears as a partner on the website, suggesting research collaboration or funding support for the scientific development of the super-broccoli ingredient.
• Norwich Research ParkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNorwich Research Park is mentioned as a partner, indicating a research institution collaboration for the development of the super-broccoli products.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ka'Chava: Plant-based superfood meal-replacement powder sold D2C via subscription. Comparable as a branded superfood/functional-food powder targeting wellness and performance consumers.
• Huel: UK-based D2C functional food brand offering meal-replacement powders and ready-to-drink products via subscription. Highly comparable as a UK D2C subscription CPG brand in the functional/nutritional food category, though Huel spans broader meal formats rather than a single patented ingredient.
• AG1 (Athletic Greens): D2C greens/nutrition powder sold on subscription with health-optimization positioning. Comparable as a daily/regular-dose functional supplement powder targeting health-conscious and performance-oriented consumers via e-commerce.
• Daily Harvest: D2C subscription brand delivering functional, ingredient-led frozen foods and meals. Comparable as a D2C subscription CPG brand built around functional/health-forward ingredient positioning.
• Soupologie: UK-based chilled soup and functional soup brand. Comparable as a UK-focused functional soup brand, though without a patented single-ingredient platform or clinical-trial-backed claims.
• Bulletproof 360: D2C functional food, coffee, and supplements positioned around performance and metabolic health. Comparable as a science-led D2C brand targeting metabolic, cognitive, and performance benefits via branded functional foods.
• Your Super: D2C superfood and plant-based nutrition powders/superfood mixes sold via subscription. Comparable as a science-marketed, ingredient-led functional food brand targeting health-conscious consumers.

Regional players

• Plenish: UK-based plant-based functional drinks and foods. Comparable as a UK functional-food brand, though primarily a drinks-led play rather than a single patented ingredient platform.

Broad incumbents

• Holland & Barrett: UK-based health-food and supplement retailer with broad assortment across vitamins, supplements, and functional foods. Comparable as the dominant UK retail channel for the same end consumer; useful as a potential distribution partner rather than a direct competitor.

Others

• Future Planet Capital portfolio companies (e.g., UK functional-food peers): Shared investor with BrocStar and a notable UK impact investor in agri-food and health-tech. Useful as a comparable-investor reference and signal of comparable UK functional/agri-food ventures, though not a single comparable company.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SmarterNaturally
• Instagraminstagram.com/broc.star_
• TikToktiktok.com/@broc.star
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-smarter-food-company

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds2 records

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about The Smarter Food Company