For this edition of Coffee Unfiltered with Siren Grounds, we sit down with Hollie Russell, founder of The Tuck Company, to explore the journey behind building a purpose-led snack brand designed for modern families. What began as a personal frustration with the lack of genuinely healthy lunchbox options has evolved into a fast-growing brand focused on real ingredients, clean labels, and snacks kids actually enjoy.
In this conversation, Hollie shares the realities of entering the FMCG space without a traditional background—from learning the fundamentals of manufacturing and margins to building a brand rooted in trust, nutrition, and convenience. She reflects on balancing growth with integrity, the importance of mission-led decision-making, and why changing the standard of children’s snacking is at the heart of everything she’s building.
Can you introduce yourself and share the journey that led you to where you are today?
I am Hollie Russell, founder of The Tuck Company, and we are on a mission to make school snacks as real as our kids. I have two children, Will is 8, and Theodora is 5. Two years ago, my then 6-year-old turned around and refused to take a well-known baby and toddler brand to school for his snack, as he said it was “for babies”, and it got me thinking, what comes next after baby and toddler snacks? After a lot of research, The Tuck Company was born.
What were the pivotal stages in building your brand within the food, drink, or FMCG landscape?
I do not come from an FMCG background and have never worked within nutrition, so it was a whole new world to me. I had a lot of learning to do and surrounded myself with people who knew what they were doing. The pivotal stages were: validating the concept; outsourcing expertise through nutritionist-led R&D; securing a manufacturing partner capable of growth; and finally, iterative launching – using a D2C website to refine the brand before pushing into the high-stakes world of retail and food service!
What defining moment shaped your approach to business or leadership?
I grew up in a family of absolute grafters. Seeing my mum and dad work so incredibly hard showed me early on the power of channeling your energy into something and actually seeing the rewards. That work ethic sticks with you. My approach to leadership was really shaped by a blend of that upbringing and the amazing managers I had during my marketing career, many of whom I’m still close with today. The big rule for me is to treat people exactly how you want to be treated. As I look at what we’ve built at The Tuck Company, I know we wouldn’t be here without the power of a strong network. Whether it was finding the team behind our branding, joining the Young Foodies (YF) community, or simply having a sounding board to weather the challenges, I’ve learned that business is a team sport. I’m incredibly grateful for that support.
Was there a particular commercial challenge, retail breakthrough, or operational lesson that shifted your trajectory?
We approached the development of The Tuck Company from the ingredients up. We wanted to build a really great snack for kids that was as close to homemade as possible and with the best ingredients we could. We have gluten-free jumbo oats, dates, extra virgin olive oil, pumpkin seeds, sunflower seeds (1 flavour doesn’t but the other 2 do!), and when we realised the product could be that strong and be commercially viable for D2C, Retail and Foodservice, we knew we could make it work!
The FMCG space is highly competitive and margin-sensitive. How do you approach growth — commercially and personally?
I don’t think I’ve ever experienced an industry quite like this. Whenever I speak to pre-launch founders now, my first piece of advice is always: ‘Make sure you have a mission.’ This space is so relentlessly competitive that if you don’t have a ‘why’ beyond just selling a product, you won’t survive the tough days. But a mission only gets you so far; you have to build a sustainable business. It’s easy to get caught up in the excitement of launching and ignore the cold realities of margins, but you have to face them early. I’ve been fortunate to have investors who provide incredible commercial support, helping us ensure our growth plan is actually viable long-term.
Personally, my approach to growth is rooted in vulnerability. I’m the first to admit I don’t have all the answers. While my background in marketing and operations was helpful, FMCG is its own beast. I’ve learned to accept all the help offered, stay curious, and to try to pay it forward to other founders whenever I can.
How do you balance brand positioning, scale, distribution, and profitability?
For us, we won’t have a business at all if we don’t reach profitability, so the numbers are at the heart of The Tuck Company. We treat them as the foundation that allows us to keep growing.
Our strategy is led by our positioning. We want to be the ‘Big Kids’ answer to real snacking, creating something that is genuinely tasty but also fuels their days of adventures. That clear identity is what opens doors for distribution; when retailers see a brand that actually resonates with that parent pain point and is solving it with a quality product and a clear mission. From there, scale follows naturally. By staying disciplined on the margins while we expand our footprint, we ensure that every new listing isn’t just growth for the sake of it, but a step toward a sustainable, profitable future.
What does building with intention mean to you in a category driven by volume and velocity?
In a category traditionally driven by volume and velocity, building with intention means creating something that genuinely serves the consumer better. Today’s consumers are looking for more; they want to connect with a brand’s ‘why’ before deciding it deserves a spot in their basket – especially given the current cost-of-living challenges. The data supports this shift. Young Foodies (YF) recently shared that 16% of the UK shopping basket is now made up of challenger brands. These start-ups succeed because they are agile enough to respond to real human needs and solve specific pain points.
The Tuck Company was born out of that exact frustration. As parents, we wean our babies so carefully, only to find that once they graduate from toddler snacks, the mainstream options are suddenly filled with additives, preservatives, and ‘filler’ ingredients. That shouldn’t be what fuels our children. We built with the intention of providing a clean-label alternative packed with ‘ingredient powerhouses’ – offering busy parents a convenient option that is as close to homemade as possible.
How do you maintain quality, brand integrity, and customer trust as you scale?
Maintaining integrity as we scale comes down to a set of core values that we simply won’t deviate from. At the heart of The Tuck Company is a mum’s mission: I started this to create snacks for my own children that were nutritious and UPF-free and could be shared with everyone. That ‘homemade’ standard is our North Star. The movement is happening with parents, and there is a lot more scrutiny on back of pack. As we grow, we protect that trust by staying obsessed with clean-label ingredients. Scaling volume can often tempt a brand to look for cheaper fillers or additives to pad margins, but for us, that’s a non-starter. We believe that customer trust is earned in the ingredients list; if I wouldn’t put it in my own kids’ lunchboxes, it doesn’t go into our production line. By keeping our ‘why’ at the center of every supply chain decision, we ensure that as the business gets bigger, the quality stays exactly where it started.
Resilience is critical in this sector — from supply chain pressures to retailer negotiations. What have been your most valuable lessons in navigating uncertainty?
Early in my journey, another founder told me of his wife, who started the business, “If my wife knew then what she knows now, she never would have started.” At the time, I thought it was a touch negative but after launching our first line last year, I fully understand! In FMCG, the potential points of failure are so constant that everyone has a “war story”. You simply cannot over-prepare for the resilience required. When things get tough, I am powered by our mission. Walking away isn’t an option because I believe snacks should be as real as our kids. It’s that conviction that turns “how will I get through this?” into “just keep going”.
How do you balance ambition with wellbeing in an industry that rarely slows down?
As a mum, you’re naturally attuned to juggling competing priorities and finding creative ways to carve out space for wellbeing. Honestly, The Tuck Company genuinely feels like another child in our family! I love the work, and I love raising my family, so for me, balance isn’t about a perfect 50/50 split every day—it’s about being intentional with my time.
I’ve realised that both business and parenting go through phases. Right now, I’m in a phase where I need to give more of myself to The Tuck Company, which sometimes means missing out on certain things. I accept that because I really want to make a success of The Tuck Company and get it into as many kids’ lunchboxes as possible! To sustain that energy, I’ve learned to protect the small windows I do get. For example, this weekend I’m heading away for a night with school friends, which I am so excited for.
What systems or boundaries have become non-negotiable?
My working day is based around the school run; those drop-offs and pick-ups are my non-negotiable boundaries. With a brilliant support network of family, friends, and a husband who steps in so I can ‘clock back in’ during the evenings, this juggle is the only way the engine keeps running! I get up around 6:30 am and fit in some work around getting the kids ready, and then work from 9-3, and then take 3-6 with the kids before clocking back in when my husband gets home.
What does legacy look like in your work?
For me, legacy is about what I leave behind for my children – both in the lessons I teach them and the brand I build for their generation. I bring my kids along on the journey with me as much as possible, last week my eldest joined me for sample drops at four different locations, and he absolutely loved it. I want them to see firsthand what it looks like to be a ‘grafter.’ I want them to know that while we always want the best for them, you have to get out there and make things happen for yourself. Ultimately, the professional legacy I’m building is to turn The Tuck Company into a household name – a brand that is synonymous with clean, healthy snacking. I want to look back and know that we didn’t just build a business, but we changed the standard for what fuels the next generation.
Are you building for acquisition, long-term category disruption, cultural impact, or generational value?
For us, the mission is firmly rooted in long-term category disruption. We’re building The Tuck Company because we believe that snacks for older kids deserve the same level of scrutiny and nutritional integrity as those for babies and toddlers. There is currently a ‘nutritional drop-off’ as kids grow up, and we are here to close that gap.
I’m proud to be part of the Kids’ Food & Drink Collective, where we are collectively on a mission to raise the bar for children’s nutrition across the UK and beyond. Our focus is on building a brand with such a strong cultural impact and consumer trust that it resets the standard for the entire aisle. By staying obsessed with that impact and scaling our distribution, we’re creating a business with the kind of fundamental value that naturally opens doors for the future – but our day-to-day energy is entirely focused on being the ‘Big Kids’ snack that parents have been waiting for.
What advice would you give to women building their next chapter in food, drink, or FMCG?
My advice would be “surround yourself with people who know more than you”. Whether you are navigating funding, manufacturing, or scaling, your network is your greatest asset. When raising capital, start by networking with friends and family – not necessarily for their investment, but for their connections. Rachel Kettlewell of Fearne & Rosie spoke at an event I attended and said so many people say “raise from friends and family” when it’s not always possible. For me, you might not find the funds in your immediate circle, but “people know people”. Share your mission, get them excited, and let them become your advocates; they will open doors with their own network, and it grows. The same applies to manufacturing and scaling. Seek out introductions to those who have already successfully walked the path. Find mentors and peers who believe in what you’re doing and are willing to help – whether for a fee or even for ‘payment in product’. Don’t be afraid to ask; most people are just waiting for a mission worth supporting.