BUSINESS
BUSINESS PROFILE :
BARE BIOLOGY
Founded in 2013 by Melanie Lawson , Bare Biology offers a range of Omega 3 supplements for the whole family . Bare Biology is the first UK brand certified by the International Fish Oil Standards programme and it holds a five-star purity and quality rating - a guarantee the products are free from heavy metals , mercury , PCBs and other nasties . Since its launch , the company has gone from strength to strength ; chosen as one of the ‘ Sussex Women of the Year ’ last year , Melanie was also recently awarded ‘ Entrepreneur of the Moment ’. Polly Humphris had a chat with her to find out more .
Hi Melanie . What inspired you to develop Bare Biology ? After a career in advertising , I moved to Brighton with my husband to raise our family . Following the birth of my son , I suffered post-natal depression and started looking into ways of helping my symptoms . I ’ d heard fish oil could help so I went on a quest to buy the most effective Omega 3 supplement I could find . I came across a high-strength one online from Canada and within a few months of taking it I felt happier . This made me realise that good nutrition really can have a huge effect on health . It wasn ’ t until several years later and another baby that I decided to start a business . I ended up launching Bare Biology three years ago and I haven ’ t looked back since .
What was your first product and how did you go about getting it produced ? My aim was to create an Omega 3 supplement strong enough to work , fresh enough to taste good , in a form we can absorb , and with clear proof of being 100 per cent pure . Omega 3 is the most clinically proven nutrient with over 14,000 studies to date , so my goal was to find the best fish oil in the world and put it in a bottle .
After a year of researching , I found my manufacturer in Norway . They agreed to sell me one barrel , the minimum I could buy . I flew to their factory in Norway and tinkered with the oil , adding lemon to balance the taste , then had it distilled into 1,300 bottles and shipped to my house in August 2013 . Our first product , Lion Heart , was born out of this process ; followed by Super Hero , specifically designed for children , and , more recently , Bump & Glory which is suitable during all stages of preconception , pregnancy and breastfeeding .
What makes your Lion Heart supplements stand out from others on the market ? Our fish oils are the best quality available bar none because we have the highest concentrations of Omega 3 , zero heavy metals or toxins , super low oxidation ( which means they taste good and don ’ t repeat on you like many brands ) and per gram of Omega 3 , we ’ re the best value on the market . We ’ re the first British Omega 3 brand to put each and every batch through independent tests with a programme called IFOS ( International Fish Oil Standards ) and each time our products are given the highest possible rating ; a guarantee to our customers that our products are what we say they are .
How closely do you work with your fisheries and manufacturers ? Why ? We make our fish oil in Norway , then do the flavouring , bottling and encapsulating in the UK , and we ’ ve used the same suppliers for all aspects of our production since day one . I need to know the people I work with ; it ’ s important to have a human connection when you care so much about the end product . I even stand and watch every batch of our liquid being bottled ; I don ’ t leave it to chance . Together we ’ re responsible for all the batches we produce and our consistently high quality is the collective effort of everyone involved in the production process . Building strong relationships with everyone involved in Bare Biology is key to our success and is also a hugely enjoyable part of the job .
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