Hero Group has acquired The Gut Stuff - which offers a range of snacking bars and drinks designed to be good for your gut - for an undisclosed sum.
The business was founded by Scottish sister duo, Lisa and Alana MacFarlane - well known to British audiences through the six-part Channel 4 series 'Know Your Sh!t’, as well as their DJ and broadcast work with Virgin Radio and BBC Radio 1Xtra.
Beyond broadcast media, the sisters have expanded the brand through a dedicated Gut Stuff app, a podcast, a gut health-focused cookbook, and a growing portfolio of high-fibre snack bars and beverages.
“The acquisition of The Gut Stuff is a fantastic opportunity for us to grow as a Group and enter a small but fast-growing trend in better-for-you snacking around gut health and fibre,” said Christian Schierbaum, CEO of Hero Group.
Hero is owned by a branch of the Oetker family - best known for the Dr. Oetker brand- and has been steadily building out its wellness-focused portfolio. In 2024, the group notably acquired Ella Mills’ plant-based food brand Deliciously Ella.
With the addition of The Gut Stuff, Hero continues to build scale in functional and health-led snacking. The group confirmed that the MacFarlane sisters will remain at the helm of the brand, leading its next phase of growth, and that all existing employees will retain their roles.
“This is the perfect combination of a brand with strong positioning and a genuine connection to consumers, coupled with Hero’s experience and know-how in developing high-quality snacks,” said Mita Sen, chief strategy officer at Hero Group.
“Bringing those capabilities together will result in faster growth and greater impact with customers and consumers.”
Commenting on the deal, the MacFarlane sisters said the partnership marked a milestone moment for the business.
“As founders, during the tough early days, you always dream of finding a home for what you’ve built.
“As soon as we met the team at Hero, we knew it was the place. Being within Hero gives us the engine and resources to move at breakneck speed and deliver on all our ambitions for the company.”
