Name
Elin Roberts
Age
31
Job title
Co-founder & CEO
Company and location
Better Nature, we’re based in London, but our tempeh travels a lot further than that, from Germany to Sweden.
Education
Brasenose College, Oxford University.
Favourite food/drink
Aubergine curry from Oli’s Thai in Oxford, with coconut rice and Better Nature tempeh crumbled on top. My partner’s mum’s Masala Dosa on the side. Paired with a juicy red Rioja. Followed up by Meera Sodha’s miso brownies. All about that fermentation!
What inspired you to enter F&B?
I didn’t plan to. I’ve always loved food, but I didn’t see a career in it. I went plant-based as a teenager and spent years frustrated that the options were either uninspiring or, increasingly, ultra-processed.
When I tried tempeh properly for the first time, something clicked. Here was a food that was centuries old, genuinely nutritious, and barely anyone in the UK had heard of it. That felt like an opportunity worth pursuing.
Tell us about your role
My job is to set the direction - what we’re building, why it matters, and how we tell that story externally - and then make sure we have the right people and partners to make it happen.
I spend a lot of my time thinking about where the protein category is going, how we stay ahead of it, and how we keep bringing new people to tempeh who’d never have considered it before. I also try to bring joy along the way - it can be a relentless journey!
What does a typical day look like?
There’s no such thing as a typical day, which is both the best and worst thing about this job. There are some common themes though. I like to have all my meetings in the morning when I have the most energy, as I’m slightly introverted so it helps me to engage effectively. These can be internal catch ups, meetings with retailers, meeting with investors, catch ups with other founders - they’re nice and varied.
As much as I can, I protect afternoons (and all day on Wednesdays) for deep work, so I can work on the business and not just in it. That’s my favourite kind of work! I usually have a networking event once a week, which I’m very selective about as evening time is precious, but I love meeting other founders and industry peers - it gives me the encouragement and support I need.
How did you get to where you are today?
Through endless mistakes and learnings! It really is true, you only grow through failing. 2020 Elin wouldn’t be able to believe what 2026 Elin is doing. But she got there the hard way, feeling the fear and doing it anyway. This has led me to make some decisions I’m genuinely proud of too, including repositioning Better Nature away from vegan messaging before it became obvious that was the right call and making a tough but necessary decision to restructure the business last year.
A lot of it comes down to staying close to the consumer, staying honest about what’s working, and not being too precious about changing course.
When you’re having a bad day, what cheers you up?
People. I feel very lucky to be surrounded by incredible people, in and out of Better Nature. Whenever I need a pick me up, a good chat and a laugh with one of them makes all the difference.
I also love going to fitness classes or a trip to the steam room, jacuzzi and ice bath at my gym - they seem to dissolve all my stress away. A great book, song, TV show, film or podcast are a great boost too. Lots to choose from.
What’s your favourite part about the food sector?
The tangibility of it. We all eat. Most of us go to the supermarket. Many of us cook. Lots of us like to talk about food. Knowing you’re becoming part of that sacred routine for someone never gets old. I also love that food sits at the intersection of health, culture, sustainability, and pleasure, which is a fascinating mix. And it seems to attract the most passionate, kind people - I’ve made some friends for life.
If you could change one thing about the F&B sector, what would it be?
The obsession with novelty over nutrition. The industry has a habit of chasing trends, the next ‘superfood’ or flavour, rather than backing genuinely better food for the long term.
Tempeh has been around for centuries. It doesn’t need reinventing. It just needs to be made more accessible. I’d love to see the sector reward depth over hype more consistently.
What’s next for you/what’s the dream?
I want to see Better Nature continue to encourage people to choose tempeh, a supercharged protein, over chicken, a so-so protein. The ultimate dream is for tempeh to be seen as a protein staple across the world.
