‘We are pioneers in what a good plant-based diet looks like today’
EMPTY! Launched its landmark plant-based range at Tesco in autumn 2025.
Less than ten years have passed since the co-founders of British plant-based company BOSH! Within a week of posting her first recipe video, she had 3.5 million views on Facebook.
In 2016, when the childhood friends were working out of a studio in the apartment they also shared, their first light sets consisted of fluorescent tube lights combined with microphones that, compared to today’s LED options, are now outdated.
“We have gone through several technology cycles over the course of this business,” says Henry Firth.
Considering the 10-year milestone of their first video success, can the duo be nostalgic about where they took their business after a £20,000 loan?
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“We are very busy,” says Firth. “We are in the thick of it,” adds business partner Ian Theasby.
“We both have young children, we are growing up, and we have a small, strong team in a growing business,” says Firth. “The nostalgia will come when we finally go on vacation in 6 to 12 months.”
BOSH for now! The founders have sold 1.3 million cookbooks, including six Sunday Times bestsellers, have millions of social media followers and have generated more than 4 billion video views across platforms.
Today, the bootstrap business is “in clear sight” with eight-figure revenues, with participation from “ethically compliant” angel investors.
Henry Firth (left) and Ian Theasby are considered the UK’s most successful plant-based authors.
The pair, who grew up in Sheffield, became flatmates in London before turning vegan in 2015 after watching environmental documentary Cowspiracy.
Theasby worked in marketing and sales for seven years in the fashion industry; Firth’s career in technology has seen him release apps and websites for major retailers.
At the time, the food scene had a carnivorous bent to popular short-form video on social media, and Theasby and Firth sought to bring plant-based food into the mainstream online.
“People need to know how to cook well, so let’s teach them, make videos and engage with the audience,” Firth recalls of the first salvo of side hustles.
“And going forward we will turn this into a business and a brand that goes into supermarkets. This will take some time as we are not sure yet what products we will produce, but let’s figure that out later.”
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So has it been ten years? “The world has caught up to the fact that it needs to eat more plants,” Firth adds.
“I’d say we’re pioneers in what good nutrition looks like today. I think we’re both on the cusp of experimenting with ourselves to be the best, healthiest versions of ourselves possible.”
Working from a studio basement in their apartment and producing recipe videos, the group’s turning point came when they reached 1 million subscribers, which led to a book deal with HarperCollins in 2017. It sold 500,000 copies, the biggest deal for a debut cookbook in the UK.
Theasby and Firth, who are in their early forties, gave up alcohol after suffering a “30% hangover” in their thirties. Theasby says she has in the past turned to a plant-based diet, as well as sugar and alcohol, to reduce stress. “This wasn’t a very helpful stress reliever,” he adds.
“I’m more productive now, I’m sleeping better, and it’s all a net benefit. You walk to work.”
BOSH! the founders brought veganism into the mainstream by selling 1 million cookbooks.
The company says it connects with “hardcore” fans through Team BOSH! There are groups on Facebook dedicated to products and recipes, and the founders help direct some of the company’s direction.
Last year BOSH! They launched a range of children’s meals and pizzas at Tesco, while also continuing their long-standing partnership by teaming up with P&O Cruises after the pair were invited to review one of the onboard restaurants.
Theasby admitted to the chefs that some dishes lacked flavour, and now they have collaborated to design plant-based recipes for the fleet in an initial three-year deal.
Meanwhile, Theasby says the plant-based category is returning to mainstream growth after a period when consumers were skeptical of alternative meat brands that were often said to be unhealthy. BOSH on a long journey! hopes to spread the word further offshore by encouraging more consumers to try plant-based products.
Given the rising social media views and book sales, we’re turning to nostalgia and whether the business partners will return to life as fledgling entrepreneurs after their holidays.
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Firth remembers watching an episode of Mad Men in which Don Draper gave a presentation on behalf of Kodak and described nostalgia as “the pain of an old wound.”
“Does it bother us to go back there? We always had a plan, but we didn’t know it would take 10 years,” he says. “We are quite happy now and healthier than ever.”
The best thing to boost growth
Moving operations in-house. The first version of our products was licensed to hit supermarket shelves in 2021. We moved away from that a few years ago and now use a co-production model where we oversee sales, marketing and product development.
Learning from failure
Failure is good, but make different mistakes next time. You don’t want to waste your time and money doing things you didn’t learn the first time. Everyone is entitled to some level of failure. We didn’t make too many wrong turns, but overall we learned quickly.
Childhood friends Ian Theasby and Henry Firth lived together and turned to veganism together.
Leadership
Staying calm is a skill. It has a physiological effect on your body. It keeps you healthy and stops cortisol from damaging your body. Being calm, consistent and clear is important for the team and for each other as co-founders.
The first iteration of the business may have been cut throat, but now the team is a group of people you want to support and give them the opportunity to succeed.
EMPTY! More Plants: 30-Minute Plant-Based Meals is published in hardcover by DK, price £22
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