When Ed Foy and Georgie Reames founded PRESS Healthfoods 10 years ago, it started with a simple idea: bring the healthy, vibrant culture of cold-pressed juices from the streets of LA and New York to the UK. What began as a fresh juice brand, sold from an ice-filled bathtub in a subway station, has since grown into one of the UK’s most trusted names in plant-based nutrition. Now, with the same passion for health and balance, PRESS is expanding into ready meals, but they wanted to make sure they could do it without cutting corners on taste, quality, or convenience.

“We always knew we wanted to do more than juices,” says Ed. “Our customers trust us to deliver healthy, natural products, so food seemed like the next logical step. But we needed to find a way to do it right.”

PRESS Healthfoods’ core values are health, taste, and convenience, but traditional fresh meals have a short shelf life – leading to waste and logistical headaches for food producers.

“Yes, fresh is healthy, but the shelf life kills you,” Ed explains. “That’s tough when you’re trying to build both a direct-to-consumer and a retail business.”

Initially, PRESS experimented with retort pouches, but they quickly realized it wasn’t the right fit. “Meals in pouches just didn’t feel right for our brand. We weren’t happy with the quality, and neither were our buyers.”

That’s when they discovered Micvac.

“We found Micvac through a UK manufacturer, and to be honest, I’m amazed. I’m still bewildered why the world is not using this technology across all ready meals.” Ed says.

The technology allowed PRESS to create meals that stay fresh for longer, without compromising on taste or texture.

“It’s a win-win-win – health, flavor, and shelf life. We’re finally able to offer the kind of product we always wanted to, without the usual compromises.”

What stood out to PRESS was how easy it was to integrate Micvac into their operations, both in terms of quality and cost.

“It’s not the cheapest on the market, but it’s far from the most expensive. The important thing is it lets us maintain the premium quality our customers expect without breaking the bank.”

For Ed and his team, the real proof came in customer feedback.

“The fact that customers love the format, taste and quality, is huge for us. We’ve had thousands of online orders, and not once has anyone questioned the packaging or the experience. People just care that it tastes good.” He shares. “The vacuum sealing almost makes it feel more premium, like you’re getting something special.”

The extended shelf life has also opened doors for PRESS with major retailers. “We’re now in proper conversations with one of the major retailers in the UK, which is a huge step for us,” Ed shares. “Before Micvac, we just couldn’t get that kind of interest.”

PRESS Healthfoods can now offer the best of both worlds: fresh, healthy meals with a shelf life long enough to support their retail ambitions.

“Micvac has made it possible for us to keep doing what we do best – delivering healthy, delicious food – without any compromise.”