Chef’s twin loves produce ‘Performance with Flavour’ sports supplements

A chef who also worked as a highly-trained bodyguard has combined his twin loves of fitness and food to produce a range of high protein ice creams.

Graham Wood, who has set up his Protein First business at Teesside University, aims to revolutionise the sports supplement market by providing a tasty alternative to the usual fare offered to fitness fanatics.

Already, his unique range of high-protein ice creams has attracted several clients including gyms across the country and Premier League football teams.

The Protein First range helps people on a calorie-controlled diet maintain a lean, fit physique by providing them with a treat that not only tastes good but also contains beneficial nutrients.

The ice creams grew from Graham’s unique career where he combined a role as a private chef with working as part of a close protection team to wealthy individuals.

Graham, 37, from Darlington, originally trained as a chef at Darlington College, and went on to work at several five star hotels in London, including the Langham Hilton.

He then spent 10 years working all over the world as a private chef catering to a number of A-list celebrities to ensure they got exactly the right mix of fuel and nutrients to maintain their busy lifestyle while looking their best.

One such client utilised him as part of his close protection team when he learned about Graham’s proficiency in a range of martial arts including karate, kung fu and krav maga – a self-defence technique developed for the Israeli secret service, Mossad.

Graham’s training even included working with former Special Forces personnel, including ex-SAS soldiers.

In 2010, Graham decided to combine his twin loves of food and fitness and set up his Protein First business initially working out of his kitchen.

He said: 'I’ve taken sports supplements and most of them taste extremely nasty - like drinking ready mixed concrete - and leave an unpleasant chemical aftertaste.

'I thought, ‘I can do better than this’. I wanted to make something more user-friendly which was not purely for the ‘sweat and steel’ market.

'I wanted to make something with a great flavour. Some people just take a pill – I wanted to produce a luxury product which can be seen as a reward, something that might appeal to women in gyms as well.

'First and foremost it has to have the right nutrients. But then I get my chef’s hat on to make it taste amazing. The skill is taking the nutrients and balancing the flavours.'

Each pot of ice cream contains 15g of protein and multi-vitamins and minerals to repair and build muscle damaged by exercise, illness or old age.

Other products, based on the Protein First ethos of ‘Performance with Flavour’ are also being developed from Graham’s base in the incubator unit at the Victoria Building on the Teesside University campus.

He added: 'Having my own business is a great responsibility and a great challenge, but you gain a great sense of achievement from it.

'It’s not always been easy but the support is out there. I turned up to a Teesside University workshop on intellectual property and discovered this whole new world of support.

'I turned up to every workshop going. I have discovered a new passion for learning and even better if it directly applies to what I need to achieve.'

Laura Woods, Director of Academic Enterprise at Teesside University, said: 'Graham has found a real niche in the market with his protein enriched ice creams, and I am sure his unique blend of skills will ensure that they are both delicious and healthy.

'It’s great that with the support and advice he’s had from the University, he’s now launching what will no doubt be a very successful product.'

This project is part financed by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), managed by the Department for Communities and Local Government.

The ERDF Competitiveness Programme 2007-2013 is bringing over £300m into the North East to support innovation, enterprise and business support across the region.

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Click here for more information on Protein First.