Most 18-year-olds are getting ready to go off to university this month, but not Ioan Dillon. He is running a thriving business supplying some of Wales biggest and well known sporting names with nutritional meal plans.
Josh Adams, Brett Johns, Lee Trundle and Rhys Webb are just a few of the athletes who the 18-year-old from Llanelli supplies with healthy, tasty meals.
Having just finished his A Levels with 3 A’s, Ioan is ready to develop and progress his business which already supplies 600 meals a week across Wales.
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(Image: Adrian White Photography)
‘Lean Kitchen’ is a nutrition meal planning business that aims to help athletes, gym goers and families with their busy lifestyle and personal goals with prepared meals for them to eat smart.
Ioan who’s always played sport and has liked cooking since he was was younger, says: “Hectic family life, work and travel commitments can often side track your nutrition , making it difficult to make healthy choices. So Lean kitchen supplies healthy and nutritious pre-prepared meals to help you stay on track and there’s no washing up.”
(Image: Lean Kitchen)
(Image: Lean Kitchen)
Lean Kitchen offers a menu full of pre prepared meals that have all have calculated macronutrients so customers can keep track of their intake.
Ioan and his 10 employed staff prepare the 600 food orders a week at their base in Robert Davies Gym in Llanelli.
His chefs cook the meals on a Sunday, and customers can collect their meals from their base or they have to collection points at gyms in Carmarthen and Llansamlet and they deliver to local radius.
(Image: Adrian White Photography)
Ioan took the reins at Lean Kitchen a year ago from Steff Hughes, guide runner to blind athlete Tracey Hinton who competed together at the Athens, Beijing and London Paralympic Games.
Steff began the business in lockdown but needed to focus on other commitments so Ioan bought the business whilst he was still in sixth form doing his A levels.
He said: “I was nervous about taking it over because I was still in school. Me and my family were sceptical about it because I had no experience in business really but It’s something I’ve always had an interest in.
“I was thinking in my head right thing wrong time because I obviously had my A levels but I didn’t want to be in a position where I regretted not buying it after I finished school because it was such a good opportunity, so I just went for it.”
Ioan says it was difficult juggling his A levels and running a business at the same time and he nearly dropped out of sixth form to pursue the business.
He said: “It was tough, It’s lucky that we only cook on a Sunday so straight after school on Friday I’d go up Castell Howell to get all the meat and veg and then I’d prep it all on Saturday and cook it all on Sunday then start school again Monday to Friday.
“I’d be doing a 15 hour shift on a Sunday and then I’d have an exam on the Monday morning and it was really hard. I went to see my head of year three times to drop out because I’d rather do the business but he told me that in 10 years If I want to go to university then I’ve got the option at least.”
(Image: Adrian White Photography)
Lean Kitchen aims to help customers with their fitness journey and achieve fitness goals by ensuring they are fuelling themselves with the right nutrition.
Ioan says:” Everyone has specific needs to reach their goals, We’ve got loads of packages to meet everyone meets everyone’s macros so if there looking to gain weight or lose weight we can do that for them.”
Ioan is a big rugby fan and has played the sport all his life ,he says it’s crazy seeing his rugby heroes order from Lean Kitchen.
(Image: Lean Kitchen)
(Image: Lean Kitchen)
He said he didn’t realise that Welsh rugby player Josh Adams placed an order. He said: An order for Josh Adams came through one morning and I didn’t know whether or not it was the rugby player or not but I thought there’s got to be a few Josh Adamses in Wales. I only knew it was him when he turned up to pick up his food.”
Some of the Welsh stars Ioan has provided for are Swansea City football player Yan Dhanda, Pro MMA Fighter Brett Johns, Rugby welsh legends Josh Adams and Rhys Webb and football Lee Trundle.
(Image: Adrian White Photography)
Ioan is excited for the future of Lean Kitchen and the opportunities that come his way, he has big plans coming very soon.
He said: I’m hoping to open a café very soon in Llanelli. We hope to start nation wide delivery because at the moment were just doing local orders but there’s courier services that offer nation wide delivery and I’ve had customers order from London, Birmingham and Manchester. I’ve had to refund them, I don’t know how they find out about me, It’s mad.
“I know it’s a cliché but I couldn’t have it done it without the people around me and my customers. They’ve been really good, my brother especially helps out a lot. Lee Trundle has been very good to me.”
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