Fitness supplement specialist flexes muscles with opening of new health & fitness hub
A South West health supplement developer and retailer has diversified its customer offer with the recent opening of a holistic fitness and wellness hub in Poole, Dorset.
Supplement Needs (SN) was established in 2016 when founder Leigh Kember recognised the demand from health-conscious gym-goers to access a more comprehensive and premium range of supplements online, beyond the traditional products like protein powder and creatine.
Initially importing from the US and selling to UK customers, the business quickly gained momentum, and SN opened its first bricks and mortar store in New Milton six months later.
Tuning into the needs of an evolving market, Kember brought Dr Dean St. Mart PhD – an industry renowned pharmacologist and product formulation specialist – on board to begin formulating SN’s own products. Manufactured in the UK and focusing on values of transparency and scientific backing, the products combine specific active ingredients to allow users to take a more holistic approach to their wellness. Products such as its Sleep Stack supplement, a combination of six sleep quality-boosting ingredients, prompted global popularity and saw the business begin exporting from 2020 onwards.
Now, with nine years of success under its belt and a loyal customer base, SN decided to further diversify its offering, opening its own SN Hub – a wellness centre in Poole – which it bought using a £670,000 loan from Lloyds.
Shortly after completing the purchase of warehouse space in May 2024, renovation work began to transform what was previously an IT unit into a unique and holistic health and fitness hub concept. Alongside a state-of-the-art gym, the hub also boasts several additional rooms to house a range of fitness and leisure facilities, meaning that, following a session in SN Hub’s Primal Gym, members can rejuvenate in a specialist recovery suite, complete with cryotherapy, an infrared sauna and compression therapy, among other available treatments.
An exclusive SN clinic and treatment room also offers functional health testing, physical therapy and chiropractic treatments.
Other new amenities include a café and networking lounge and an on-site store selling SN products.
Officially opening all its facilities to visitors in February, SN has seen its staff numbers almost triple from 4 to 15 to support the new services on offer.
Kember said: “Opening a hub to encourage holistic wellbeing has been a long-term goal for us, and we’re so grateful that Lloyds was able to support us throughout this process.”
“Although our business has changed a lot in the past decade, its core values have always remained consistent, and the hub is a physical manifestation of them. We’ve already had great feedback, testament to the strong community we’re building with the hub.”
Matthew Coates, relationship manager at Lloyds, added: “It’s been really rewarding to play a part in SN’s growth journey, transforming its business ambitions into a concrete reality.
“No corner has been cut in the refurbishment and delivery of the hub; a reminder of the care Leigh and Dr Dean have taken over the project from the outset to completion. Not only will the SN Hub have a direct positive effect on the lives of its customers and members, the benefits are also rippling further outwards, creating new jobs and a strong wellness community in the local area.”
