JUCED launches fruit-based protein drink, targets shake fatigue
JUCED said 68% of shake drinkers see protein as a chore, then launched a fruit-based drink with 15 grams of protein and no added sugar.
JUCED is betting that the real problem in protein is not grams, but grit. The UK brand launched CLEAN PROTEIN with Pineapple and Passionfruit, a fruit-based drink it says is the country’s first of its kind, and it is trying to move the category away from chalky, heavy shakes toward something that feels more like refreshment.
The pitch is backed by consumer frustration. In research covering almost 600 protein shake drinkers, 68 percent said protein shakes feel like a chore, are hard to digest, or sit too heavily on the stomach. Only 26 percent said they do not find shakes claggy, artificial, and sugary. JUCED also said 91 percent prefer to get nutrition from more real sources than processed shakes, while just 7 percent said they would not consider an alternative if it delivered the same nutrition. That makes CLEAN PROTEIN more than a flavor launch. It is a direct challenge to the assumption that protein buyers will tolerate bad texture if the label delivers enough grams.
The drink itself is built around that argument. JUCED said CLEAN PROTEIN contains 15 grams of protein, has no added sugar, and leans on real fruit rather than the artificial profile many shoppers now associate with conventional RTD shakes. The commercial bet is obvious: if protein can taste lighter and cleaner, it may win occasions that current shakes never reach, especially outside the gym and the post-workout window.
Founder and chief executive Jed Thirkettle gives the brand a personal edge that fits the message. He was diagnosed with muscular dystrophy at age eight, and his own experience with protein intake shaped the company’s mission. Berkhamsted School materials say Thirkettle founded JUCED in 2024 after studying Economics and Politics at Nottingham University and spending three years in corporate sales. Companies House lists JUCED LTD as incorporated on October 9, 2024, with a registered office at 101 Times Square, London, E1 8GE, and a wholesale classification covering fruit and vegetable juices, mineral water and soft drinks.
The launch lands in a market that is already leaning hard into protein beverages. BevNET said protein was one of the most active beverage innovation trends at Expo West in March 2026, and a June 2026 report said the UK protein supplements market is predicted to grow by 50 percent to $326 million by 2030. Thirkettle’s wider fundraising work also underlines the story behind the brand: Muscular Dystrophy UK says Team Jed has raised £200,000 so far, while another profile puts his fundraising total at more than £250,000. JUCED is now trying to turn that personal urgency into a broader category reset, one that asks whether clean protein is a true innovation or simply a smarter way to sell the same shake occasion.
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