An interview with Ella Mills
The possibility of Plants
Ingenuity isn’t always about big creative gestures. Sometimes it looks like knowing what’s in your fridge – and what to do with it. Or spotting a gap on the supermarket shelf and having the guts to fill it.
That kind of instinct – quick-thinking, clear-eyed, quietly brilliant – has defined Ella Mills’ journey from food blogger to founder of a £24million business. And it’s what brought her to Sonder & Tell and our friends at Belief Machines after selling Deliciously Ella to Hero Group last year. Ella and her team were ready to focus their energies on Plants – a range of quick kitchen wins spanning fresh pastas, veggie burgers and protein-packed pestos.
This time, the ambition wasn’t to teach people how to cook, or follow a certain lifestyle. It was to help them feel like the kind of cook they wanted to be. The one who makes a delicious ten-minute dinner on a busy day. Who cooks for flavour, for health – but mostly, for that feeling of having pulled something together.
We called the brand idea The Possibility of Plants – a phrase that captured the flexibility, optimism and flavour potential of the range. The voice we developed was positive, practical and unfussy. A voice that could turn “I don’t have time to cook” into “what can I make?”
With products now on shelves (shout out to our friends at Belief Machines, who brought the packaging to life), we sat down with Ella to talk about the brand, her role within it, and what clever cooking means to her. You can read the full case study here.
Your shift from Deliciously Ella to Plants marks a big evolution. How do the two businesses feel different, and what does your role at Plants look like today?
Deliciously Ella and Plants were both created to solve real customer problems – just in different ways. Deliciously Ella supports wellbeing through a range of healthy snacks and a broader lifestyle brand, while Plants offers plant-based quick kitchen wins for home cooks seeking convenience and joy.
With multiple brand touchpoints – including an app with recipes, mindfulness, and yoga – Deliciously Ella has grown into a wellness and lifestyle brand, evolving from my personal journey with food. Plants, on the other hand, is focused on culinary creativity and making plant-based cooking easier and more accessible.
At their core, both brands share a common goal: Deliciously Ella exists to help people eat real food again by incorporating more plants into their diets, while Plants showcases the potential of plant-based cooking through flavour, expertise, and everyday ease. I remain deeply involved in shaping both brands, supporting their missions, brand strategy, and community building.
What made this the right moment for Plants to invest in brand? What challenges were you facing, and what opportunities were you looking to unlock?
When Deliciously Ella and Plants separated last year following the acquisition of Deliciously Ella by the Hero Group, it became clear that for Plants to thrive, it needed a stronger, more distinctive creative strategy. We already knew what the brand stood for – simple, quick, 100% natural solutions for busy weeknights – but we needed help in clearly articulating that message and creating a bold, recognisable identity that would cut through in a crowded, declining category.
Let’s retrace the process with S&T and Belief Machines – what were the standout moments? Any surprises along the way?
The biggest standout was how collaborative both agencies were and how much we were able to actively shape the Plants brand together. We’re all incredibly passionate about the brand, and S&T and Belief Machines were brilliant at extracting all our insights, then creatively bringing them to life in ways we never could have imagined. From start to finish, the process was genuinely enjoyable, whereas branding projects can often feel overwhelming and stressful.
For founder-led businesses looking to create more separation between themselves and the brands they’ve built, what advice would you give?
There’s a real advantage to founder-led businesses, as having a public profile undoubtedly helps generate immediate brand awareness. However, true long-term success comes from building a company that stands on its own – driven by great products, in the right place, at the right price. For us, leveraging my personal story in the early days of Deliciously Ella was essential in creating authenticity and standout. Over time, though, it’s been important to ensure both brands have a clear mission beyond a personal narrative.
What does the possibility of plants mean to you?
Creativity, inspiration, and a sense of excitement and joy in the kitchen.
How does ‘clever cooking’ come to life in your day-to-day work?
It’s a lifesaver! Between work and looking after the kids, quick, satisfying meals that come together in minutes are exactly what I need. I’m always amazed at how simple ingredients can be transformed into something incredible with just a little know-how.
What role does brand play in the wider business, and what impact are you most excited about?
It gives us a clear platform to tell our story. The plant-based category is busy, saturated, and in decline, so we need a strong USP to stand out and bring customers back to the fixture.
If Plants were hosting a dinner, what would the vibe be?
Fun, relaxed, easy-going – and absolutely delicious!
The Quote
“I’ve just sold my £24m food brand Deliciously Ella but I’m still dismissed as a blogger.”
– Ella Mills, The Telegraph
The Vortex
You can read our full case study of the work we did for Plants here.
And if you really want to nerd out on it, a few pieces of trade press in The Vegconomist, Grocery Gazette and Food Manufacture.
Party culture hasn’t disappeared, but it is evolving. We’re in an era of soft clubbing. Which explains why everyone is hanging out in bakeries instead of bars.
“I didn’t create the Samba, but I had a way of working with it that gave it a resonance”. Grace Wales Bonner on her breath-of-fresh-air collab with adidas.
The moral philosophy of meat. Oysters’ inner lives. How not to starve in a nuclear winter. We gobbled up this food issue of Asterisk mag.
What are you training for?
This is a fab interview. I really enjoyed reading about how collaborative the process was. I love hearing about creative agencies that join forces to do great work.