Graduate’s new Hong Kong business goes from strength to strength

Marketer Jess Cheung takes the Hong Kong healthy eating market by storm

Former University of Huddersfield student Jess Cheung left her full-time job as a recruitment consultant to turn an idea into reality and start her own ‘healthy’ food company in Hong Kong.  Within six months, she had topped a six figure total on her business as well as breaking even on her initial investment capital within just two months of operation.

Her business, Health Box, aims to deliver nutritious, healthy and tasty meals to the customer’s home or office.  Using the web, the customer simply selects the number of days they want meals delivered, chooses the type of meal plan and then Health Box delivers those meals each morning.

Before starting Health Box in November 2016, Jess graduated from the University with a Honours degree in Marketing and Brand Management and then went on to study at the University of Hong Kong.  Though originally from Hong Kong, her family moved to Leeds which is where Jess grew up. 

She had to learn how to set up a business from scratch, how to brand, how to design and how to cook a wide variety of meals, as well as which route to take when it came to delivering and promoting her products.  All this whilst keeping her costs low.

Jess chose to study Food and Nutrition to get a better understanding of the industry she was keen to join.  However, from there on she was on her own: “I was literally a one-man band”.

She learnt that there were certain skills and characteristics that a person must have to be able to become their own boss.  Self-drive and time management were just two, and the big one, perseverance.  As Jess confirms: “You have to learn to keep pushing yourself to get through, even at times when you really want to give up.  If you can’t persevere, your business will fail.”

Now 24, Jess has set numerous aspirational goals for herself and her business for the next five years.  She wants to become a Hong Kong millionaire by the age of 25, become an inspiration for young entrepreneurs and in time, invest in a UK property.  For her business, she wants to have an established and profitable business, help more people achieve their physical health goals, and have a retail store to operate from.

Recently, Health Box has merged with another healthy food business to create greater partnership for the future.  Her new business venture is called EAT NOW and it now offers a wider range of products and services including comprehensive goal-orientated meal plans, professional catering services, kitchen rentals and cooking workshops. 

Although moving to another country on her own and living the hectic lifestyle of an entrepreneur – working long hours and learning whilst working – she’ll never forget her Huddersfield university roots.

“University life is definitely a chapter of my life that I will always remember.  I chose Huddersfield because of the course it offered.  Overall I enjoyed the support I received from tutors, the lecturers and having a great student union!”

Although her business is thriving and she’s enjoying every minute of it, she misses the relaxed nature of the UK lifestyle, as she described Hong Kong as “the city that never sleeps”.

“There are always things going on in Hong Kong.  I came to Hong Kong alone to establish my business and my career, but I also miss my family in Leeds and I miss the UK lifestyle.”