Spotlight 

URBAN VILLAGE LDN SHINES A LIGHT ON A DIFFERENT FULHAM BUSINESS EACH MONTH. IN THIS ISSUE WE TALK TO MATT BURNS, Founder of dna jUICES

DNA Juices is a 100% fresh juice bar based in Fulham and we talked to founder Matt Burns about how and why he started the business. “I think I’ve always liked the idea of being the captain of my own ship and the freedom to turn positive ideas into a reality. I was working as a fitness coach for Virgin Active when my passion for juicing really began. At this stage, there wasn’t a huge selection of fresh juice bars around in London (at least not like there is now). It used to really bug me (and still does now) when I would walk into a cafe with a “fresh juices” sign outside, and you would see the server pull out a ready made frozen fruit bag and stick it into a blender”.

A couple of years later Matt decided to go back to university to study Sport & Exercise Science and told Urban Village LDN “that’s when I truly understood the health benefits of juicing. It was way more than just a refreshing drink to me, it was something that could have a significant positive impact on your health. The name DNA Juices came to be because I wanted to get across that’s it’s more than just random ingredients thrown together in a juicer - there’s a science behind it”.

After trialing his juices in a pop-up shop in Ealing and getting a positive response, Matt decided he wanted to explore further and create a business. “I opened DNA Juices in October 2017 on North End Road, Fulham. Being from West London, I knew Fulham well. I instantly fell in love with the hustle and bustle of North End Road. I loved how diverse the area was and how it had such a strong community feel. I felt at home straight away. The local community really got behind DNA juices and supported us. It wasn’t too long before local celebrities and influencers started enquiring about our juices and cleanse packages which helped a great deal. Our products were being advocated organically by social media influencers, some with millions of followers, which gave us incredible exposure not just in the local area but further afield too. Shortly after we started offering nationwide delivery”.

All DNA Juices and cleanse packages have been carefully designed by a registered nutritionist to ensure they provide maximum health benefits to your body as well as tasting delicious. Every juice has a tailored “Did you know?” to ensure that you know the exact health benefits of what you are drinking. So whether you need a “DNA Detox cleanse” to help rest your body and mind, or a “Chelsea Come Down cleanse” to get you through the day after a big night out on the town, they’ve got you covered. “Detox Cleanse” was their original cleanse of five juices starting with Carrot, Apple, Orange, Lemon, Ginger and finishing with Pear, Peach, Apple, Blueberries, Cinnamon, Coconut Water. “The Chelsea Come Down Cleanse” will prove ever more popular when partying is a thing again starting with Pineapple, Orange, Lemon, Ginger and finishing with Watermelon and Orange. We loved their honesty when it comes to describing “The Green Cleanse” as “lean, green and very mean - not for the faint hearted - designed for hardcore gurus of the juice world”.

“All of our juice cleanses are freshly made the very same day as they are sent out for delivery. It took a while for our customers to realise that we make multiple delivery drops for 5 day cleanses to make sure the juices are as fresh and nutritious as can be. At first, we had a couple of complaints from people thinking we had only delivered half of their order! I think going that extra mile really makes the difference for our customers. We’re a quality product at the end of the day, and we won’t settle for less. Great juice, great vibes (we actually had that quote printed onto a poster at our old shop)”.

DNA’s Juices are stocked in local Fulham cafes and Matt told us that Green Bay is probably the most well known stockist being London’s first vegan supermarket. Matt opened his shop in a new Fulham location on March 13, “we needed a bit more space for production, and with most of our business being delivery based, it felt like the right time to move. Also a lot of our deliveries are sent out to the Fulham Road, so it can’t hurt being that much closer to our customers”. 

We asked Matt what’s next for DNA Juices “Moving forward, we’re having a big focus on our supply offering. Having had such positive feedback from the shops and cafes that we currently stock in, we’ll be expanding our range and experimenting with some new flavours with tailored health benefits, so watch this space!”. In the meantime if you haven’t already given DNA Juices a try, you can order via Deliveroo, or pop into the new shop at 603 Fulham Road to pick up a cold pressed juice, or a smoothie - I think we might need to stop by for a Hangover Blaster after being socially out of action for a while!