Our Story

On a mission

We exist to help elite and everyday athletes thrive in their chose sporting endeavours through the power of one smart berry, the New Zealand Blackcurrant. We may be small but we are mighty, and we're here to help you get more out of the work you put in.

Born from Science

Over 10 years ago our co-founders were part of a team from the New Zealand Plant and Food Research Institute that first discovered blackcurrants had benefits for exercise.

This discovery then lead to an additional 10 years of research and a growing body of evidence that proved blackcurrants could improve athletic performance and speed up recovery through a highly unique mode of action.

The team was so inspired by this little berry that they were compelled to take it to the world. And thats how 2before was born.

New Zealand Institute

The New Zealand Institute for Plant and Food Research Limited is a New Zealand government-owned Crown Research Institute, subject to the Crown Entities Act 2004, the Crown Research Institutes Act 1992 and the Companies Act 1993.

Meet The Team

Dr. Roger Hurst

THE RESEARCHER

Brendan Vercoe

THE COMMERCIAL GUY

Dane Baker

THE SPORTS DIETITIAN

Dr. Roger Hurst

Dr. Roger Hurst is the Chief Science Advisor for 2before Performance Nutrition and is a Principal Scientist at Plant & Food Research. After an esteemed biomedical career in the United Kingdom and Canada, Hurst joined Plant & Food Research to investigate bioactives from plants in New Zealand. In his research, New Zealand sourced blackcurrants continually showed their effectiveness and potential. Through over 10 years of diligent science, Hurst and his team have discovered the unique benefits of New Zealand blackcurrants for sports performance and recovery in in-vitro and intervention studies. This science, in turn, is the foundation upon which the 2before™ blackcurrant powder is built.

Brendan Vercoe

Brendan Vercoe is Chief Executive Officer for 2before Performance Nutrition. After spending his entire career in the food industry, Vercoe pivoted to merge his professional career with this passion for health and nutrition. He initially worked with Dr. Hurst and the rest of the Plant & Food Research team to turn New Zealand blackcurrants into a consumer product designed for elite athletes. Now the team is working to take the benefits of Adaptive™ New Zealand blackcurrants to all fitness enthusiasts.

Dane Baker

Dane Baker is Head Sports Dietitian for 2before Performance Nutrition and a New Zealand Registered Dietitian who has worked with elite Olympic athletes and professional rugby players for over 10 years. He understands first hand the physical toll that modern training can have on his athletes. As the scientific evidence on the sports recovery benefits of New Zealand blackcurrants grew, he started using and recommending anthocyanins to his athletes. His goal is to provide standardized, efficacious doses of the best polyphenols that increases compliance with his athletes. 2before Performance Pre-workout makes it possible.

A TEAM OF FITNESS ENTHUSIASTS

Brendan Vercoe

At 2before we practise what we preach, and we always prioritise working out. Our Co-Founder and CEO, Brendan, encourages the team to spend their mid-day break being active and leads by example going on his 10km run through the city streets at lunch time, fuelling it with Blackcurrant Powder Pre-Workout - Performance + Recovery + Energy. It’s where some of his best thinking happens, likely due to the additional benefits of mental focus. Since incorporating 2before into his pre-workout routine, our CEO says he’s had “no more bad runs, just straight runners high every time to recharge me for the rest of the day”.