Rebuilding a High-Protein Recipe Mobile App That Grew a 360K Nutrition Community
Project Brief
A UK-based nutrition brand, well-known for its healthy recipes and fitness tips, wanted to offer followers more than just scattered online content. They envisioned a dedicated mobile app that could serve as a central hub for structured, health-first recipes and premium content for paying members.
The founder had initially used a no-code platform to create the first version of his app. While it allowed him to launch quickly, he soon hit technical and performance limitations: poor flexibility, restricted customization, and no scalable way to manage subscriptions or content.
That is when he decided to start from scratch and approached Tech Exactly to build a robust, fully custom app, one that could handle content growth, drive monetization, and deliver an exceptional user experience.
As the founder spoke, “We hired Tech Exactly to rebuild our drag-and-drop app into a custom build and add additional features. The main challenge was determining which specifications the project needed.”
Project Type: Recipe mobile application
Location: United Kingdom
Engagement Period: Ongoing
Engagement Model: A dedicated team comprising React Native Developers, UX Designers, Quality Analysts, Mobile App Architects, Business Analysts, Web Architects, and a Project Manager.
Services Offered
iOS & Android App Development
API Development
App Paywall Setup
Quality Assurance
Content Management
Subscription Management
Technologies Used
React Native
Cloud
AWS
Laravel
Third-party Integrations
Youtube (for video recipes)
RevenueCat (for managing subscroptions
Google Analytics
Mailerlite
What the Past No-Code Platform Couldn't Deliver
The client initially launched his recipe app using a no-code builder. It helped him enter the market quickly, but as his nutrition community grew, the platform could not keep up with real-world demand. No-code tools are designed for speed, not long-term scale, and several limitations began affecting both the user journey and the business model.
Here is what held the app back:
Fragmented Content Access
Because the platform could not centralize everything, recipes, videos, and premium content were spread across YouTube, social media, and PDFs.
Limited Personalization and Control
Users had no control over their preferences, history, or subscriptions. There was no system in place to customize experiences or manage content access.
No Clear Path to Premium
While the founder’s YouTube channel offered valuable premium content, there was no structured way in the existing app to support native, scalable monetization.
Poor Performance at Scale
As recipe count grew past 100, load times increased, and search functionality slowed down. The platform wasn't built to handle a content library of 300+ recipes.
Poor Performance at Scale
As recipe count grew past 100, load times increased, and search functionality slowed down. The platform wasn't built to handle a content library of 300+ recipes.
Manual Content Management for the Team
Managing recipes, media, and user access was time-consuming and spread out. The no-code backend offered minimal flexibility and no automation, making content management slow and error-prone.
How We Rebuilt a Mobile-First Recipe App for Food Lovers
To overcome the existing no-code platform’s constraints, we rebuilt the app from scratch, focusing on scalability, seamless content management, and a richer user experience. Every feature was designed to improve performance, engagement, and control, both for users and the admin team.
Cross-Platform Development
We developed the app using React Native, ensuring a unified codebase for iOS and Android. Combined with AWS Cloud Hosting and a Laravel-based backend, this architecture delivers high performance, rapid feature rollouts, and easier maintenance as the user base scales.
Smart Search and Filters
Built with optimized API endpoints and indexed database queries, users can browse by category, search by keyword, and filter recipes by cooking time or meal type, helping them find the right recipe quickly.
Engaging, Content-Rich Recipe Pages
Each recipe includes full nutritional info, ingredients, method, barcode images, and embedded YouTube videos for added guidance.
Personalization and Accessibility
Features like saving favorites, font size adjustment, and sharing options create a more comfortable and customized experience.
Frictionless Monetization
We implemented RevenueCat for subscription management, supporting both monthly and annual plans. The system automatically syncs with app stores, tracks entitlements, and manages upgrades or renewals, all while offering a 3-day free trial to boost conversion.
What We Achieved Together
Monetized premium recipes through a smooth in-app experience
Recognized as the UK’s #1 High-Protein Recipe App
Hit 360K+ Followers & 1,000+ Five-Star Reviews
Scaled to 300+ protein recipes, maintaining an App Store rating of 4.9/5
Delivering More Than Just an App
The founder’s satisfaction spoke volumes:
“I found Tech Exactly through a recommendation. After the initial call with the CEO, I was confident they could deliver what I was looking for. When they sent through their proposal, the price was excellent, and their initial review was very thorough.”
The founder’s satisfaction spoke volumes:
“Tech Exactly has delivered excellent work on time. The detailed and thorough project management has been complemented by the standard of work and the cost of the engagement.”
At Tech Exactly, we believe great ideas deserve great execution. When the founder came to us with a clear purpose: to make healthy eating simple and accessible. We helped turn that into a high-impact product that delivers real value to users and drives growth for the business. The result? A smooth app experience, a loyal community, and a platform that supports both wellness and scalability.
If you have an idea and want us to turn it into a market-ready app, reach out to us at info@techexactly.com
Ready to Get Started?
Are you looking to overcome performance challenges or ensure regulatory compliance in your financial platform? Tech Exactly specializes in building scalable, secure, and efficient solutions tailored to your business needs. Reach out to us today to learn how we can help drive your success.
