Pulsin Ltd Gloucester Review - Real Employee Experience

Published: 23 November 2025

Working at Pulsin Ltd in Gloucester offers a very different experience from the clean, wholesome brand shown on their protein bars and healthy snacks.

Behind the scenes, production staff face low pay, intense pressure, constantly shifting expectations, and a work culture that many describe as stressful and emotionally draining.

This review reveals what really happens on the factory floor, from the demanding training environment to inconsistent duties, deep-clean days, payroll issues, and the high turnover caused by unrealistic expectations.

Editorial note: Content on this page reflects commonly reported employee experiences observed across publicly available review platforms. It represents opinion and commentary, not verified facts, and does not reproduce individual reviews.

Company details

• Registered name: Pulsin Ltd
• Previously known as: Pulsin' Ltd and Frutopia Limited
• Company number: 05466800
• Legal status: Private limited company
• Registered office address: 5th Floor, 167-169 Great Portland Street, London, W1W 5PF
• Gloucester / Manufacturing site address: Unit 16, Brunel Court, Waterwells Business Park, Gloucester, Gloucestershire, GL2 2AL
• Telephone: 01452 945155
• Email: enquiries@pulsin.co.uk
• Industry / SIC code: Manufacture of other food products not elsewhere classified (10890)
• Year of incorporation: 28 May 2005
• Number of employees: ~58 (based on latest balance-sheet report)
• Parent / Ownership: S-Ventures Plc (major stakeholder - acquired in 2021)
• Turnover / Financial scale: Under £15-20 m according to recent company reports

Pay and basic conditions

The pay sits at the bare minimum living wage, with no bonuses, incentives, or financial extras of any kind. There’s no incremental pay rise for staying longer or taking on more responsibility.

Staff wear the standard food-production uniform: hairnet, white apron, and white safety shoes. Although this is typical for the industry, the overall working environment feels far from supportive or modern.

The shift pattern is fixed at 9 hours per day, Monday to Friday, and breaks are tightly controlled. Employees receive one 15-minute break and one 30-minute break.

You must be back at your workstation working by the exact second your break ends. Returning late-even by a minute-often leads to questioning or criticism from team leaders.

No real interview - you’re simply placed on the floor

Pulsin’s “interview process” barely exists. Instead of a sit-down discussion or skills assessment, new applicants are given a quick walk around the factory and asked to complete a basic health questionnaire. If you show up the next day, you’re effectively hired.

From day one, almost every new starter is placed at the powder packing station, doing repetitive, manual work. You remain there until management decides you’re ready to be pushed onto the production line, which can take weeks or occur suddenly depending entirely on staffing shortages.

Constant job switching and unpredictable expectations

There is little sense of routine or consistency in the job. You might be assigned to one task for an hour, only to be moved somewhere completely different the next.

The atmosphere is chaotic, with nearly every decision dictated by “production needs,” which change throughout the day.

This lack of stability makes it hard for new employees to find their footing or feel confident in their roles. It also creates an environment where you never quite know what you’ll be doing from one minute to the next.

Deep cleaning for a full shift when production stops

When the production line isn’t running, workers are required to deep clean for the entire 9-hour shift. This includes prolonged exposure to cleaning chemicals and scrubbing surfaces repeatedly just to appear busy.

Even areas that are already spotless are cleaned again simply because standing still or having no task at the moment is frowned upon.

Staff who refuse or question the need to redo already-clean areas risk being told to take paid or unpaid leave and go home early. This can impact pay and adds stress, as nobody wants to lose hours.

Training: intense pressure, shouting, and emotional strain

Training at Pulsin is widely regarded as the most difficult part of the job. Many employees openly admit they cried during training, unable to cope with the aggressive tone and the level of pressure placed on them.

Team leaders shout instructions, criticise mistakes harshly, and often push new starters to absorb complex information at an unrealistic pace.

On top of this, management and team leaders frequently spring unannounced training exams on employees. Without warning, a worker is told:

“You’re about to be examined on your training knowledge right now - let’s go.”

They are then taken to a machine and expected to explain every detail of the process, including technical steps and safety procedures that even experienced staff struggle to memorise.

Failing these surprise tests often results in being removed from training, sidelined into basic tasks, or simply not having your contract extended.

The real job: Ulma machine operator, not general production

Although job ads make the work sound like standard food production, the company is actually desperate for Ulma machine operators. This machine is the heart of the factory, and nearly all staffing issues revolve around it.

Management tries to push as many people as possible towards operating it, but the pressure, shouting, and emotionally draining training means that most staff refuse.

Because of this, Pulsin is in a constant cycle of recruitment and turnover.

Many new starters walk out within days or weeks, while others accept that they will never be able to learn the machine fast enough and prefer to finish their temporary contract doing repetitive tasks rather than dealing with the intense training environment.

No proper smoking shelter

There is no covered smoking area at all. Staff stand by a couple of worn wooden tables outside the building, fully exposed to wind, rain, and harsh weather.

It’s a small detail, but for smokers it adds another layer of discomfort to an already tough day.

Payroll problems - late pay, wrong hours, and long delays

Payroll at Pulsin is widely criticised by employees. It is not handled in the UK but by a single person working remotely in New Zealand, which causes frequent issues:

• Wages paid late
• Payslips missing on payday
• Hours incorrectly added or removed
• Random entries showing as sickness or holiday
• Missing hours that staff must chase up themselves

The time difference between the UK and New Zealand means that resolving even simple payroll errors can take days. During that time, employees often feel left in the dark, unable to plan their finances properly or understand why their wages are incorrect.

Clear signs of financial instability

Pulsin has been dealing with significant financial challenges for some time, and employees can see it daily.

Machines are constantly patched up instead of replaced. Several production contracts have been lost, demand is falling, and competition from larger food manufacturers is growing.

The company previously employed a dedicated cleaning team, but when business declined, the entire cleaning department was let go. Their responsibilities were then handed to already overworked production staff.

These signs suggest a business struggling to maintain stability, and employees often feel the weight of this uncertainty.

Overall workplace atmosphere

The overall atmosphere at Pulsin is tense, unpredictable, and emotionally tiring. Many employees appear worn out, both physically and mentally. The combination of minimum-wage pay, aggressive training, payroll problems, unstable workloads, and the constant threat of contract non-renewal creates a workplace where few people feel secure.

A large portion of new hires leave quickly, either by choice or after failing the demanding and unforgiving training. Those who stay often do so because they need income rather than because they feel valued or supported.

Pros & Cons of Working at Pulsin Ltd in Gloucester

The Upsides:

• Simple hiring process - no formal interview; most applicants are accepted after a quick site walk-through and basic health questionnaire.
• Monday to Friday schedule - no weekend shifts, offering a predictable weekly routine.
• Some stable structure to breaks and shift timings - despite being tightly controlled, staff know exactly when breaks occur.
• Consistent work uniform provided - hairnets, aprons, and safety shoes eliminate any personal clothing expenses.
• Immediate start for new applicants - suitable for those needing work urgently without a long onboarding process.
• Experience in food production - employees gain exposure to powder packing, cleaning procedures, and basic line work.
• Opportunities to learn machinery (in theory) - although stressful, those who manage to learn the Ulma machine gain a specialised production skill.

The Red Flags:

• Pay is the legal minimum with no bonuses or incentives, and no pay progression based on performance or training.
• Training environment described as stressful and aggressive, with shouting, pressure, and sudden knowledge tests that push many employees to quit.
• High emotional strain, with some employees crying during training due to fear, tension, and unrealistic expectations.
• New staff placed on repetitive powder packing for long periods, with little initial guidance or clear development path.
• Frequent task switching with no consistency - workers may perform several unrelated roles in one shift depending on production demands.
• Deep cleaning for full 9-hour shifts when production stops, involving repeated exposure to cleaning chemicals.
• Culture of “looking busy” - staff must re-clean already-clean areas to avoid being sent home early with reduced pay.
• Expectation to learn the Ulma machine at high speed, despite the heavy pressure and complexity, causing widespread refusal and turnover.
• No proper smoking shelter, leaving staff exposed to rain, wind, and cold.
• Severe payroll issues - late payments, wrong hours, missing payslips, and confusing holiday/sick entries due to payroll being handled in New Zealand.
• Slow resolution of pay disputes because of the time-zone gap between the UK and New Zealand.
• Job insecurity - many employees are let go after failing training or not progressing fast enough on the Ulma machine.
• Evidence of financial instability - equipment is patched instead of replaced, cleaning staff were removed, and workload fluctuations are severe.
• Cleaning responsibilities shifted to production staff after the cleaning team was dismissed due to decreased business demand.
• High staff turnover caused by stress, pressure, and low pay, creating a constantly changing and inexperienced workforce.
• Atmosphere often tense and demoralising, with minimal support from management and team leaders.

Pulsin Ltd Gloucester - Final Verdict

Pulsin Ltd in Gloucester offers a tough, high-pressure factory job with pay at the bare minimum living wage, long 9-hour shifts, and aggressive training. Production workers face unpredictable task switching, constant cleaning duties, and emotionally draining assessments. Payroll issues and poor management practices add to stress, making this a challenging role for most.

Note: Many production workers report bare-minimum pay, intense pressure, stressful and fast-paced training, and strict behaviour expectations on the factory floor. While some colleagues are supportive, the overall atmosphere is often described as demanding, inconsistent, and mentally draining.

If you’re considering a job at Pulsin Ltd, make sure you fully understand the day-to-day conditions, training expectations, and workload realities before accepting a position.