Chocolate manufacturer secures £675,000 investment
British artisan chocolate manufacturer The Grown Up Chocolate Company has secured an investment of £675,000 from specialist bank Aldermore to support its growth plans.
The business produces a range of handmade chocolates based on childhood classics at their facility in Essex, UK. The company employs 30 people and demand has increased from making 650 bars of chocolate a week in 2011 to 80,000 bars a week in 2017, worth an estimated £2.3 million in sales.
According to the company, the new finance facility from Aldermore will allow it to meet an ever-increasing customer demand during its busiest time of year, as the business works to supply clients with Christmas stock. The tailored facility from Aldermore will allow the company to pursue its aims for growth by increasing the reach of its sales teams.
James Ecclestone, founder of The Grown Up Chocolate Company, says, “Since I founded the business, I’ve dealt with three other finance providers and Aldermore were the first who truly understood what we wanted.
“They were quick to assess our situation and offered a flexible product which is tailored to our specific needs. We’ve always had the philosophy that if you aren’t moving forward you’re moving backwards, and Aldermore have helped us to keep moving in the right direction.”
