Case Studies

Former baristas Theo Garcia, 24, and Alex Foss Sims, 29, met while working in a coffee shop in Gloucestershire. They started producing bottled, chilled coffee after noticing a growing demand for cold brew amongst coffee lovers.

A day in the life…running a health-conscious jams and spreads business. It’s often said that great business ideas solve a problem. I completely stand by this.

Read 40 St Pauls's story and learn how Start Up Loans helped them.

The Poptata story began in May 2015 with a temporary gazebo set up at London’s Portobello Road market over the weekend. Marco and Luca wanted to share their passion for Fries with Londoners, they knew they would love them.

Former steelworker Mark Fairley has launched his own traditional American BBQ business in a bright yellow high school bus.

Upon returning to his childhood home of Nottingham Matt Hinton, having developed a strong passion in real ale and all things hoppy soon discovered that unlike Sheffield, where he had moved from, there was a real gap in the market for a serious beer retailer.

After working in the pub industry for 10 years Peter Gardner saw the company he worked for go under and he lost his job. Deciding to start over he taught himself how to make chocolate online and set up his first storeand with the support of £10,000 from the Start Up Loans Company – Cocoa Amore was born.

After travelling from war torn Syria with her husband and three children Razan Al-Sous settled in Huddersfield, a far cry from her former home of Damascus.

Chappuccino is a café in the heart of Chapeltown, Sheffield, run by Olivia Fisher and her mum, Claire.

Laura Burlison from Northumberland received her Start Up Loan 18 months ago and used it to start 'The Paddock – Fresh Food Delivered from the Land to your Hand.'

Office Pantry deliver snack packs and fresh fruit to offices right across the UK, with an optional honesty box for school staff rooms and companies on tight budgets.

Tony Singh was unemployed before starting his own business, Caffe Venecia, in the centre of Huddersfield in November 2013.

Mike Turner and his partner Krisi started their Brighton-based tea mixology company, Bird & Blend Tea Co., with the help of a Start Up Loan.

Lucy & Meriel both received a Start Up Loan of £7,000 for their frozen yoghurt ice lolly business Claudi & Fin.

After winning the ‘PitchUp to Sainsbury’s’ competition in 2013, the lollies are now stocked in over 700 stores across the UK and Ireland. We spoke to co-founder Lucy Woodhouse about her startup experience of finding workspace and how it has changed as the business has developed.

Seaweed & Co, was founded by Craig Rose with the help of a Start Up Loan. Based in North Shields, this international seaweed seller is all about what Craig describes as ‘the most exciting superfood around.’