When Katerina and her husband moved from London to Llanwrst, they were looking for a change of pace from the hustle and bustle of the big city.  Both arts and music professionals, the pair wanted to enjoy the quiet life of the Welsh countryside, but found themselves both commuting to London one day a week for work.

Katerina has always had an interest in healthy food, and over time built up a relationship with the owner of a health food store in Llanwrst itself.  The former owner told her one day that they were tired of running the store, this presented Katerina with the opportunity to get involved with her passion and come away from the busy London life she wanted to leave behind.

Towards the end of 2015, the couple made the decision to buy the business and put their own stamp on it, as the place to buy fresh and healthy food, much of which is locally sourced.

As with many individuals looking to finance a new business, they needed additional funding in order to meet the asking price. Katerina approached us about the possibility of assisting with a Start Up Loan.  They put forward an excellent business plan, with detailed cashflow forecasts, and shortly afterwards we were able to approve the loan making Health & Food a reality for Katerina and her husband.  The money was used, along with additional investment from the couple’s savings, to purchase the ongoing business, renovate the store and buy fresh stock.

Health & Food aims to be an exciting place where people can not only buy excellent produce, but also be inspired to pursue a healthier lifestyle.  The store will continue to service the original customer base, however they plan to grow the business by selling their products online.  “We couldn’t have done it without ROCBF” said Katerina, “… their initial loan gave us the finance to get started and regular catch ups with Jackie to see how we were getting along have been wonderful.”

You can see how the store is coming along by taking a look at the Health & Food website.  If you have a business idea you would like to get off the ground or you’ve been trading for less than two years and need a little help, get in touch about a Start Up Loan today.