A Manchester cereal café planning to expand its business has secured funding from the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II.
Black Milk café is located in the Northern Quarter of Manchester and has gone from selling baked goods to now receiving order enquiries from high-street shops such as Selfridges, Amazon and Tesco for products such as gelato, granolas and spreads.
The fund will aid the café to send orders to retailers and secure new collaborations, such as the café partnering with the English Cheesecake Company in April.
Oliver Taylor, founder of Black Milk, said: “I grew up on a council estate, and the NPIF II funding has been crucial in providing support to get to where we are today – we wouldn’t have been able to achieve what we have without it.”
The theme of sweet treats reflects his passion for desserts which stems from him previously working in French and Argentinian restaurants.
Oliver said: “We are now able to give back, and support some brilliant local charities, such as Mad Dog Street Project and Mustard Tree.”
Covering the entire North of England, the scheme provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to give financial backing to smaller or start-up businesses, to help them begin operations, scale up or stay ahead.
GC Business Finance & River Capital are responsible for issuing smaller loans to businesses specifically in the North West, ranging from £25,000 to £100,000.
Alison Darkes, Investment Manager at GC Business Finance, said: “It has been a delight to work with Oliver and Andy to provide the first NPIF II loan in Greater Manchester. They are such lovely, passionate people to work with, and the success they have achieved so far is admirable.”
The fund also aims to increase the diversity of businesses who are facing financial difficulties.
Feature image: Staff at Black Milk Cafe. Photo Credit: MC2
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