Cool £2m funding deal for ice cream equipment businesses

Hereford-based ice cream equipment business Carpigiani UK has provided more than £2m in asset funding to its customers  following record summer temperatures and the rise of dessert lounges in the UK.

Carpigiani UK is the leading manufacturer of soft serve ice cream, artisan gelato, shakes and blended drinks machines and currently supplies some of the UK’s biggest high street cafes, restaurants and dessert lounges.

The company, which also provides development facilities, recipe guidance and display design services, says it has experienced a huge demand for its products over the past 12 months.

This coincides with the significant rise of dessert lounges, waffle houses and ice cream parlours in the UK, twinned with the warm summer weather.

The finance facilities are provided by Academy Leasing, an asset-based lender and part of the 1pm plc group of specialist finance companies. It allows both new and established businesses to spread the cost of the state-of-the-art machinery across a number of years, making the equipment more accessible, and payments more manageable against cash flow, which can often fluctuate in seasonal hospitality businesses.

Scott Duncan, sales director at Carpigiani UK, said: “The rise in popularity of dessert lounges on the UK high street and retail parks has seen a huge surge in demand for our equipment, recipe development and shopfitting services. The prolonged summer weather has also boosted urgent enquires for new and upgraded ice cream and gelato machinery to meet the British population’s appetite during the prolonged heatwave.

“Working alongside Academy Leasing allows our customers fast access to the highest quality machines to meet demand driven by the weather, which as we know doesn’t always stick around. This finance facility also allows us to work with a larger number of companies during the peak summer season, which can see sales enquiries rise four-fold. We have worked with a number of finance firms and Academy is by far the quickest and most efficient – deals are often processed and approved in a matter of hours which suits the fast moving hospitality industry and the ever changing Great British climate.

“The process of developing a concept, designing a product and creating a place to sell it from can take months before the first sale is made, so flexible finance is required for the majority of our customers.”

Michaela Dodd, from Academy Leasing, said: “Naturally, when the sun is out, Brits flock to buy ice creams, so businesses need to be ready to meet the demand, however, taking on the expensive equipment can be a big financial risk. Carpigiani have a rich heritage and history of supplying to the best quality cafes and restaurants and we’re pleased we can support them to continue to do this when the British appetite for ice cream increases. The state-of-the-art equipment, by nature, is expensive to buy outright and companies of all sizes will need assistance in purchasing it. Our specialist finance options allow them to offer the best quality products at affordable prices.”