Cidery crowdfunding to enable £250,000 expansion

A £250,000 expansion plan has been unveiled by the owners of a family-run Warwickshire cidery which is launching its second crowdfunding campaign within a year.

Jolyon and Charlotte Olivier are growing Napton Cidery to help fulfil major new contracts as well as fund an extension to the production facilities and taproom.

The couple launched the latest campaign this week to build on the success of a funding round in January, which enabled them to create new products and jobs.

Since then the business has enjoyed 97% year on year growth, expanding the ciders into more than 50 pubs and restaurants as well as securing new contracts with Ocado, Spar and Co-op Midlands stores.

Jolyon said: “We are aiming to raise £250,000 to help Napton Cidery maintain its excellent growth throughout 2022 and beyond. Our primary goal for this investment round is to be able to increase our cider volumes so that we can fulfil all of the sizeable contracts, which include exciting new relationships with wholesalers, and continue to grow at our current rate.

“After a successful recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic, we are now looking to the future. We also plan to upgrade and streamline our cider production facilities so that we can bring more of the cider making process in house, which would cut costs in the long term and grant us greater control over our products. We will also require new logistics staff as we expand into UK supermarkets.”

Over the next 18 months Napton will also be bringing the remainder of its signature ciders on to draught as well as extending the taproom following sell-out success of live comedy, music and tasting events.

A purpose-built warehouse will enable the cidery to upgrade to digital laboratory equipment as well as further increase its sustainability credentials by investing in steel tanks.

Until the end of January, investors in Napton Cidery are being invited to buy shares from £1,000 upwards, with the aim of seeing a return within three to five years.

Jolyon added: “The company is fortunate to be part-owned by an amazing group of shareholders who believe in our company values and our vision. As opposed to earlier in the year when we launched a round of funding to help us recover from the effects of the pandemic, this round is more to do with generating enough capital to continue the growth.

“Over the next five to ten years we’d like to increase our cider production tenfold, to manufacturing and selling one million litres nationally.”

 

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