Real Eating Company expands with eighth outlet in Portsmouth

The store was made possible through the £190k 5-year term loan from peer-to-peer lending platform RateSetter.

By extending its reach along the south coast, the independent chain is achieving its growth ambitions as well as providing a big boost to the local economy in terms of job creation and supporting some of the UK’s local producers. The partnership with Ratesetter will allow Real Eating Company to increase the number of local people employed by 10 to 74.

Real Eating Company founder Helena said, “I really appreciated the opportunity to discuss my business face-to-face with RateSetter, which was very refreshing. The two people who came to see me were genuinely interested and took the time to understand, not just the business, but also me. As a woman in business and a sole owner, it sometimes feels like I’m not being given credit for what I’ve achieved. These were not faceless bankers, but real people who made a huge personal effort to understand my business and what I needed – it’s is a big point of difference for me and reminds me of how banks used to be.”

“I want to grow organically rather than be in a rush to expand – that keeps me in control and the growth will remain sustainable. I know though, that I have great access to finance through RateSetter. My target is to grow a business that will eventually have 15 or 16 outlets," she added.