How BEAR Business Finance Can Support Food & Drink Manufacturers in 2026
"We are familiar with the food and drink manufacturing landscape"
At BEAR Business Finance, we work closely with food and drink manufacturers of all sizes, to help them secure the finance they need to stay competitive and in control.
We are familiar with the food and drink landscape and whether you're planning long-term expansion, need to smooth out seasonal cash flow, or face an unexpected tax bill, we source bespoke financing solutions that fit your specific situation.
Soft Asset Finance – Tax Efficient Upgrade Solutions
Soft Asset finance is a smart way to fund a diverse variety of requirements under operational expenditure. This helps you spread the cost without compromising your cash flow and also achieves tax efficiencies, spreading the cost of the VAT over a period of time. Utilising Soft Asset finance to fund equipment is a wise choice as it enables you to avoid using up your cash reserves buying depreciating assets.
We work with businesses to fund:
- Re-fits and new fit-outs to ensure premises are Food Standards Agency (FSA) compliant – including floors, walls, ceiling, lighting, handwash facilities, ventilation and drainage
- Food-grade machinery, processing equipment, bottling lines, ovens, racking, packaging and labelling systems. Depending on the type of machinery, Hard Asset finance may also be a funding solution
- Temperature controlled and monitored storage facilities – chillers, fridges and freezer units or rooms
- Energy-efficient equipment and plant upgrades
- Marketing, branding, rebranding
- Software and technology systems – inventory management, quality control and automation
Fast Short-Term Loans: When Time is of the Essence
"finance when you need it most"
Food and drink manufacturers often face time-sensitive challenges — a broken mixer, a delayed customer payment, or an unexpected tax bill. We understand how quickly you need to act, which is why we offer access to fast, short-term finance when you need it most.
We help clients to:
- Urgently replace or repair critical production equipment to allow your operations to continue running smoothly
- Buy stock quickly to beat price rises or supply dips or take advantage of time-sensitive discounts
- Navigate unexpected supply chain disruptions such as covering unforeseen expenses involved in sourcing ingredients from alternative suppliers during transport failures or supplier shortages
- Pay VAT or Corporation Tax bills to avoid HMRC penalties
- Fund urgent compliance needs to meet food safety regulations prior to deadlines
- Bridge cash-flow gaps while waiting for payments or during seasonal fluctuations
- Fund short-term payroll needs such as paying additional staff to fulfil a large order
Term Loans: Supporting Growth & Diversification
Term loans are designed for substantial investments where you need significant capital upfront but with long-term benefits. Expanding your premises or investing in new product development can transform your capacity but take time to generate returns. Selected elements below can also be funded by other types of business finance, we look at your individual situation to find the best fit.
We help clients source Term Loans to:
- Expand capacity by extending, moving into larger premises or securing additional space
- Diversify routes to market, examples include investing in opening a retail shop or building an e-commerce website to build direct to consumer markets
- Recruit and train new staff members as well as retain existing valued team members by introducing enhanced pay or benefits
- Manage the rising costs of minimum wage and National Insurance. Minimum wage increases have significantly raised staff costs, most noticeably for labour-intensive production lines
- Pay increased energy and utility costs – frozen and refrigerated storage, heating and production energy costs remain high. Many businesses are seeking more sustainable options but these also require upfront finance
- Invest in consultancy to improve compliance and efficiencies or achieve industry accreditations and certification. Meet regulatory changes including stricter allergen labelling requirements and adapting to HFSS regulations around high fat, salt, and sugar products
- Purchase ingredients or packaging in bulk to benefit from quantity discounts
- New product development / R&D to capitalise on trends and stay ahead of the competition
- Marketing and advertising – digital, print, events and exhibitions
Hard Asset Finance
We help businesses preserve their cash reserves by sourcing Hard Asset finance solutions, spreading the costs instead of one large outright payment. Hard Asset finance enables businesses to overcome budget constraints and access high-cost machinery or vehicles to bring greater efficiencies and productivity. You can benefit from annual capital allowance tax relief and asset bolster your balance sheet.
- Finance delivery transport such as multi-temperature vehicles, delivery vans, logistics
- Invest in assets that bring greater operational efficiencies such as forklift trucks and scissor lifts
- Purchase certain types of significant machinery
If you're running a food or drink manufacturing business and you're exploring finance options, we're here to help. Contact us today.