A coffee company has been given a shot in the arm thanks to a FEAST of support which it says will dramatically aid its growth plans.
Perkulatte, based at Weedon, near Daventry, currently roasts single origin, 100 per cent arabica beans and sells online to customers but after receiving a grant of £3,500 from FEAST (Food Enterprise Advisory Support Team), has purchased a new roaster and grinder which will enable it to not only double its output but also expand into the wholesale market.
The firm is run by partners Adam Church and Kate Dunant, and as Kate explained, that’s only part of the benefit of this new investment: “The great advantage of this equipment over our existing kit is that we can work in minimal quantities which means that when we’re creating tasting samples or small bespoke batches, we’re not wasting anything.
“We’re also thrilled that our new roaster can be hooked up to a computer so that we have much closer control of things like the bean temperature and that means we can ensure we’re getting the best possible quality out of our raw material and greater consistency from roast to roast.
“Add to that the simplicity of the FEAST application process, and the speed with which we received the grant, the whole experience just wasn’t the grind that some might think it would be.”
Over the past two years, FEAST has distributed thousands of pounds in grants to eligible food and drink manufacturers as well as offering access to sector events, technical expertise and mentoring, and with the new project, FEAST2, now under way, it’s those latter elements which prompted the pair to sign up again.
“We don’t require any further funding at this stage but we would be foolish not to take advantage of the other areas of free expertise which the project offers,” said Kate.
“We’re particularly keen on the mentoring because, let’s be honest, businesses of any size could do with having the ear of a sector expert, but especially a two-person, part-time team like us.
“In fact, we will celebrate the fifth anniversary of the company in November and we’re quietly confident that, with the help that FEAST2 is set to provide, our gift to each other will be to give up our other jobs and plunge into coffee full time.”
FEAST2 has been awarded to the Food & Drink Forum and is worth £3,934,176 in total. It will receive a further £1,967,089 in funding from the European Regional Development Fund as part of the European Structural and Investment Funds Growth Programme 2014-2020.
For more details of FEAST2, including registering your business for the free support on offer, contact Amanda Askew at The Mallows Company on 01933 664437 or email
Meanwhile for more information about Perkulatte and its range of coffees, visit www.perkulatte.com or call Kate on 0330 053 8899.