A Cheltenham coffee shop is brewing up a storm with the help of £87,000 of funding from the British Business Bank, delivered by SWIG Finance.
Business directors Julia Bogusz and her sister Kinga received Start Up Loans of £25,000 each and a joint loan of £37,000 from the South West Investment Fund (SWIF) to finance every aspect of The Coffee Cauldron in historic Montpellier, from surveys and stock right down to the crockery and cutlery.
SWIG Finance is one of the Bank’s fund managers appointed to deliver the £200m South West Investment Fund and it’s the Business Support Partner for Start Up Loans in the South West. Last year it delivered £8 million in Start Up Loan funding to more than 400 businesses across the region.
Julia Bogusz and her sister Kinga received loan funding package to finance every aspect of launching The Coffee Cauldron
Julia, 26, had been working in hospitality for a decade to fund her way through university, studying psychology first as an undergraduate degree then at masters level. “After graduation, I felt I should find a ‘big girl job’, maybe in an office, but I was really struggling to find one I was passionate about,” she said.
“In contrast, I had developed a real passion for coffee and had joked about starting my own coffee shop. Eventually, having discussed it with family and friends, I found myself considering it seriously. After all, I love being on my feet and working with people.”
Nestled in the Regency town’s Grade I listed Rotunda building (formerly Lloyds Bank), The Coffee Cauldron was born out of Julia’s desire to do things differently. “I felt that many coffee shops were rather minimalist and not very cosy – it was all very hipster, and the coffee scene in general felt like an exclusive community,” said Julia.
“I wanted to go back to the millennial cool vibe: comfy chairs, wood panelling, leather sofas – an all-round cosier aesthetic. I wanted to create a specialist coffee shop people could go to and, if they didn’t know much, they could ask questions and not feel looked down upon.
“We cater for the connoisseur who loves learning about different beans, but we also serve our own hand-made syrups and iced coffees topped with cream for people who want sweet drinks – which is around 90 per cent of customers.”
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To this end, she and assistant manager Ohla created two characters: coffee aficionado Frank and his friend, Bob, who is fond of a frappe. “It’s a great analogy for the coffee community. Everyone can find themselves somewhere in between the two – and I think most people would admit to being Bob at least sometimes.”
A new autumn menu will feature seasonal flavoured syrups including banana bread, pumpkin spice and Earl Grey, all made on site using natural ingredients; and beans from roasters including Dark Matter (London) and Boo (Brussels).
Sweet-toothed customers can opt for the fun cold brew made with Dark Matter’s Banana Bread, a blend of beans from China and Colombia with natural buttery, caramel notes – meaning Frank can indulge his inner Bob without a drop of syrup.
The business was launched in October 2025 with the help of Start Up Loans Officer Suzy Lowe and Associate Business Manager Adele Jones at SWIG Finance. “Having enquired about the British Business Bank, I discovered we were eligible for Start Up Loans, and also a SWIF loan,” said Julia.
Co-Founder Julia commented: “Being able to access both a Start Up Loan and additional funding through the South West Investment Fund made a real difference. It meant we could secure the level of finance needed to deliver our plans without having to look elsewhere.”
“I didn’t even know they existed, and it was so easy to apply for – although I had done a robust 30-page business plan, so there weren’t many questions left to answer. Being able to access both a Start Up Loan and additional funding through the South West Investment Fund made a real difference. It meant we could secure the level of finance needed to deliver our plans without having to look elsewhere.”
Adele Jones at SWIG Finance said: “Julia demonstrated a really clear and positive business proposition, supported by both family and friends. Real passion shone through and it was a pleasure for us to guide these applications to a positive conclusion, enabling Julia to create a warm, welcome inclusive environment for the residents and visitors of Cheltenham to enjoy.”
Lizzy Upton, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, added: “Access to finance shouldn’t be a barrier to starting or growing a business. Our funding programmes are designed to be flexible and can work together where appropriate, helping businesses like The Coffee Cauldron get the finance they need to put their plans into action.”
The purpose of the South West Investment Fund (SWIF) is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the South West. SWIF is increasing the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for South West smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and helping to break down barriers in access to finance.
Start Up Loans offers personal loans of up to £25,000 per director at a fixed rate of interest and free mentoring to help anyone start or grow a new or early-stage business.
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About SWIG Finance
SWIG Finance is a people-based lender that provides loans and support to help smaller businesses in the South and West Country grow. We base our lending decisions on potential rather than collateral, which means that we can often support businesses when others can't.
We’re growing every year. In 2025/26, we lent £18.4m to 506 businesses, helping to create and secure over 1,134 jobs and generate £95.2m in social impact. Download the report here.
If you’d like an informal chat about your funding requirements, get in touch with our friendly and professional team to see how we can help: info@swigfinance.co.uk / 01872 227 930