Dorset-based Outdoorfood Ltd has received a £150k business loan to relocate to larger premises following a strong period of growth.

Outdoorfood manufactures its range of Firepot dehydrated meals to help adventurers eat well in the wild. The business is led by entrepreneur John Fisher, who is a keen adventurer himself.

The business idea started when John was preparing to trek 125 miles through Greenland. But when he was unable to source high-quality dry food, he decided to create his own.

Soon afterward John’s hobby developed into a business.

Firepot differs from its competitors because John makes his recipes from real food, not powders. The meals have the same nutrients as home-cooked meals, but in comparison, they have a 70% reduction in weight.

Outdoorfood has now relocated to its new premises at Broad Oak. It is looking to expand its team, with up to 7 new roles being created over the next three years.

Of the funding, business owner John Fisher said “Our business has grown so quickly, but from a mainstream lender perspective, we are not credible on paper. Without this funding, we would have had to forgo growth while we worked with the limited resources we had in place. I have had a relationship with SWIG Finance since starting up, and although historically we raise funding through investors, we knew that the faster we got this funding in place the quicker we could push our plans forwards.”

Business manager Jordan Berg said “From the outset, I was very impressed with John. It’s clear that he and his team are very capable people who are passionate about what they do. The business is impressive, having started as a hobby and developed into an authentic brand. Their accolades speak volumes, with their meals being Duke of Edinburgh recommended”.

We have business loan funding available in Dorset and beyond.

SWIG Finance is a non-profit company that supports viable South West businesses that can’t secure sufficient funding from their bank. By empowering underserved SMEs to overcome their financial barriers, we are working to create a more balanced financial ecosystem.

We’re growing every year. In 2021/22, we lent £10.8m to 502 businesses, helping to create and secure over 1,000 jobs and generate £32.3m. For more information visit https://www.swigfinance.co.uk/social-impact-report-2022/

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.

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