Cornwall-based Vegan chocolate brand, Push Chocolate, has received a five-figure business loan following a rebranding exercise.

The funding has been used to support PR and photography for their market launch. Additionally, the funding will support an ongoing marketing campaign led by a digital marketing agency.

Based in St Austell, Push Chocolate is the brainchild of entrepreneur Ant Wilson. Ant is a self-confessed chocoholic. His love affair with chocolate began when he was a child. As Ant became more health conscious he knew he needed to do something to combat his sugar fix in a healthier way.

Ant decided to try making his own chocolate using vegan ingredients. The resounding positive feedback he received led him to begin his business journey.

Based on the motto “better chocolate for you, the environment and to put a smile on your face”, Push Chocolate is vegan with 50% less sugar than normal chocolate. The recipe uses plant-based protein and is free from all 14 major food allergens. Furthermore, it contains no palm oil and uses all-natural ingredients with cocoa sustainably sourced from Peru. The product packaging is plastic free, in recyclable pouches.

Of the funding, Ant said “As with any funding application, there are many hurdles however, my business manager Rachel was able to help me refine my rationale for funding which was crucial. Without this funding I would have needed to go down other finance routes, such as crowdfunding or equity finance, both routes take a long time to execute. With this funding in place, I can roll out our rebrand at a quicker pace, and subsequently, I can sell my products faster”.

Business manager Rachel commented “Push Chocolate is a great product and an exciting business to watch. The product itself is solving a problem that many people have not yet thought of, and more than that, Push Chocolate cares about the environment. We are looking forward to seeing how the brand evolves”.

We have business loan funding available in Cornwall 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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