Hedderwick Ltd, the owner of recently opened Royston-based high quality pub restaurant Banyers House, is raising £1.87m million through Bond platform, Downing Bonds.
Banyer’s House is managed by multi-award winning Oakman Inns & Restaurants and also comprises nine modern and luxurious guest bedrooms. The new pub is now trading, having opened its doors in December 2016.
Hedderwick owns another Grade II listed premises dating back to 1611 in Olney, which is to be converted into another brand new pub restaurant, also managed by the Oakman Inn team. The new site, which faces onto the picturesque central market square in Olney, is expected to open its doors by the end of 2017, subject to planning permission. Downing Bonds already has a strong relationship with Oakman Inns, having previously raised £2.6m through the Bond platform for other Oakman sites, including The Akeman in Tring, Hertfordshire.
Banyers House, supported by the Hedderwick Pub Bond
Downing Bonds allow investors to lend directly to a wide range of UK businesses via Bonds that are secured against a firm’s operational assets. This security seeks to reduce investor risk by enabling Downing, as Security Trustee, to sell these assets if the borrower defaults on the Bond.
Peter Borg-Neal, Founder and CEO of Oakman Inns and Director of Hedderwick Ltd, commented: “Both Royston and Olney really capture the Oakman ethos that a good pub should be part of a community. It’s a privilege to be able to bring a new lease of life to beautiful buildings at the heart of these market towns, creating local jobs along the way and helping with the communities’ wider sustainability efforts, highlighted by our top rating from the Sustainable Restaurant Association2.
Bond investors have helped us turn this vision into a reality and we are excited to be working with Downing in this latest project.
It’s true that there have been some headwinds for the wider pub sector. But our food-led approach, which offers people the chance to enjoy a combination of restaurant quality food in relaxed pub surroundings, has allowed Oakman to perform strongly in terms of like for like sales, giving us great confidence in the future.
Carl Crompton, Director of Nightjar Sustainable Energy, said “Scotland’s abundant renewable energy resources continue to bring huge opportunities, realised in our latest project on the River Lochy. Seeking more traditional forms of funding still proves challenging for many businesses but thanks to the support of Downing Bond investors we can be confident that the Lochy Project will build on the success of its first few months of operation and go on to become a productive energy source for years to come.”
Julia Groves, Head of Downing Bonds, said: “The Downing Bond platform only invest in established UK businesses, making our Bonds a great way to see your money make an impact in your local area. Downing already has expertise investing in the UK pub sector, having provided a total of £85m funding support for 60 pub restaurants and bars across the UK over the last 15-years. Over the last five years in particular Downing has seen a huge improvement in the quality of pubs in the market and it’s the wealth of sector experience that Oakman Inns brings to the company, which really sets this particular business apart.”