UK businesses have had to become both innovative and resilient to survive the impact of COVID and none more so than Bishop Stortford based family butchers Farm2Table which specialised in supplying quality free range products to the retail and catering trade. The Farm literally saw its business dry up overnight when the hospitality sector in the UK was forced to close down.
Farm2Table is a customer of the UK’s community bank Metro Bank. Every Metro Bank store has a local business manager who is there to solely support local businesses. Daniel Collins, the local business manager from Chelmsford Metro Bank, knew that COVID would not only negatively impact Farm2Table, but all of the local Essex family farms which supplied the company with its meat, eggs and dairy produce.
“Daniel was instrumental in helping us through the Bounce Back Loan process”, said Farm2Table proprietor Tony Hopkins. “This cash injection enabled us to invest in a consumer website, social media, new equipment and a small retail unit at Great Hallingbury, so we could offer consumers both home deliveries and a click and collect service. We were able to pivot our business to this new model and have been overwhelmed by the local support which has not only seen this business grow, but also saved the livelihoods of many local farmers.”
The UK Government created the Bounce Back Loan Scheme (BBLS) to provide financial support to businesses across the UK that were losing revenue and seeing their cash flow disrupted as a result of COVID-19. Metro Bank has extended over 36,000 government-backed business loans totalling £1.5 billion since COVID began.
“As a community bank, we are here to help local businesses with funding, mentoring and networking,” said Metro Bank local business manager Daniel Collins. “Being able to help Farm2Table respond so quickly to the changes they needed to make to maintain their business is a testament to this family and the care and concern they have for all the local farms who rely on them.”
Metro Bank’s Chelmsford store can be found at 38 High Street, Chelmsford, CM1 1BE. The store is currently open Monday – Saturday 08:30am - 6pm. Sunday: 11am - 5pm.