St Ives’ popular seafood restaurant and bar, The Rum & Crab Shack, has invested £70k in a full kitchen refurbishment, with help from Truro-based asset finance provider, Ignition.

The Rum & Crab Shack has enjoyed pride of place on the harbour-front since it was established in 2012 and has become a favourite for locals and visitors alike with its unique blend of cocktails, seafood and ocean views.

The complete refurbishment of its kitchen has included modernising all fixtures, fittings and equipment, such as fridges, freezers, cookers and grills, as well as improved ventilation and better use of space.  The customer toilets have also been relocated and refurbished as part of the project, and the dining area has been extended with more covers added.

The Rum & Crab Shack Director, Neythan Hayes, comments:

“We’ve been keen to overhaul the kitchen for some time, to improve the working environment for our staff in the long term, but knew it would need considerable investment.  Ignition’s finance package offered competitive rates and has enabled us to spread the cost over a number of months, making the finance much more manageable. This is particularly helpful in the current climate, as rising inflation is pushing up wholesale costs and the entire hospitality industry is feeling the squeeze.

He continues: “We definitely went ahead at the right time, before the Easter holidays and the start of the busy summer season, and we’re already seeing the benefits.  Our customers are enjoying the same views, vibes and delicious food and drink that they have come to love, but behind the scenes our employees are working in a cooler kitchen with more space and much better equipment.  We really value our staff: it’s important to us that as well as providing a great customer experience, The Rum and Crab Shack is also a great place to work.”

Graham Mines, Relationship Manager at Ignition, comments: “We were happy to help The Rum and Crab Shack with this venture.  It’s great to be able to support a successful local business and I’m sure they will enjoy the benefits of their investment for many years to come.”

The Rum and Crab Shack is home to the iconic Dead Man’s Fingers spiced rum and Stargazy Cosmic Caramel liqueur.  The team are currently recruiting ahead of the busy summer season and are asking for interested candidates to get in touch.

Brookland Sand & Aggregates Ltd has purchased a suite of six machines worth £1.5m, with help from the Truro-based vehicle and asset finance provider, Ignition.

Brookland is an independent family business working out of Littlejohn’s Pit near St Austell, which recycles and processes china clay waste into high quality sustainable secondary sand and aggregates. Formed 12 years ago by parent company, Norman Cleave Plant Hire, the company produces granite aggregates and sands suitable for roads, paths and driveways and for general building use. It also supplies producers of ready-mix concrete.

Since its inception, the company has expanded rapidly and has been awarded a number of substantial contracts.  In order to keep up with this increasing demand, it has invested in a suite of used machinery over the last six weeks, including two cone crushers, a jaw crusher, an excavator and a loading shovel, worth around £1.5m.  All have been obtained on a Hire Purchase finance agreement arranged by Ignition, meaning that the purchase cost is spread by regular repayments over a set period of time.

According to Finance Manager, David Mitchell, the new machinery is already helping to boost productivity:

“Demand for our products has soared in recent years.  This is partly due to an increase in road construction, building and home improvements across Cornwall, but also thanks to our reputation for providing excellent quality products at a good price and with exceptional aftersales.

“In the early days, we used to process around 1,500 tonnes of waste on a busy day.  Now we regularly process 8,000 tonnes per day, and obviously need reliable machinery to support this.

“The machines and equipment have been purchased second-hand and have been re-purposed so that they are perfect for our needs.  We’re already benefiting from our investment and are grateful to Ignition for helping us secure them.”

Nicola Hambly, Associate Director at Ignition, comments: “Brookland Sand & Aggregates is an excellent example of a successful local business taking the opportunity to increase production to meet industry demand. It’s been a pleasure working with the team, and we’re looking forward to supporting them further as the company continues to grow.”

Truro-based Ignition, a leading provider of vehicle and asset finance for UK SMEs, has assisted a popular Plymouth gym with finance for fit-out and essential equipment following its recent relocation.

Ignition arranged a £22,000 business loan to help Plymouth Performance Gym (PPG) finance kit such as dumbbells, rings, barbells and cardio equipment, in time for its grand opening at The Millfields in Plymouth.

Established in the city for more than a decade, PPG is owned by Head Instructors, Will Badenoch and Guy Servis.  Will, Guy and their team have forged a sound reputation for delivering practical fat-loss and fitness programmes for their members, as well as high-level sports performance for athletes.  However, towards the end of last year, after emerging from a difficult period of lockdowns and pandemic restrictions, the gym faced the news that its landlord at Faraday Mill Business Park would not be extending the lease, leaving them just six months to find new premises.

Rather than rent again, Will and Guy decided to purchase a new site for the gym, which would offer greater future security and a superior experience for members, but would involve significant initial expenditure.  Will Badenoch comments:

“Losing our premises was a huge blow, particularly just when we were beginning to recover from the pandemic.  We knew that purchasing our own property was the right thing for the business long-term, but it was a big step for us financially.

“We had benefitted from a Bounce Back loan and another small loan from the bank, but Ignition’s additional support was crucial to making the move a success.  It wouldn’t have been possible without their help.”

PPG’s premises is now at a prime location in Lyster Court at The Millfields, and business is booming, with a wealth of new and existing members enjoying the new site.

Nicola Hambly, Associate Director at Ignition and a member of the Plymouth Performance Gym comments:

“It was a pleasure to assist Will and Guy in kitting out the new gym and helping the business take this important step.  They have created a fantastic fitness environment here, which will put them in a strong position for years to come.”

We had a fantastic time at ExpoWest Cornwall this week and one of the highlights was the prize draw for the iPad kindly donated by Aztek. The winner was Megan Britton, Head of Sales at Healeys Cornish Cyder Farm.

Megan is pictured receiving the prize from Jason Wilson, Group Marketing Director of STAR Asset Finance Group who drew the winning card. Congratulations Megan!