Artisan bakeries operate on tight margins and daily production cycles, with significant upfront cost in equipment and regular outgoings on flour, butter, eggs and energy. Whether you are opening a second site, upgrading your deck ovens, or bridging a gap between a large wholesale order and payment, business finance gives you options without personal liability for directors.
What do bakeries typically fund?
- Deck ovens, proving chambers, dough dividers and mixers
- Refrigeration and chilled display cabinets
- Ingredient bulk purchases — grain, dairy, chocolate — when buying ahead of price rises
- Shopfit or counter refurbishment
- New van or chilled delivery vehicle
- Food hygiene certification, packaging redesigns and labelling runs
Choosing between Credicorp products
A single large capital purchase — a deck oven, say — suits a Credicorp Business Loan: one fixed sum, clear weekly repayments, short term. If your need is more variable — buying flour in bulk when the price is right, then quieter months — Credicorp Flex gives a revolving limit you use and repay at your own pace. For a large one-off supplier invoice, Credicorp Slice spreads it over three or four weekly instalments at a flat 6% fee.
Seasonal and wholesale considerations
Artisan bakeries often see revenue spikes around Christmas, Easter and summer events. Planning Flex drawdowns ahead of these peaks and repaying afterwards is a straightforward use of the facility. Wholesale accounts — delis, restaurants, hotels — typically pay on 14–30-day terms, which can create a short cash gap worth bridging.
We lend only to UK limited companies and LLPs, and the loan is to the company with no director personal guarantee. As business finance outside the consumer-credit regime, it is not covered by the Financial Ombudsman Service or FSCS.
See also: Can a specialty coffee roasting business access short-term finance?, Finance options for farm shops and rural retail.