Contract catering companies and event caterers incorporated as UK limited companies or LLPs are eligible to apply to Credicorp. The business model is characterised by lumpy revenue — large contracts that require significant upfront spend on food, staff, equipment and logistics, often weeks before final invoices are settled. Short-term business finance helps you take on larger contracts without the cashflow strain undermining delivery.
What contract caterers typically fund
- Bulk food and beverage purchasing ahead of large events or venue contracts
- Mobile kitchen equipment, chafing dishes, refrigerated transport
- Uniforms, tableware and service equipment for new contract mobilisation
- Staff costs between contract start and first invoice payment
- Deposit requirements from venues or event organisers
- Fit-out costs for dedicated on-site catering facilities
Matching Credicorp products to the catering cycle
Where a single large contract requires a defined sum — mobilisation costs, bulk purchasing — a Credicorp Business Loan provides a lump sum with fixed short-term repayments timed to clear once the contract invoice settles. If you are running multiple contracts at varying scales, Credicorp Flex (a revolving credit facility) lets you draw what you need per contract and repay as each one closes, keeping a standing limit available for the next opportunity. For a single large food or beverage supplier invoice, Credicorp Slice splits payment into three or four weekly instalments at a flat 6% fee.
Sector considerations
- Event cancellation risk is real — check your contract terms and consider whether deposits cover sunk costs
- Seasonality is pronounced in event catering; summer and Christmas quarter cashflow can look very different
- Growth often requires equipment investment ahead of revenue; plan finance before the contract is signed, not after
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: Finance options for UK food manufacturers, Can a specialty coffee roasting business access short-term finance?.