Stockport manufacturer secures six-figure NPIF II investment

A Stockport-based manufacturer of British Indian restaurant-style cooking sauces has secured a six-figure investment from NPIF II – FW Capital Debt Finance, part of the second Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund (NPIF II).

Founded by brothers Ali and Mohammed Zaman in 2022, Stockport-based East at Home has enjoyed almost 100% growth year on year since it was established. Investment from NPIF II has supported the business to relocate to a new purpose-fitted facility, which has led to the creation of eight new jobs.

The newly fitted production and warehouse facility will significantly increase the company’s production capacity. The increased demand for its products sees the team focus on doubling its turnover over the next year.

Ali Zaman, Managing Director at East at Home said:

“This funding and our new facility represents a significant step forward for our family business. We’ve always believed that everyone should be able to experience authentic, chef-crafted restaurant standard Indian food at home. This expansion gives us the infrastructure we need to grow while staying true to the fresh, uncompromising quality our customers love. We’ve been cooking Indian food for over 30 years and every product is meticulously crafted from scratch by experienced chefs with decades of professional kitchen experience behind them.

“The investment from FW Capital has given us the boost we needed to scale up our operations and positions us in a strong position to double our turnover in the next year. We also have plans to expand into retail and this funding gives us the confidence to drive forward and meet our growth ambitions.”

Barry Wilson, Investment Executive at FW Capital added:

“East at Home is a fantastic example of a successful business that is enjoying fast growth and has firm plans to continue this trajectory. They manufacture everything on site at their new production facility in Ashton-Under-Lyne and then sell direct to customers, bringing restaurant quality food to homes across the UK. It’s a great family-run business success story. Thanks also go to Mark Renshaw from Access2 Finance who introduced me to Ali and Mohammed, and Mark Faulkner at NatWest who we worked jointly with us on funding East at Home’s growth plans.”

Sue Barnard, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said:

“East at Home is a strong example of how targeted finance can help an ambitious manufacturing business invest in new facilities, increase production capacity and respond to growing customer demand. The company’s expansion will create new jobs and contribute to wider economic growth across Greater Manchester. It has also been a pleasure to work with the GM Growth Hub, whose support for local businesses plays an important role in helping them realise their growth ambitions.”

NPIF II – FW Capital Debt Finance can provide loans in the NPIF II area with a primary focus on the North West regions of Cheshire, Cumbria, Greater Manchester, Lancashire and Merseyside.

The £660 million NPIF II covers the entire North of England and provides loans from £25,000 to £2 million and equity investment up to £5 million to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.