Healthy eating chain launches crowdfund towards northern expansion

The restaurant and bar brand is hoping to raise £500,000 for a 10 per cent equity share though investment platform Crowdcube, with £117,540 raised so far.

Reporting an annual turnover of £3.2m in 2014, the group are aiming to open 30 sites with a combined turnover of £20m over the next five years.

Adele Carnell, company director, said: “This is such an exciting time for us and will be a pivotal turning point for the company. We’ve grown Filmore & Union from scratch but we now need help funding the growth of the business.

“We can’t thank everyone enough for their continued support over the years and we hope that customers, friends and members of the public will share our vision and join us on our journey to become the leading healthy eatery in the North of England.”

Filmore & Union was founded in 2011 by Carnell and Michelin trained chef Will Pugh after the pair identified a gap in the health food market in the North of England.

The brand now operates seven sites across Yorkshire, with three more launching in Harrogate, Ilkley and Beverley over the next three months.

Carnell invested £807,000 into the company in 2014 for a new Central Production Unit warehouse and head office in Wetherby to facilitate the expansion.