Stevens & Bolton LLP has advised Business Growth Fund (BGF) on its recent minority investment in Joe’s Gourmet Foods Limited (trading as Joe & Seph’s), a gourmet popcorn manufacturing company.
Joe & Seph's are a family run business, launched in 2010, with a mission to produce the best tasting popcorn in the world. Their range of popcorn products and caramel sauces are handmade in London by a small team of pastry chefs and have won over 40 Great Taste Awards from the Guild of Fine Food.
The investment from BGF provides Joe & Seph’s with financing to support their next stage of growth, helping to maintain the premium positioning of their brand whilst expanding the company to achieve greater success.
Jonathan Simon, investor at BGF commented: “The team at S&B are very commercial and drew on their breadth of expertise, helping us reach a positive outcome. We look forward to continuing to work with them on future transactions.”
Joe Bedford, corporate partner at Stevens & Bolton commented: “We were delighted to work with the BGF team on this transaction. We wish both BGF and Joe & Seph’s every success with the business going forward.”
Stevens & Bolton has been working with BGF for several years on a number of separate growth finance investments, supporting BGF in its goal to offer growing companies and ambitious entrepreneurs in the UK and Ireland with patient capital and strategic support. This is the second BGF investment Stevens & Bolton have advised on that features a company listed in the top 50 of the Times Export Track 100, following BGF’s investment in tech company Dianomi in May 2018.
The S&B team was led by corporate partner Joe Bedford, supported by Bethany Sheen, Katherine Shaw and Emily Hocken (corporate), Melanie Shone (corporate tax), Alex Watts (real estate), Charlotte Tillett (intellectual property), Kate Fellows-Tully (pensions) and Rachel Collins (employment).