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Hamper business set to double capacity with NPIF II funding

Press release 07 April 2025

A Hull family business that provides hampers for clients including Jaguar Landrover, EE and ITV is set to double its capacity following a £277,000 loan from NPIF II – Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia Debt as part of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II).

Rebecca Pickering, Letitia and Brendan Pallant from Peach Hampers

Peach Hampers provides bespoke hampers branded with clients’ logos and includes products from local artisan producers. The business was started 12 years ago by freelance graphic designer Brendan Pallant in his spare bedroom. He now runs it with his wife Letitia from its premises on Hull’s Boulevard.

The NPIF II funding will give it additional capacity to meet the growing demand. A new mezzanine floor will double space in the warehouse, providing storage for 7,500 extra hampers which can be packed in advance and ready to ship during peak times. Meanwhile a new conveyor belt and pallet wrapping machine will allow it to pack an additional 720 hampers per day, almost double the current rate. The funding will also enable it to reduce costs by bulk buying supplies in advance.

Peach Hampers serves mainly corporate clients including many well-known names, and offers hampers ranging from £30 to £500, along with vegan, gluten-free and personalised options. The company, which delivers most of its orders in the run-up to Christmas, increased sales by around 20% during the 2024 festive period compared to the previous year.

Brendan Pallant, founder and Managing Director, said: 

Hampers are a great way for companies to provide a thoughtful gift to staff or customers that requires minimal time and effort. We spotted a gap in the market for a supplier that could offer branding free of charge. Our business has gone from strength to strength but we have been missing out on valuable revenue during the peak Christmas period. The funding will enable us to overcome the constraints and move forward.

Rebecca Pickering of Mercia Debt added:

Peach Hampers is a small, family-run firm that punches well above its weight and competes with big players in the market. The business has grown organically to this point. 2024 has been a transformational year and it is now ready to take on external funding to push it to the next stage. We are pleased to support Brendan and Letitia on their growth journey.

Lizzy Upton, Senior Investment Manager at the British Business Bank, said: 

The UK gifting market is robust and Peach Hampers are capitalising on the growth in this sector, using NPIF II funding to fuel its expansion and ultimately grow its capabilities, all from its base in Hull.

Andrew Bradley of Humber Business Growth Hub provided business and fundraising advice to the company.

The £660m Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II) covers the entire North of England and provides loans from £25k to £2m and equity investment up to £5m to help a range of small and medium sized businesses to start up, scale up or stay ahead.

The purpose of the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II is to drive sustainable economic growth by supporting innovation and creating local opportunity for new and growing businesses across the North of England. The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II will increase the supply and diversity of early-stage finance for the North’s smaller businesses, providing funds to firms that might otherwise not receive investment and help to break down barriers in access to finance.

Further Information

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Notes to editors

About Mercia Ventures

Mercia Ventures is a proactive venture capital investor focused on being the first-choice partner for growth. Mercia Ventures makes equity investments of up to £10million across all sectors, with specialisms in Software, Consumer, Healthcare and Deep Tech.  

Mercia Ventures is a trading name of investment funds managed by Mercia Fund Management Limited and Mercia Regional Ventures Limited, part of the Mercia Asset Management PLC Group, and sits alongside the Group’s wider private equity, debt and proprietary balance sheet operations. The Group has 11 offices in the UK, and Mercia Ventures’ national footprint and 48 strong investment team draws on their experiences as founders, PhD scientists, software engineers, corporate financiers and management consultants to help our partner companies successfully achieve their ambitions. As at 30 September 2023, Mercia Asset Management PLC has c.£1.5billion of assets under management. Mercia Asset Management PLC is quoted on AIM with the epic "MERC".

The Group raises its own Venture Capital Trusts (VCTs) and Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) Funds, and details about open offers can be found through Mercia’s website.

Mercia Asset Management PLC is quoted on AIM with the epic "MERC" and includes the following wholly owned subsidiaries -

  • Mercia Fund Management Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 524856
  • Mercia Regional Ventures Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 183363
  • Mercia Business Loans Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 443560
  • Frontier Development Capital Limited is authorised and regulated by the FCA under firm reference number 829697

About the Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II

  • Operated by the British Business Bank, NPIF II provides a mix of debt and equity funding.  NPIF II will offer a range of commercial finance options with smaller loans from £25k to £100k, debt finance from £100k to £2m and equity investment up to £5 million. It works alongside the Combined Authorities, Local Enterprise Partnerships (LEPs), and Growth Hubs, as well as local intermediaries such as accountants, fund managers and banks, to support the North’s smaller businesses at all stages of their development.
  • The funds in which the NPIF II invests are open to businesses with material operations, or planning to open material operations, in: Greater Manchester, Lancashire, Cheshire & Warrington, Cumbria, Liverpool City Region, Leeds City Region, South Yorkshire Combined Mayoral Authority, York & North Yorkshire, Humber and East Yorkshire, Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne & Wear
  • Supported by Nations and Regions Investments Limited, a subsidiary of British Business Bank plc, the Bank is a development bank wholly owned by HM Government. Neither Nations and Regions Investments Limited nor British Business Bank plc are authorised or regulated by the Prudential Regulation Authority (PRA) or the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA).

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