Why soft drink brewer Fitch is looking to raise £250,000

The start-up, based on the outskirts of Easingwold, is seeking to raise between £200,000 and £250,000 from investors who can not only provide capital but also help scale the brand.

Fitch Brew Co is open to offering potential non-executive director roles to the right strategic partners.

The business was launched by Emily Fitch Deeley and her husband Andy Deeley in early 2016.

The couple are looking to shake-up the soft drinks market and challenge the dominance of big brands such as Coca-Cola.

Mr Deeley said: “We are now ready for the next stage of growth and we are looking to raise capital from great strategic investors that can really help us grow and hopefully share our passion and vision for Fitch.”

Back in 2017, the business raised just under £150,000 on Crowdcube in just 29 hours. However, the company is now aiming to raise “smarter capital”.

The start-up’s range, including ready to drink cold brew coffees and teas, is 100 per cent natural, vegan-friendly and contains low to no sugar.

The products are currently available across the UK in independent and national chains within the food service area, with plans to roll out into retail in 2021.

Alongside the UK, the products are also available in five other countries including the likes of Bahrain, France and Spain.

Part of the cash from the current fund raise will help the brand tap into new export markets as well as looking at additional new product development.

Mr Deeley said: “There is some great excitement in the soft drinks market right now.

“Consumers are demanding provenance, transparency and natural ingredients.

“At Fitch, our mission is to brew our own exciting and innovative soft drinks, without sacrificing flavour, ingredients or the planet.”

Last year, the business launched its first sparkling cold brew tea range. The couple were inspired by a trip to New York, where they noticed that cold brew was everywhere.

“You can’t go anywhere without seeing it,” Ms Fitch-Deeley said. “I tried it and Andy tried it and we just fell in love with it.”

In 2019, the business also moved to its own dedicated brewery after having spent time co-locating with and learning from other businesses.

“We finally got to the point where we were ready to go it alone and the business was expanding so we thought let’s take the plunge,” Ms Fitch-Deeley said.

Prior to setting up their own business, Ms Fitch-Deeley worked at Brewdog in a national sales role while Mr Deeley worked in tech start-ups.