Helping Piglets Pantry Survive The Pandemic -
Last year, Piglets Pantry was forced to close its doors during the first COVID-19 lockdown, reducing revenue to almost zero within days. Owners Steve and Jo needed to adapt quickly to keep the business afloat.
The bakery secured £17,000 in Coast to Capital Backing Business Grants towards an online sales platform. As a result, daily sales increased from 2,500 to a peak of 14,000 products sold.
Piglet’s Pantry is an Award-Winning food producer based in Worthing, West Sussex. The bakery supplies hand filled pies, handmade sausage rolls, cakes and biscuits to venues up and down the UK including but not limited to Football, Rugby, Cricket & Horseracing venues.
THE PROBLEM
Piglet’s Pantry weren’t using their website to sell to customers online. The bakery knew that with football and sports fans no longer able to attend their favourite games, new online sales would help reach fans who had to watch their favourite sports matches at home.
HOW WE HELPED
Reluctant to take on more debt, the owners successfully applied for a £17,000 Coast to Capital Backing Business Grant. The grants were aimed at helping businesses evolve, innovate or adapt to the impact of the pandemic.
THE RESULTS
Our grant helped to fund a new online site. Since launching, Piglets Pantry have gone from selling 2,500 products to a peak of 14,000 a day. They are now selling online to a regular customer base of over 1,200 in their homes.
WHERE ARE THEY NOW?
Piglets Pantry have expanded their offer and now sell packages for match days, weddings and offer afternoon tea delivery to a home customer base of over 1,200. The business now also has time to plan its expansion.
"Our application was approved really quickly so we could then pull out all the stops to develop our online sales portal, launching it in just 48 hours. The Coast to Capital grant enabled us to go from a standing start to an eCommerce business that may well even top a million pounds this year."
Jo Hunter, Owner and Managing Director