Member Article

Hospitality entrepreneurs purchase Skipton healthy café venture with bank support

Skipton-based entrepreneurs Andy and Rachael Higgins have bought Healthy Life and Wild Oats Café at 10 The High Street, Skipton with funding support from NatWest.

Healthy Life sells a range of natural supplements, vitamins and health foods while the café serves a vegetarian offering accompanied by a selection of coffees, teas and cakes.

Andy and Rachael wanted to diversify their business interests, as they also own Billy and Bertie’s gift shop. Located on High Street, Billy and Bertie’s is named after the couple’s two sons William and Albert.

Andy said: “The gift shop continues to thrive and has been a great success this year. We have won a national retail award “The Greats” and have also become a full Cath Kidston stockist but we wanted to do something different and continue to challenge ourselves.

“Healthy Life is already a good business and we wanted to build on the work that is being done there. The staff offer excellent advice on health issues and understand the products that are available for their loyal customers.

“The vegetarian café has a great team and is also a success in its own right.”

Healthy Life and Wild Oats Café employ 10 people. In the months ahead Andy and Rachael hope to grow the business and modernise the interiors of the store and café.

When the time came to obtain funding to support the purchase of the business Andy and Rachael turned to their NatWest relationship manager Liz Smith. Liz obtained a loan as part of the bank’s Funding for Lending programme which has been backed by the Government.

Andy said: “We originally worked with NatWest on developing our retail outlet after they were recommended by a colleague and we cannot fault Liz and her support team in any way.

“Liz has offered excellent advice and guidance throughout our journey and she and her team are very professional to work with which is important to us.”

Liz said: “I was delighted to support Andy and Rachael on the purchase of Healthy Life and Wild Oats Café. They already run a very successful business in Skipton and I wish them every success for the future.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Clare Burnett .