The Challenge

Shiloh Coffee Roasters were facing a bottleneck in production. Their previous coffee roasting machine had limited capacity, meaning it took far too long to fulfil orders. This was slowing down the processing of orders placed via his website, which was holding the business back and making it difficult to keep up with demand.

The Solution

Founder Mark Armstrong came to us and applied for a grant scheme funded by the Rural England Prosperity Fund, provided through Cumberland Council. He secured £7,750 towards a new coffee machine capable of handling 20kg of coffee beans in a single batch. This upgrade has halved the time it takes to roast, allowing him to produce up to 200kg of coffee per day—double his previous capacity.

The Impact

With this increased capacity, Mark is now in a strong position to scale the business. He can confidently explore opportunities to supply larger clients and expand his customer base. The new machine is also more environmentally friendly, supporting his commitment to sustainability. On a personal level, the improved efficiency means Mark spends less time working and more quality time at home with his young family.

To keep up to date with grant funding available visit our grants page here.