Country house hotel Hambleton Hall along and its associated Hambleton Bakery have secured funding to fuel expansion.
The Cumberland Building Society has provided new funding to Rutland‑based hospitality and food and drink group Hart Hambleton. Owned by Tim Hart, Hart Hambleton comprises: Hambleton Bakery, grade II listed country house hotel Hambleton Hall; and Hart’s Hotel and Kitchen.
Hambleton Bakery was established in 2008, headed up by Julian Carter who worked as a chef in Hambleton Hall. The bakery now manufactures and distributes baked goods to more than 200 independent retailers, restaurants and cafés on a wholesale basis.
It also operates a bakery cafe in Exton and eight shops in locations in Nottinghamshire, Leicestershire, Rutland and St Ives in Cambridgeshire.
Hart Hambleton said that, while successful, it sought to refinance the hotel and bakery businesses’ lending to maintain operations while opening up opportunities for future growth.
“The Cumberland Building Society understood what we have built here and what we are trying to achieve,” said Hart. “They took the time to understand the group properly, not just the numbers, but the ethos behind what we have built over the years. That level of understanding gave us confidence that we were working with the right partner.”
Hart added that the refinancing gives the group a strong foundation and breathing room to focus on “running exceptional businesses and looking after the people who make them what they are”.
The Cumberland commercial business development manager Derek Smith described Hambleton Hall and Hambleton Bakery as offering a rare combination of award-winning hospitality and a genuinely thriving food and drink operation.
“What makes the group stand out is not just the quality of what they do, but the way they do it with a real focus on people, whether that is their guests, their staff, or the local suppliers they have worked with for years,” he added.
“This long-term thinking is something we recognise and value at The Cumberland. Our approach to commercial lending is built on understanding a business properly, not just at the point of a transaction, but over time.”
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