‘London Union’ Launches £3.5m Crowdfund to Create World’s Greatest Food Market in Central London

LONDON–(BUSINESS WIRE)–

• Today, London Union, parent company of the highly successful Street
  Feast, launches one of the biggest crowdfunding bids in history,
  looking to raise £3.5 million to build a world-class, permanent street
  food market in central London.
• Founded by Leon’s Henry Dimbleby and Street Feast’s Jonathan Downey,
  the company is backed by a distinguished advisory board of founder
  investors, including Nigella Lawson, Jamie Oliver, Yotam Ottolenghi,
  Russell Norman from the Polpo Group, Soho House’s Nick Jones, and
  several of the UK’s best known food writers, broadcasters and
  entrepreneurs.
• London Union’s street food markets were visited by more than 300,000
  people over five months this spring and summer, generating £3.5
  million of revenue and £1.5 million of market EBITDA (excluding
  overheads and costs). As many as 1.5 million people are expected to
  visit London Union markets in 2016.
• Alongside 12 local markets across London, London Union wants to create
  the world’s greatest food market – at a permanent site in an iconic
  central London location.
• Investors will become ‘Union Members’, with benefits including a seat
  on the advisory board, an invitation to the company’s ‘Annual General
  Eating’, PLUS to all London Union markets and events, and the chance
  to review a restaurant with Giles Coren or Tom Parker-Bowles.

Jonathan Downey, co-founder of London Union, said: “We founded
London Union to transform London’s food landscape, turning underused and
derelict corners of the city into vibrant street food markets. In
Lewisham, for example, we transformed Model Market – an abandoned 1950s
market – into one of south east London’s most popular weekend
destinations, with around 4,000 visitors each week.”

Henry Dimbleby, co-founder of London Union, said: “Although only
five months old, London Union is already very profitable. This
profitability enables us to open commercially-sustainable markets that
bring communities together, create employment and provide opportunities
for new food entrepreneurs to establish themselves without requiring
large amounts of capital. We are doing this fundraising so we can move
fast to open the world-class, permanent street food market that London
deserves.”

‘Union Members’ – including over 60 street food traders and advisory
board members who have already invested through previous rounds – will
help to determine the future of the business. At the company’s Annual
General Eating they will all come together to eat, drink, listen, learn
and vote together on major decisions.

In addition to 30% EIS relief available to qualifying UK taxpayers,
investor benefits include:

£5,000 investment:

• A seat at the company’s Annual General Eating.
• Invitations to all new openings and preview parties.
• A ‘Union Card’ giving free access with three guests to all venues.

£10,000 investment:

All of the above, plus:

• An invitation to London Union’s annual May Day party to mark the start
  of the spring/summer market season.
• An annual bar tab dividend of 10% (a total of £2,000 payable during
  years four and five which can be claimed earlier subject to EIS
  guidance).
• The net cost to the investor of a £10,000 investment is £5,000 after
  EIS relief and investor rewards.

£50,000 investment:

All of the above, plus:

• An opportunity to review a restaurant with Giles Coren or Tom Parker
  Bowles (first five investors only).
• Year one: a 12 bottle case of limited edition London Union gin.
• Year two: a 12 bottle case of limited edition London Union whisky.

£100,000 investment:

All of the above, plus:

• Membership to London Union’s advisory board along with the founder
  investors.
• Invitations to the bi-annual founder investor lunches/dinners.
• Year one: two 12 bottle cases of limited edition London Union gin.
• Year two: two 12 bottle cases of limited edition London Union whisky.

London Union’s advisory board:

• Petra Barran, founder of KERB
• Giles Coren, writer, broadcaster and restaurant critic, The
  Times
• Gizzi Erskine, chef and food writer, Sunday Times
• Bill Granger, founder of Bill’s (Australia/Japan) and Granger &
  Co
• Nick Jones, founder and CEO of Soho House Group
• Nigella Lawson, food writer and broadcaster
• Thomasina Miers, co-founder/director of Wahaca and writer,
  Guardian
• Jamie Oliver, chef, broadcaster and restaurateur
• Marina O’Loughlin, writer and restaurant critic, The Guardian
• Yotam Ottolenghi, co-owner of Ottolenghi and Nopi, and food
  writer, The Guardian
• Tom Parker-Bowles, food writer and restaurant critic, Mail on
  Sunday, and Food Editor, Esquire
• Stevie Parle, chef/owner of The Dock Kitchen, Rotorino and
  Craft London
• José Pizarro, chef/owner of José and Pizarro
• Mark Sainsbury, owner of the Zetter Group and Grain Store,
  co-founder of the Sustainable Restaurant Association
• Shamil Thakrar, founder and CEO of Dishoom
• Russell Norman, co-owner of the Polpo Group
• Richard Beatty, co-owner of the Polpo Group
• Richard Turner, chef/partner in Hawksmoor and Turner & George
• Rosie Boycott, Chair, The London Food Board

Stef Calcraft, who co-founded the advertising agency Mother, is
the company’s Chairman.

Ben Aronsten, Chief Marketing Officer at Seedrs said: “We are
excited London Union has chosen the Seedrs platform to provide an
opportunity for the crowds to be a part of the rapidly growing street
food movement with such accomplished entrepreneurs“.

Ends

NOTES TO EDITORS

Further details about the investment

London Union is raising £3.5m for a 10% stake in the business.

London Union is EIS approved. For taxpayers who qualify, a £5,000
investment will have a net cost of £3,500 after EIS relief and a £10,000
investment will have a net cost to the investor of £5,000 after EIS
relief and investor rewards.

Contacts

For London Union:
Emily Laws
T: 07525 756 298
E:
emily@londonunion.com
or
Elle
Macgregor-Chatwin
T: 020 7367 5222
E: LondonUnion@Headlandconsultancy.com