Online butcher Farmison & Co intends to accelerate growth after investor Inverleith acquired a majority stake in the business.

Farmison will also appoint Christine Cross as chair, bringing a wealth of retail experience from some of the industry’s biggest names.

Store worker checking iPad at checkout of Farmison & Co butcher

Farmison has won investment from Inverleith

The funding from Inverleith, which also backs businesses including chocolatier Montezuma’s and specialist grocer Planet Organic, will enable D2C disruptor Farmison to build on its provenance, sustainability and expert positioning.

Cross, a former Tesco director who held a variety of executive roles before taking up non-executive positions at businesses including Next and was also formerly chief retail advisor to PwC, will help Farmison funder and chief executive John Pallagi take the business to a new stage. 

Pallagi, who launched Farmison in 2011, said: “We now have the backing to take the business to the next stage and for our mission to encourage more people to eat better meat.

“We have spent time searching for the right partner to take our business forward. This investment will help drive production standards across the wider sector, help educate consumers and help us explain more powerfully why better meat is better for customers, the planet and the long-term success of the farming sector in the UK.

“Inverleith specialises in and understands premium consumer-conscious brand businesses, and with their commercial expertise Farmison’s future is bright.” 

Inverleith chair Ben Thomson said: “We have admired Farmison & Co for some time, supporting its vision for the future of the premium consumer meat industry. 

“As consumers adopt increasingly flexitarian diets, they are choosing high-quality, great-tasting meat that has a traceable, local supply chain, delivered ethically and supporting a sustainability agenda. All these elements have been set at the heart of Farmison & Co.  

“The value and principles of Farmison strike a chord with modern-day consumers and in Inverleith’s care we will strengthen these product qualities and company values.”

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