Complete this online form with details of your enquiry and one of our advisors will call you back.
Gable Asset Finance is a specialist finance broker for the hospitality and catering sector in the UK. We design bespoke leasing and equipment finance solutions for businesses ranging from start-up coffee shops and independent restaurants to pub groups, hotel chains, contract caterers and large-scale kitchen refits. Our specialist team understands the unique seasonal cashflow, regulatory and operational pressures of food-focused businesses and builds finance packages that let you invest in appliances, fit-outs and refurbishment projects without draining your working capital.
Purchasing kitchen equipment outright consumes cash that could otherwise be used for stock, staffing, marketing, or to weather quieter trading months. Finance lets you spread the cost over a period that reflects the productive life of the asset — essentially allowing the equipment to pay for itself through trading activity. There are additional commercial advantages to financing catering equipment:
Gable Asset Finance can arrange funding for virtually any item used in a commercial kitchen, front-of-house, or food service operation. We work with new and used equipment, and we can include installation, training and warranties in most facilities. Typical categories include:
We support a wide spectrum of food-led businesses, recognising that each type has specific needs when it comes to finance. Typical clients include:
We arrange a comprehensive suite of finance products and will recommend the structure best suited to your operational needs and accounting preferences. Common finance solutions include:
Hire Purchase allows you to spread the cost of equipment with fixed monthly payments. At the end of the term, ownership transfers to you. HP is often used for durable assets with lengthy useful lives such as ovens, refrigeration and heavy kitchen plant.
Finance leases provide long-term use of equipment with structured rentals. At the end of the lease you usually have options to buy at a nominal fee, extend the lease or return the equipment. This option suits businesses seeking predictable long-term use without immediate ownership.
An operating lease offers low monthly rentals for the right to use equipment during the lease term. The leasing company bears residual value risk and typically handles disposal or reconditioning at the end. Operating leases are popular for fast-moving technology, furniture and hospitality kit that will be upgraded frequently.
If you already own catering equipment or kitchen plant, sale and leaseback enables you to sell the asset to a funder and lease it back. This releases cash tied up in capital assets while allowing you to continue using equipment, making it ideal for refinancing and funding redevelopment or expansion.
Refinancing an existing asset can improve cashflow and restructure repayments on more favourable terms. We negotiate with lenders to refinance packages that reflect current market conditions and your business performance.
We often work directly with equipment suppliers and install partners to deliver vendor finance and point-of-sale leasing. This simplifies the procurement process and can speed equipment delivery by allowing the supplier to be paid immediately on completion or delivery through our finance arrangements.
For event-based caterers or test-trading scenarios, short-term rental is a pragmatic option — enabling you to hire equipment for a finite period without long-term commitment.
We tailor each proposal to the client’s objectives, asset life and cashflow. Typical considerations when structuring a catering finance package include:
A well-prepared finance illustration will show the monthly rental or repayment, initial deposit (if any), and any fees such as documentation, delivery or inspection charges. Where requested we include:
We frequently collaborate with kitchen designers, equipment retailers, M&E contractors and supply chains to ensure that finance is integrated seamlessly into procurement. That includes:
Background: A high-street independent restaurant planned a full kitchen refit to increase covers and improve service speed. The owner wished to avoid using cash reserves and wanted predictablemonthly costs.
Solution: We arranged a blended package: hire purchase for heavy cooking equipment (ranges, combi-ovens) and an operating lease for the FOH furniture and POS systems. Installation costs, ventilation ducting and chef training were bundled into the facility.
Outcome: The restaurant reopened after a two-week refit with modern equipment, improved throughput and a financing structure that matched cashflow seasonality. The owner kept reserves for marketing and initial stock replenishment, and the finance included a service contract to safeguard uptime.
Background: A regional coffee chain planned to open five new stores over twelve months and required standardised coffee machines, grinders, refrigeration and seating.
Solution: We structured a multi-site vendor finance programme with staged drawdowns and a centralised equipment leasing agreement. Maintenance and spare-part kits were included and negotiated centrally for cost efficiency.
Outcome: Standardised rollouts reduced delivery time and ensured consistent customer experience. The chain benefited from volume pricing and predictable monthly costs while preserving capital for lease deposits and staff recruitment.
Background: A street food entrepreneur wanted to purchase and fit out a bespoke food truck but had limited upfront capital.
Solution: We arranged asset finance covering the vehicle purchase, build-out, refrigeration and extraction systems under an operating lease to keep monthly payments low and provide upgrade options.
Outcome: The business launched quickly, with predictable running costs and an option to upgrade the truck after two years when revenues were higher. The brewer avoided large capital outlays in the crucial early months.
Choosing the right finance product should take account of tax and accounting implications. While every business situation is different, the following general points are helpful to consider with your accountant:
Sustainability is an increasing priority in hospitality. Investing in energy-efficient equipment (A-rated refrigeration, low-energy LED lighting, heat-recovery systems, induction cooking) can reduce operating costs and support ESG goals. We can structure finance to include green equipment and associated capital works, and where available, blend with government incentives or grant funding to improve payback profiles.
Downtime in a kitchen causes lost covers, reputational damage and wasted food. To mitigate risk, we recommend including maintenance and warranty packages as part of the finance arrangement. Typical inclusions:
Yes. We arrange finance for new, reconditioned and high-quality used equipment. Lenders will consider the asset’s condition, age and service history when setting terms.
Yes. Installation, ventilation, extraction and other associated site works can usually be included, subject to lender approval. Bundling reduces the need for separate invoices and simplifies budgeting.
Smaller equipment deals can be arranged quickly (days to two weeks) once quotes and documentation are provided. Larger refits or multi-site programmes may require a longer underwriting period to coordinate staged drawdowns.
Yes. For businesses that need to finance the VAT on new equipment we can arrange VAT funding that spreads VAT over convenient monthly payments rather than requiring an immediate VAT payment.
While not mandatory, maintenance contracts are strongly recommended for high-usage commercial equipment to reduce the risk of downtime and costly emergency repairs.
Guarantee requirements depend on the lender, the size of the facility and the financial position of the business. Small independents and startups may be asked for director guarantees; larger established groups with strong accounts may secure facilities without personal guarantees. We aim to negotiate terms that minimise personal exposure where possible.
If you operate a restaurant, café, pub, hotel or catering business and are planning equipment purchases, a kitchen refit or a multi-site rollout, Gable Asset Finance can structure a tailored finance solution to suit your commercial and operational needs. We deliver practical proposals, competitive pricing and pragmatic advice to help food businesses invest confidently while protecting cashflow.
Contact us today for a free consultation — have your supplier quotes, brief project plan and basic financials available for a faster pre-assessment. We’ll help you explore Hire Purchase, leasing, sale & leaseback and vendor finance options so you can choose the best path for your catering business.
Gable Asset Finance — specialist catering equipment finance across the UK: flexible packages for ovens, refrigeration, extraction, POS, and full kitchen refits that keep your business cooking while preserving working capital funds.
Gable Asset Finance has provided successful business leasing and finance provider in catering equipment sector for many years.
We provide business finance and leasing solutions on catering equipment for restaurants, hotels, bars and kitchens, professional chefs and caterers.
Gable Asset Finance provides accessibility to new equipment for young businesses as well as established ones seeking business finance and leasing through carefully tailored finance lease solutions that offer alternative fund lines to bank borrowing.