£85K Unsecured Business Loan for a UK Spirits Producer: Case Study
Manager · 8 September 2026 · 5 min read
In this article
- How a spirits producer arranged £85,000 of same-day working capital funding
- Why production and stock cycles tie up cash long before sales income arrives
- How a broker approaches a case where existing borrowing is already substantial
A West Midlands spirits producer, trading for more than 5 years, secured an £85,000 unsecured business loan through Spark Finance to support working capital at short notice. The requirement arrived with a tight deadline, and the business already carried a significant level of existing borrowing.
For producers holding stock through a maturation and bottling cycle, working capital can be committed months before it returns, which makes access to funding at short notice a practical necessity rather than a sign of weak trading.
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Background
Distilling, rectifying and blending are capital-intensive activities, with cash committed to raw materials, packaging, duty and storage well ahead of any sale. Producers therefore tend to carry more working capital tied up in stock than their turnover alone would suggest.
This producer had been trading for more than 5 years and had grown by taking on larger production runs and wider distribution. Growth of that kind consumes cash, and the business had used a range of facilities along the way to keep production moving.
By the time the latest requirement arose, the business needed funds released quickly and had limited appetite for a drawn-out process.
The Challenge
The difficulty was not the trading position but the combination of a short deadline and a credit profile already carrying a meaningful level of commitment.
- A short deadline, with funds needed on the day rather than later in the week
- A high level of existing borrowing, which narrowed the range of available options
- Registered charges across the wider group of companies
- Accounts not current at Companies House, alongside some routine administrative matters
"When a producer has stock sitting in a warehouse and a deadline in front of them, the answer has to arrive the same day. A good answer next week is no answer at all."
- Callum Pond, Manager, Spark Finance
Our Approach
Spark Finance used a multi-lender simultaneous submission, approaching several specialist lenders at once with a complete information pack rather than working through them one at a time. The business received funding within 1 day of submitting a full application.
- Submitted to several specialist lenders simultaneously to compress the timeline
- Set out the existing commitments in full at the outset rather than in response to questions
- Used open banking data to evidence current trading where filings were not current
- Presented the production and stock cycle so the cash requirement was understood in context
Outcome
The business successfully secured £85,000 in unsecured business loan funding on the same day it completed its application, meeting a deadline that would otherwise have been missed.
This allowed the business to:
- Meet the immediate working capital requirement without interrupting production
- Keep existing supplier and distribution arrangements on track
- Retain the option to review its wider funding structure later, from a stable position
The client pointed to the speed of the response as the reason for proceeding, having needed a decision in hours rather than days. This case demonstrates that established drinks producers can access unsecured business finance through a specialist FCA-authorised broker, even where existing borrowing is substantial and filings are not fully up to date.
What is an Unsecured Business Loan?
An unsecured business loan is a commercial facility advanced without a specific asset being pledged as security, assessed instead on trading performance, affordability and credit profile.
- No specific asset is pledged as security
- Can sometimes be arranged and paid out on the same day
- Existing borrowing is taken into account when affordability is assessed
- Facility sizes and terms differ between lenders
- A personal guarantee from a director may still be required
Unsecured business loans can suit producers who need working capital quickly and would rather not tie up stock or equipment as security.
Looking for Drinks Production Finance in the West Midlands?
Spark Finance is a credit broker, not a lender, and is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FRN 958123). Spark Finance works with 100+ UK lenders to find the most appropriate facility for each business, regardless of trading history or sector complexity.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can a spirits producer get an unsecured business loan?
Yes. Drinks producers are treated as trading businesses and can be considered for unsecured business loans based on turnover and affordability. Spark Finance arranged £85,000 for this producer.
How quickly can working capital funding be arranged?
Where the application and supporting information are complete, funding can sometimes be paid out on the same day. In this case funds were received within 1 day of the full application being submitted.
Why do drinks producers need working capital finance?
Production ties up cash in raw materials, packaging, duty and storage long before stock is sold. That gap between spending and income is a normal feature of the sector rather than a sign of poor trading, and working capital finance is commonly used to bridge it.
Does a high level of existing borrowing rule out further funding?
Not automatically, though it does narrow the options. Lenders will look at total affordability and at registered charges across a group, and applications where accounts are not current at Companies House can still be considered if recent trading data is provided.
The bottom line
Same-day access to £85,000 kept this producer's plans on schedule at a point where a delay would have been costly. For manufacturers carrying long production cycles, the speed at which working capital can be arranged is often as important as the amount.
Spark Finance case studies are based on real client transactions; certain details, including location and amounts, have been changed to protect client confidentiality.
Check your eligibilityAbout the author
Callum Pond
Manager
Callum manages a portfolio of commercial finance cases at Spark Finance, specialising in structuring lending for growth-stage businesses and management buyouts. He has arranged facilities from short-term working capital loans to multi-million pound secured deals.