Has Sarah Raven saved jobs or not? And what's keeping Peter Cowgill busy?
For browsers of the Rainmakers, insights from around the country by our team of reporters in each region
Hello Rainmakers
This is your weekly freebie.
We’ve got a summary of some eye-catching deals here, including the latest investment by Peter Cowgill, the former JD chief, who clearly isn’t quietly retiring to his bar stool at the Drop Inn, Bromley Cross.
Keep reading to the end so see what he’s up to, as well as joining the board at Applied Nutrition.
Rainmakers subscribers get two unique pieces a week, but also full access to our back catalogue of investigations, scoops, and insights, including updates from The Secret Investor, interviews with entrepreneurs, and the leaders from advisory world and from VC and PE investors like Endless, and River Capital, Foresight, Mercia, Puma and LDC.
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An unusual email landed in the Rainmakers inbox this week, with the new owners of a gardening brand getting in touch to make it clear they hadn't saved all of the company's jobs in a pre-pack.
Sarah Raven will stay at her eponymous online retail business having partnered with one of the company’s major suppliers to fund the purchase from administrators.
The initial statement from Begbies Traynor claimed "the rescue of the company and all the jobs of its 110 employees was completed on July 14" but hours later Sarah Raven's PR company were telling us "unfortunately the statement regarding the saving of 110 jobs is not factually correct".
Wiltshire-based Sarah Raven Kitchen & Garden dispatches tens of millions of plants, bulbs, seeds and horticultural products to nearly a million customers.
After a period of pruning costs, it is hoped the business's fortunes can blossom once more.
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The pandemic made many of us think twice about the surfaces we regularly come into contact with in public places and how unhygienic such surfaces might be. Now, a specialist Hull-based manufacturer is pushing for a cleaner, healthier future by coming up with the world's first "self-sanitising kiosk".
Lazenby Group's self-service kiosks are used for day-to-day payments at coffee chains, cinemas, car parks and for self check-in at airports. The firm's new SafeTouch kiosk uses UVC light to kill germs after each use. This is now set to be installed at airports worldwide after the business won a major contract with Collins Aerospace, a global airport services provider. So hopefully peace of mind for us all after we've jabbed some of those grimy looking touch screens.
Lazenby has secured £650,000 from NPIF II - Mercia Debt Finance, which is managed by Mercia Debt as part of The Northern Powerhouse Investment Fund II (NPIF II) to help it expand production. The money will be used to build a new 8,000 sq ft facility at the company's headquarters to house an additional assembly line. The business also plans to boost its 28-strong team with the creation of up to 30 new jobs in the next five years.
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Warner’s Distillery has landed a spirited new backer, with French drinks giant La Martiniquaise-Bardinet taking a majority stake in the Northamptonshire-based business.
Famed for its farm-grown, flavoured gins and eco-conscious ethos, Warner’s will continue to be led by founders Tom and Tina Warner as they toast to new growth.
The distillery has built its reputation on bold botanicals and biodiversity, with initiatives like bee conservation and the Warner’s Nature Marque helping it stand out in a crowded market.
Browne Jacobson advised Warner’s on the deal, with a team led by Sam Sharp, supported by senior associate Patrick Berry and associates Tim Williams and Joe Harris.
Sharp said: “This is a significant milestone for Warner’s Distillery, enabling them to drive their business both in the UK and internationally, while continuing to innovate within the spirits industry. It was a pleasure to give our expertise in the industry to help another British brand expand globally.”
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If you’d subscribed to our twice weekly newsletter you will have seen an interview with 9 Others founder Matthew Stafford and entrepreneurs have been helped by this fascinating global format for what sounds like business therapy sessions for founders.
You’ll also have read Rob Buckland’s look back at the twists and turns of Gradwell, the Bath-based telecoms business founded by Peter Gradwell.
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Severn Trent Services (STS) has made a splash by acquiring Reigate Environment Services, a specialist water treatment and hygiene company based in Redhill, Surrey.
Founded in 2010, Reigate keeps closed water and air systems flowing smoothly with treatment and cleaning services.
This acquisition helps STS strengthen its position in the water services market, especially in closed system treatment and pre-commissioning cleaning, keeping everything shipshape.
Customers of both STS and Reigate will now enjoy a bigger pool of services, deeper technical expertise, and access to STS’s digital compliance tools like Aqualytix, making sure everything stays crystal clear.
Reigate’s directors, Paris Catacos and Gareth Ford, will stay at the helm, ensuring the business sails on steady waters under the Severn Trent Group.
Andrew Lee, managing director of STS said: “I am delighted to welcome Paris, Gareth, and their team to the Severn Trent Group. They have built an impressive business, and we very much look forward to working with them to build on the brilliant foundations they have laid. The water treatment market is a key area of focus for us and is one in which we will continue to develop our offering.”
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Finally, thanks for your patience. Former JD Sports executive chairman Peter Cowgill has invested £2.5m in Chillblast, which makes high performance consumer gaming PCs, taking its total investor backing to £10.5m, in a round led by Liverpool’s Arete Capital Partners.
In a standout first year of trading, the business delivered £37m in revenue and is forecasting an additional 35% growth this year.
Cowgill is also non-executive chairman of the group, which also supplies eSports teams and games developers and provides AI-enabled workstations to high technology businesses across the UK, employing more than 100 people across its Warrington and Bradford locations and holds partnerships with brands including Williams F1 eSports, for which it supplies driver simulators globally.
Cowgill, who has supported the development of a number of high profile consumer businesses – including The Fragrance Shop, Yours Clothing and Applied Nutrition, which was the UK’s second-largest IPO last year – brings significant experience in scaling fast growth brands.
Peter Cowgill said: “Over the years, I’ve identified the characteristics needed for success in consumer businesses.
“Chillblast has demonstrated many of these traits – high quality products, a strong leadership team, and a market that’s seeing surging demand.
“The business has achieved an impressive first year, and I’m looking forward to helping guide the next stage of its journey.”
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TheBusinessDesk.com is bringing its prestigious Rainmaker Awards to the South West after their success in its other regions.
The awards programme, which is launched today, will bring together the South West corporate finance community to showcase the best deals and teams from the past 12 months.
The 15 categories have been specially chosen to recognise the region’s outstanding teams, deals and individuals – providing a unique opportunity to celebrate dealmaking in the region.
Making these awards stand out is the fact that the winners are selected by the community themselves in a one-firm, one-vote system.
Judging will take place at a special event in September, from which a shortlist will go forward to an exclusive awards evening to be held on 26 November at Bristol’s Harbour Hotel.
In keeping with the highly collaborative nature of dealmaking in the South West, TheBusinessDesk has ditched the traditional tuxedos and long speeches associated with these events for an evening that focuses on recognising and celebrating the best work from the year.
Click here for more information.
The South West Rainmaker 2025 categories are:
Teams
Legal Team
Corporate Finance Advisory Team
VC/Private Equity Team
Debt Funder
Asset-based Lending Team
Due Diligence
Tax Advisory
Deals
Private Equity Exit of the Year
International Deal of the Year
Small Deal of the Year (up to £10m)
Medium Deal of the Year (£10m-£50m)
Large Deal of the Year (over £50m)
Individual
Rising Star of the Year
Changemaker of the Year
Rainmaker of the Year
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