Sun 10th Feb 2019 - Propel exclusive: Farmer J secures £1.9m investment to support London expansion Farmer J secures £1.9m investment to support London expansion: City of London-based, all-day market food concept Farmer J has secured £1.9m of investment capital to support its London expansion, Propel can exclusively reveal. The investment is supported by Imbiba, the specialist investor in the UK leisure and hospitality sector, alongside existing shareholders and business angels, targeting a gap in the market for “nutritious, restaurant-quality food to grab and go”. Farmer J has developed a strong following for its “build-your-own” grab-and-go field trays, which feature Mediterranean dishes made with sustainable, seasonal ingredients. Founder Jonathan Recanati said: “We are delighted to partner with Imbiba. Its operational experience and sector expertise comes at a key time for us and this new investment will accelerate our growth across London.” Recanati studied hospitality management before working as an investment banker at Deutsche Bank. He founded Farmer J in 2016 and is joined by creative chef Nick Sandler, former development chef at Pret A Manger; operations director Noel D’Arcy; marketing director Ali Recanati; and Kevin Todd, non-executive director and former group managing director of Mitchells & Butlers. The funding will enable the team to expand from its City of London sites – in Leadenhall and King William Street with a third site due to open in Canary Wharf this month. “When you combine the speed of service, fantastic product quality, very competitive price point and flexible menu format, this is a very compelling business proposition,” said Darrel Connell, partner at Imbiba. “There is a strong proof of concept in place in its Leadenhall and King William Street sites and we are really looking forward to working with Jonathan and the team, helping with their growth plans.”