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Food and farming finance

Expert legal advice in food and farming finance, supporting clients nationally with debt finance including acquisition and asset financing.  

Team of food and farming finance lawyers advising clients on agricultural finance transactions and industry challenges.

Farming in the UK takes place within a variety of structures and relationships, all governed by a complex interplay of laws and regulations.

As the industry evolves through new technologies and digitisation, the financial needs of those within it demand robust and adaptable legal support.

Our expert food and farming finance lawyers advise financiers and borrowers on elements including security over trading businesses, agricultural assets and distressed business guidance. We also offer counsel on cross-border finance transactions within the food and farming sector.

Our team collaborates with specialists across the firm, providing advice on intellectual property, tax, supply agreements, employment and family business issues. That means we are able to support clients on complex transactions such as corporate structuring for food farming businesses, mergers and acquisitions, private equity and shareholder arrangements.

What gives our food and farming finance team the edge is a genuine understanding of how relationships work within the sector – from supply chain dynamics to emerging opportunities that may be presented.

Services

Equity and debt financing

Structuring equity and debt financing solutions specific to the food and farming sector.

Corporate reorganisation and governance

Advising on corporate restructuring and governance, ensuring effective management and alignment with business objectives.

Structured financing

Expertise in negotiating complex structured financing for M&A activities within the food and farming industry.

Dairy industry financing arrangements

Financing solutions specific to the unique requirements of the dairy industry.

Asset financing of agricultural assets

Facilitating asset financing for agricultural and food production equipment, ensuring businesses have the resources they need.

Invoice discounting facilities

Providing legal guidance on invoice discounting to enhance cash flow and financial flexibility.

Distressed businesses

Strategic advice for distressed businesses, including restructuring, insolvency, and recovery strategies.

Examples of our work

Arla

Assisted Arla in merging Arla AMCo and Arla Milk Link, creating the UK’s largest dairy cooperative, including structuring financing arrangements for Arla Milk Partnership Limited members.

Summer Berry Company

Advising on the working capital facilities from HSBC for this Cibus Fund backed investee company, which operates in the UK and Portugal.

Loungers Group

Advised Loungers Group on a private equity investment (and subsequent exit) by Piper, and securing a capex facility for brand development and site fit-out.

HSBC and NatWest

Advised HSBC and NatWest on bespoke facilities to finance substantial agricultural estates and farming businesses, covering cross-collateralisation from corporate businesses, partnerships and trusts.

Medina Dairy

Supported Medina Dairy over many years in its restructuring and refinancing, offering strategic guidance to align its financial structure with long-term business objectives.

Dairy businesses

Assisted several dairy and other food businesses in negotiating invoice finance facilities.

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What others say

“Burges Salmon have put together a very good team to lead and react to my needs. Their knowledge base on specifics is exemplary and they issue regular workstream updates so that I can keep an eye on progress, without having to go through quantities of notes.”

Legal 500 UK 2025

“We’ve been very happy with its ability to handle complex transactions.”

Chambers UK 2025

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The Pink Book 2

We’ve also published The Pink Book (2nd edition), a comprehensive legal guide for landowners and farmers, covering a wide range of topics from farmland transactions to estate planning and employment law, available for free download.

Download now
Farming with tractor
Farming, agriculture, tractor

Insights

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