Salad bar chain Chop’d raises £2m

London-based salad bar chain Chop’d today announced it has raised £2m investment, led by private equity firm Calculus Capital, which is expected to back a major period of expansion for the business.

Founded in 2004 by former management consultant and gastropub owner Jasper Wight, former Yo! Sushi head chef Eddie Holmes, and marketing executive Simon Baker, Chop’d is a chain of salad bars with an emphasis on sustainability and healthy eating.

Since opening its first site in Leadenhall Market in 2004, the chain has expanded to nine sites across London, with stores located in high-profile locations such as Canary Wharf, St Pancras International and Selfridge’s.

The £2m Calculus Capital-led funding will back the most significant period of growth since Chop’d’s inception, with a plan to expand the chain to at least 30 sites within five years, opening branches outside London for the first time.

Eddie Holmes, co-founder of Chop’d, said: “We are passionate about healthy eating and only using the freshest, tastiest and highest quality ingredients in all of our recipes. Finding and sourcing healthy and simple ingredients is very much central to the philosophy of the chain.

“We are looking forward to working with Calculus Capital to further expand Chop’d whilst maintaining our high standards of quality.”

Rick Jones, investment director at Calculus Capital, added: “We are very excited to invest in Chop’d. Healthy eating is an increasing part of our daily lives and we all like to know where our food comes from.

“Chop’d is a very attractive business which meets our investment criteria: a strong and capable management team, a proven track record of operational experience and a successful offering. The company is entering a new phase and Calculus Capital’s investment will fund the roll-out of restaurant openings to reach new customers across London and the UK.”