Business Support Case Study: Zebedees
About the business
- Business name: Zebedees Ltd
- Support programme: Rother and Wealden Rural Business Grants programme
- Participant name: Steve Parsons
Zebedees is a nursery catering company specialising in fresh, nutritious meals, providing children with a varied and tasty diet at nursery.
Operating from premises in the village of Laughton in East Sussex, every morning, lunches are cooked from scratch and delivered daily, just in time for lunch, to 320 nursery settings throughout Kent, Surrey, Sussex, Essex and London. Zebedees currently produces over 10,000 hot lunches and 4,000 teas every day.
Why they signed up to the business support programme
Close to capacity, Zebedees recently purchased an additional business unit to increase kitchen space. As part of this expansion, additional kitchen equipment was required, including replacing their existing dishwasher for a new high-capacity industrial dishwasher.
The grant application process was incredibly simple, and the support we received from the East Sussex Growth Hub made all the difference. They guided us through every step, ensuring we maximized the funding available to us.
Steve Parsons, Director
What support they received
Zebedees received £35,000 funding through the Rother and Wealden Rural Business Grants Programme enabling them to purchase a state-of-the-art HOBART Flight Dishwasher. This new model washes much more quickly than their existing dishwasher, increasing washing capacity by 25% whilst reducing wastewater by 60% and saving 10 kW/h in energy, significantly lowering both environmental impact and operating costs.
How this has helped the business
The funding received through the Rural Business Grants Programme has been transformative. The purchase of the HOBART Flight Dishwasher has enhanced efficiency, supported growth and created new opportunities for both the team and the local economy.
Wider benefits from supporting this business
Supporting Zebedees through the Rural Business Grants Programme has had a ripple effect on the local economy. The increased efficiency has allowed for team expansion, creating four new job vacancies with a further two vacancies becoming available by September 2025.
The new dishwasher is helping to ensure sustained business growth while reducing environmental impact, aligning with Zebedees’ commitment to sustainability.
The ability to increase meal production by 25% ensures continued service of healthy, nutritionally balanced meals to nurseries, supporting young children in receiving the best start in life.
Thanks to the support we received, we were able to complete this project much sooner than expected. This has not only boosted our productivity and enabled us to create employment opportunities within our local community, it has also positioned us for further growth in the coming years.
Steve Parsons, Director
Contact
For more information on the business support programmes provided by East Sussex County Council, contact the Economic Development Team.
Economic.Development@eastsussex.gov.uk
The Rother and Wealden Rural Business Grants Programme is funded by UK Government as part of the Rural England Prosperity Fund (REPF) through allocations received by Rother District Council and Wealden District Council. The programme is delivered by the Economic Development Team at East Sussex County Council.
