Mythe Farm Ltd, the diverse farm and bed and breakfast in Atherstone, is to develop a range of farm buildings into an exclusive wedding venue facility, thanks to £1.75m of funding provided by HSBC's Commercial Banking team in the Midlands. The HSBC funding will support the business in converting the new venue 'Mythe Barn', which is set to open in summer 2012 and will have the capacity to accommodate more than 70 weddings each year.

After inheriting the property in 2005 the current owners, husband and wife team Joe and Joanna Garland, expanded the farmhouse B&B to include an outdoor activities business. After extensive research into the conversion, Mythe Farm was awarded a DEFRA grant under the Rural Development Programme for England to support the project while HSBC, as part of a deal led by Commercial Manager Mike Duggleby, has provided the crucial additional funding the business needs to carry out the work and also to improve the farmhouse B&B accommodation.

Roy Harris, HSBC's Regional Commercial Director in the Midlands, said: "HSBC has a longstanding relationship with the Garland family, spanning across three generations, so we are delighted to be able to support the further growth of this strong and ambitious business. Mythe Farm is an excellent example of a local business looking to improve its business model, expand its offering and take advantage of new and promising opportunities available."

Joe Garland, Managing Director of Mythe Farm, commented: "The team at HSBC worked closely with us to turn the transaction around very quickly and to support this next stage of our business' growth. The new development will hopefully bring revenue into Leicestershire and Warwickshire from the additional visitors and employment the wedding venue generates."