Castle Corporate Finance was thrilled to be part of the team who won the Kent Corporate Finance Alliance Deal of the Year 2023/24 for Project Oak: the sale by the shareholders of eighth-generation, family-owned funeral director, Lodge Brothers Funerals Limited, to an Employee Ownership Trust – the UK’s first funeral director to do so.

The transaction was a collaboration between a number of prominent local professional advisers, and once again demonstrated the exceptional quality that our region has to offer. As ever it was a pleasure to work alongside Thomson Snell & Passmore and Barclays Bank.

Stuart Stepney, Castle Managing Director, commented: “We are very proud to have led this complex transaction, creating an empathetic exit for the Lodge family that safeguards the longevity and prosperity of their business for future generations. This prestigious award is testimony to the depth and quality of the professional collaborations that are possible in the region and our thanks go to all those that voted for this deal, ahead of tough competition.”