
Butcher shops property loans
Butcher shop and meat processing property finance
Looking to buy a butcher shop?
Buying the premises your butcher shop or meat-processing business trades from is a significant step. We are commercial mortgage brokers who work on butcher and meat-processing property, and we know which lenders fund the building on the property loan while the coolroom and refrigeration fit-out is handled separately.
We can help you:
- Buy the premises your butcher shop or meat-processing business trades from
- Borrow up to 80% of the building and land value on standard commercial security, with the coolroom and plant funded separately. Up to 100% of the purchase price is achievable where you add equity from a property you already own.
- Purchase a retail shopfront or a wholesale meat-processing facility
- Get a better deal or conditions on your existing finance
- Release equity for a coolroom upgrade or a second shop
- Finance the refrigeration and shop fit-out alongside the property
- Arrange finance for an SMSF purchase of your premises
- Free up your working capital
- Arrange finance through a trust or company structure
Who we help:
- Established business owners who require finance between $50K to $30M
- First-time borrowers who need a beginner-friendly strategy
- Sophisticated borrowers and investors who need a unique strategy and deal structure
- Urgent, time-sensitive deals that need to move quickly
- Self-employed and trust-structured borrowers who need their income presented properly
- Commercial property owners with multi-tenancy plans



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1,000+
loans settled
$2B+
funded
Butcher shop property finance
Backing butchers to own the premises they trade from
We help butchers, meat wholesalers and processing operators buy the premises their business occupies. We handle the lender research, deal structuring and application process from start to finish. Whether you are buying a retail shopfront, a strata shop or a stand-alone meat-processing facility, we find the right lender and get it done.
Funding from $50K to $30M
from over 60 bank & non-bank lenders
- ANZ
- Bankwest
- Bluestone
- Bank of Queensland
- Commonwealth Bank
- Firstmac
- ING
- Macquarie
- NAB
- Pepper Money
- Suncorp Bank
- Thinktank
Butcher shop finance specialists
Butcher shop and meat-processing property finance is a specialist area we can assist with, for butchers buying the premises they trade from. The premises we can finance include:
- Retail butcher shopfronts and ground-floor shops
- Strata shop units in neighbourhood and shopping centres
- Stand-alone meat-processing and boning facilities
- Wholesale and distribution premises with coolroom and freezer capacity
- Owner-occupied premises with an attached processing area
The land and building are standard commercial security and value on comparable sales. The coolroom, refrigeration and hygienic fit-out are a specialised improvement, which a valuer often prices below build cost, so we fund the building on the property loan and arrange the plant separately rather than letting the specialised fit-out drag down the whole valuation.
Why businesses choose Ardent Capital Group as their broker
Execution and strategy
Strategy first, then execution. We structure your deal properly and take it to the lenders that suit your situation, so you are not approaching each one yourself.
Clear advice for smart lending
Straight answers on LVR, structure and timing, including when a deal does not stack up.
A long-term partner
We stay with you well beyond settlement, with lasting relationships and ongoing support from the team.
Finance types
The situations we finance for butchers and meat processors
A butcher shop is a retail tenancy with a coolroom, a freezer and graded drainage built into the structure. A valuer prices the building, not the refrigeration, so the plant funds separately. These are the purchases we can arrange.
A shopfront with a coolroom behind it
When you buy the premises your butcher shop trades from, a lender reads it as an owner-occupier purchase and weighs your BAS and trading history alongside the property. The building and land carry the loan, the refrigeration does not. We can help you:
- Borrow up to around 80% of the building and land value as an owner-occupier, with the coolroom and plant funded on a separate facility
- Compare full-doc, alt-doc and low-doc paths, with income evidenced through BAS, an accountant's declaration or bank statements
- Present the BAS lodgements and trading figures a lender weighs as heavily as the property on an owner-occupier purchase
- Order a valuation with trade-waste consent, graded drainage and three-phase power set out for the valuer before the inspection
- Fund up to 100% of the purchase price where you add a property you already own as additional security
- Expect indicative credit terms within 48 hours and formal approval in one to two weeks on a clean file
A processing floor and its blast chillers
A boning room, blast chillers, effluent treatment and three-phase power make a processing facility a specialised industrial building. The land and shell are assessed as commercial security, and the plant inside them is funded on its own facility. We can help you:
- Fund the land and shell as industrial commercial security, geared up to around 80% for an owner-occupier
- Finance coolrooms, blast chillers, freezers and boning-room plant on equipment terms rather than inside the mortgage
- Confirm trade-waste licensing, effluent treatment and food-safety accreditation are in place before the file goes to a lender
- Brief the valuer on three-phase power, floor loadings and graded drainage before the inspection
- Present the HACCP documentation and council approvals that show a compliant, operating site
- Show the wholesale supply contracts and trading history a credit team reads for serviceability
The butchery trades, the trust owns
Holding the shop in a discretionary trust or a company keeps the premises separate from the butchery that trades in it. A lender looks through the entity to the people who control it and to whether the guarantors can carry the loan. We can help you:
- Match a corporate trustee, individual trustees or a bare trust to lenders that accept that arrangement
- Supply the trust deed, company constitution and ASIC records with the application
- Plan for personal guarantees and a director's guarantee, which lenders require whatever the entity
- Expect some lenders to reduce the LVR for a trust or company borrower
- Confirm the land tax and GST position with your accountant before settlement
- Present the ownership your accountant and solicitor have settled, with the shop in one entity and the butchery in another
SMSF purchase of your butcher shop premises
Yes, this can be done, and we arrange it. A self-managed super fund buys the premises under a limited recourse borrowing arrangement, the property sits in a separate holding trust, and your operating company leases it back at market rent. It is a solid, compliant structure. It is also unforgiving of detail, and the detail below is where these purchases are won or lost.
We know this sounds complicated, and we can assist to make things clearer. Reach out and we will guide you through the entire process. We structure the finance and tell you which lenders will take butcher shop premises as SMSF security and on what terms, and we bring in the SMSF specialists and licensed advisers who set the fund side up, so the structure holds together from the first conversation rather than being unpicked at settlement.
- From 10 August 2026 a new arrangement can only be used for business real property: a property trading wholly as a business generally qualifies, a property with a residence attached generally does not
- The property sits in a separate holding trust, and the lender's recourse is limited to that one asset
- Your operating company leases it back in writing, at market rent supported by an independent appraisal, and the rent has to actually be paid, or it can be taxed as non-arm's length income
- The arrangement funds a single asset, so the coolroom, plant and fit-out are financed separately, outside the fund
- Cross-collateralisation is not available inside super. The fund needs its own deposit, and the 100% LVR structures available outside super do not apply
- Lenders cap SMSF lending below a standard purchase, generally between 65% and 80%, and want cash left in the fund after settlement
Equity for a coolroom or second shop
A facility written years ago rarely matches how the shop runs now. On refinancing a butcher shop we benchmark the existing loan against current options, work out what moving costs, and give you a straight answer either way. We can help you:
- Release cash out toward a coolroom upgrade, new plant or a second shop
- Reset the loan to interest only to ease monthly commitments
- Consolidate existing business and equipment debt into one facility
- Order a revaluation so the loan-to-value ratio is set on current value rather than the original purchase price
- Weigh break costs, discharge and settlement fees from the outgoing lender against the projected saving
- Present the counter trade and the wholesale debtor book separately, where the wholesale round has grown into a business of its own
Coolroom, band saw and display cabinet
A butcher purchase is the building plus coolrooms, display fridges, band saws, mincers, vacuum packers and a full shop fit-out. A valuer prices that plant below what it cost to install, so it funds on equipment finance rather than the mortgage. We can help you:
- Split the deal so the building sits on the property loan and the plant sits on equipment finance
- Fund band saws, mincers, vacuum packers and display cabinets alongside the property
- Include the shop fit-out, stainless benches and hygienic wall and floor surfaces in the plant facility
- Time the property loan and the equipment finance to settle together, so the plant is in place on the day you take the keys
- Keep your deposit working on the building, where the valuation supports it
- Finance a new-site fit-out or a coolroom upgrade in an existing shop
Our complete list of services
- Buy the premises your butcher shop or meat-processing business trades from
- Borrow up to 80% of the building and land value on standard commercial security
- Purchase a retail shopfront or a wholesale processing facility
- Fund the coolroom, refrigeration and shop fit-out separately through equipment finance
- Improve the rate or conditions on your existing finance
- Release equity for a coolroom upgrade or a second shop
- Arrange finance for an SMSF purchase of your premises
- Arrange finance through a trust or company structure
- Refinance and consolidate existing business debt
- Free up your working capital for meat stock and wages
- Bridge a settlement timing gap
- Fund a second site or business acquisition
- Provide personal and home finance for owners
- Support first-time butcher shop property buyers
- Fund the business behind the property with business loans for butchers
Our process
How it works
✓We understand your scenario
We talk through the property, your business and timeline, and any complexity in your structure.
✓We find the right lender
We match your deal to the lender on our panel best suited to it.
✓You receive clear terms and guidance
We present indicative terms and explain what we recommend, and why.
✓We stay with you beyond settlement
We manage everything through to settlement, then stay in your corner well beyond it, with ongoing support from the team.
Lender features compared
How butcher shop loans compare across lenders
| Butcher shop loan feature | Major banks | Non-bank lenders | Availability |
|---|---|---|---|
| Maximum LVR (owner-occupier) | Up to 80% | Up to 80% | Standard |
| Maximum LVR (investment) | 65% to 75% | 65% to 75% | Standard |
| Owner-occupier finance | Preferred rates | Available | Common |
| SMSF purchase | Withdrawn from SMSF lending | Up to 65% to 80% | Popular |
| Interest-only periods | Up to 5 years | Up to 5 years | Common |
| Loan term | Commonly 10 to 15 years | Up to 25 to 30 years | Flexible |
| Lease / WALE (investment) | Longer WALE preferred | Shorter WALE considered | Important |
| Approval timeframe* | 3 to 6 weeks | 2 to 4 weeks | Varies |
| Best suited for | Owner-occupiers, established butchers | Processing facilities, specialised fit-out, higher LVR | — |
*IMPORTANT: These are indicative figures only. Terms, LVRs and approval timeframes vary with borrower capacity, security type and individual lender criteria, and are subject to change. Figures are a general guide, not a quote or an offer of finance, and not a representation that finance is available on these terms.
Frequently asked questions
How is Ardent Capital Group different for a butcher shop purchase?
Ardent Capital Group brings the same method to every client: execution and strategy, clear advice for smart lending, and long-term growth. That means the right lender, structure and timing, straight advice so you borrow with confidence, and today's deal built toward where you want to be tomorrow. We are specialists in helping business owners secure finance to purchase their own property, and we understand the complex structures that often sit around it, including multiple trusts, holding companies and self-managed super funds. A butcher shop carries a specialised coolroom and refrigeration fit-out that a valuer often prices below its build cost, so we take the deal to lenders who fund the building on the property loan and the plant separately rather than discounting the whole asset. Well past settlement we stay on, ready when you add a second shop, upgrade the coolroom or refinance. Sydney is our home market, and the Sydney commercial property lending page sets out how local zoning and valuers read a deal. Every figure is subject to serviceability, lender appetite and approval.
Can I buy my butcher shop at 100% LVR?
Yes, and more often than butchers expect. A lender can advance up to 100% of the purchase price where you add security you already own, usually your home or another property, so you buy without a cash deposit. Against the premises alone, a butcher shop gears up to around 80% for owner-occupiers and 65% to 75% for investors, subject to serviceability, lender appetite and approval. We map your security position first.
How much finance can you help me access?
Funding for butcher shop premises runs from $50K up to $30M, covering a shopfront in a strip through to a retail site with its own boning room and cold rooms. Refrigeration and food-grade fit-out are usually part of the same conversation.
What is butcher shop finance?
Butcher shop finance is a commercial mortgage used to buy the premises a butcher or meat-processing business trades from, from a retail shopfront to a wholesale processing and boning facility. The building sits on the property loan, while the coolroom, refrigeration and specialised fit-out are usually funded separately through equipment finance. LVR and terms depend on the property type, your entity structure and your trading history. Ardent Capital Group is a Sydney-based finance brokerage helping butchers buy their premises across Australia.
Why use a broker rather than going direct to my bank?
Going direct to your bank means one set of lending criteria and one answer. A butcher shop or meat-processing premises is a specialised asset, and not every lender is comfortable with the coolroom fit-out and trade-waste requirements. The same business and property can get very different outcomes depending on which lender assesses it and how the application is structured. A specialist broker knows which lenders are actively writing this type of deal, how to present the trading figures, and which ones to avoid. You get the lenders that suit it, rather than working through a list and collecting unnecessary declines.
What LVR can I get for a butcher shop purchase?
For an owner-occupier buying the premises they trade from, a butcher shop gears up to around 80% of the property value with a major bank. As an investment leased to a butcher, expect around 65% to 75%. The specialised coolroom fit-out is often valued below build cost, so lenders lend against the building and land while the plant is funded separately, subject to serviceability, lender appetite and approval.
How long does the finance take from application to settlement?
For a straightforward owner-occupier purchase, most clients receive indicative credit terms within 48 hours of our first conversation. Formal approval typically follows within one to two weeks, and settlement runs on the contract timeline. Trust structures, SMSF lending and processing facilities with heavy plant take longer. We will give you a clear timeline upfront so your purchase schedule stays intact.
What documents do I need to apply?
For a full-doc application, most lenders require two to three years of business financial statements and tax returns, personal tax returns for all guarantors, and a copy of the contract of sale. Many enquiries come from self-employed butchers who do not fit neatly into a standard full-doc assessment. Non-bank lenders offer alt-doc and low-doc options where income can be evidenced through an accountant's declaration, BAS statements or bank statements. These products typically carry slightly higher rates but open the door for borrowers whose paperwork understates income. We work through your income situation upfront and identify whether full-doc, alt-doc or low-doc is the right fit for you.
Can I buy my butcher shop through my SMSF?
Yes, it is possible, and we arrange these. A self-managed super fund buys the premises under a limited recourse borrowing arrangement, so the property sits in a separate holding trust and the lender can only come after that one property. From 10 August 2026 a new arrangement can only be used for business real property, and a butcher shop or processing premises trading wholly as a business generally qualifies, whether you or a tenant runs it. Your operating company leases the premises back at market rent supported by an independent appraisal, and the rent has to actually be paid. Cross-collateralisation is not available inside super, so the fund needs its own deposit, and lenders cap SMSF lending generally between 65% and 80%. We know this sounds complicated, and we can assist to make things clearer. Reach out to our team and we will guide you through the entire process. We structure the finance and bring in the SMSF specialists and licensed advisers who set the fund side up, so you are not working it out on your own. Our SMSF retail and consumer premises page covers how a fund buys the shop a business trades from and leases it back to it.
Can you help if my bank has declined my application?
Often, yes. A decline from your bank does not necessarily mean the deal is not fundable. Banks have rigid credit policies, and a specialised premises like a butcher shop does not always fit neatly within them. Non-bank lenders assess deals differently, and sometimes a structuring or presentation issue is all that stood between you and an approval. We will give you an honest assessment of what is possible before proceeding.
How does a valuer treat the coolroom and refrigeration fit-out?
A valuer usually treats the coolroom, refrigeration, graded drainage and hygienic wall and floor surfaces as a specialised improvement, which means they often value it below what it cost to build and install. The land and building carry the market value a lender lends against, while the specialised plant adds less to the valuation than to your outlay. That is why we structure the purchase so the building sits on the property loan and the coolrooms, display fridges and processing equipment are funded separately through equipment finance. It keeps your deposit working on the property rather than on plant that a valuer discounts.
Do you charge any fees for your service?
Most of the time, no. Where your financials are complex, your structure is unusual, or the deal requires significant preparation before it can go to a lender, we may charge a small mandate fee depending on the complexity. We will always be upfront about this before any work begins.
What areas do you service?
Although we are based in Sydney, we service clients across all major Australian cities, including Melbourne, Perth, Brisbane, the Gold Coast, Adelaide, Canberra and Hobart, along with their surrounding regional areas. Wherever your butcher shop or meat-processing premises is located, we can arrange your finance.
What other finance can you assist with?
Although our main speciality is property loans for business owners, we also assist with butchery equipment finance and working capital for butchers. On asset finance, that covers band saws, mincers, vacuum packers, display fridges, coolrooms and full shop fit-outs. On working capital, we arrange business overdrafts, lines of credit and cash-flow funding to cover meat stock, wages, refrigeration repairs and seasonal Christmas and Easter peaks. We also arrange home loans, planned alongside your commercial borrowing: cross collateralisation, guarantees, shortfalls and trust income included. See home loans for business owners. Where you are fitting out rather than buying, we also arrange shop and coolroom fitout finance.
I've been a business owner for a few years now, but this will be my first loan. Are you beginner friendly?
Yes. That is our core ethos, helping you understand the right strategy, structure and clear advice from the very first conversation. Our main borrower profiles are established butchers and meat wholesalers seeking finance from $50,000 upwards for their business, so a first commercial loan is well within our wheelhouse. Smaller sole-trader and consumer-style ABN lending sits outside our field.
Can you give financial advice?
No. Arranging finance and advising on financial products are two different disciplines, and we do the first. What we bring is the credit analysis lenders require, the structuring of the facility, and the strategy for putting your application in front of lenders whose appetite matches it.
Because we act as a credit representative under an Australian Credit Licence, we do not give financial product, superannuation, taxation or legal advice, and nothing we provide should be taken as such. Where your circumstances need that input, we are happy to work with your accountant, financial adviser and solicitor to understand the full picture before anything is submitted.
The information on this page is general in nature and does not take account of your objectives, financial situation or needs.
Commercial property finance specialists
Looking to buy your business premises? Whether you're buying your first commercial property or refinancing an existing one, we can get it sorted.

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