The Bristol office of Smith & Williamson, the accountancy, investment management and tax group, has advised on Gresham House Ventures’ investment in seafood restaurant group Rockfish.

The business, founded by Mitch Tonks, has five sites on the Devon coast and plans to open another three this year, starting with Exeter Quays in March.

Marcus Graham, Mark Benka and Claire Eggels of Smith & Williamson provided financial due diligence on the deal, which sees Gresham House take a minority stake in Rockfish.

Associate director Marcus Graham said:

“Smith & Williamson continues to grow its reputation as a leading provider of financial due diligence to the South West private equity, banking and corporate communities.

“Rockfish is a great example of a dynamic South West business which continues to succeed in what is a highly competitive sector and we are delighted to be able to support its growth plans.”

Mitch Tonks, Rockfish CEO, added:

“Our goal at Rockfish is to change the way people experience seafood in the UK, and I’m delighted that the Gresham House Ventures team has bought into our vision and our ethos of sustainable sourcing, local seafood cooked on the day it was landed and strong ethical and community values.”

Tom Makey, associate director at Gresham House, said:

“Mitch and the team at Rockfish have developed a fantastic seafood offering that really resonates with customers, with high-quality cooking, sustainable and locally sourced ingredients, all delivered from superb waterside locations.”

The Gresham House Ventures team invests equity of up to £5m in growth businesses, supporting founders with bold ambitions for the future, whilst providing transformational capital and expertise to accelerate business potential.