Zest Money Group

What Zest Money Group does

Zest Money Group Ltd is a UK-regulated mortgage and insurance brokerage headquartered in Colchester, Essex, serving individual consumers across Essex and Suffolk. Founded by Dan Mitchell, the firm operates as an appointed representative of New Leaf Distribution Ltd under Financial Conduct Authority reference 1004524, and is part of the Kendan Group, a diversified parent providing strategic support. The company merged with Milne Mortgages in 2025, with Eva Milne appointed Managing Director of the combined entity. As of the latest reporting, the team comprises approximately 9 employees, including qualified advisers and support staff.

The company offers a whole-of-market advisory service spanning residential mortgages (first-time buyer, buy-to-let, and remortgage products), insurance brokerage (home, landlord, private medical, and life insurance), and an online mortgage calculator. It accesses a broad lender panel including NatWest, Nationwide, Santander, Barclays, Halifax, Skipton, Aldermore, The Mortgage Works, and Pepper Money. Distribution is split between direct-to-consumer engagement via phone, email, and website contact forms, and bottom-of-funnel referral partnerships with local estate agencies, where Zest acts as an in-house adviser for the agency's buying clients. The technology layer is intentionally minimal — no proprietary platform, API, or mobile application is disclosed.

The revenue model combines one-time mortgage brokerage fees (a typical £499 non-refundable fee for standard residential cases) with commission income from insurance product placements. Customer acquisition leans on organic search, content marketing via the firm's insights/blog section, and estate agency referrals. Marketing language aside, the unit economics are those of a small, adviser-led regional brokerage with high-touch service rather than scalable, technology-mediated distribution.

Name

Zest Money Group

Legal name

Zest Money Group Ltd

Website

https://zestmoneygroup.co.uk

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Zest Money Group is a UK FCA-regulated mortgage and insurance brokerage headquartered in Colchester, Essex, offering whole-of-market residential mortgages, buy-to-let, remortgage, and protection products to individual consumers across Essex and Suffolk.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Mortgage & Insurance Brokerage

NAICS

Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (522310), Mortgage and Nonmortgage Loan Brokers (52231)

SIC

Loan Brokers (6163)

akta.pro primary industry

Residential Mortgage Brokerage (Purchase & Refinance) (FSAEAEAA)

Keywords

• Mortgage brokerage
• Insurance brokerage
• Buy to let advisory
• Remortgage services
• Protection insurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Colchester

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Mortgage Brokerage Fees: Fees charged for mortgage advice and placement services. For standard residential mortgages, a typical fee of £499 is charged, which is non-refundable. Additional fees may apply for complex cases.
2. Insurance Commission: Commission payments from insurance providers for placing insurance products. The company uses whole of market access to find best insurance cover, earning commissions from insurers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Zest Money Group is an independent, whole-of-market mortgage and insurance brokerage based in Colchester, Essex. The company places residential mortgages (first-time buyer, buy-to-let, remortgage) and arranges home, landlord, private medical, and life insurance policies on behalf of individual consumers across Essex and Suffolk, charging a typical £499 fee for standard residential mortgage advice and earning commission from insurers.

Product overview

Zest Money Group is an independent mortgage, protection and insurance brokerage serving clients across Essex and Suffolk. The company operates as a whole-of-market broker offering a unified suite of services comprising residential mortgage broking (first-time buyer, buy-to-let, and remortgage products), insurance brokerage (home, landlord, private medical, and life insurance), and a mortgage calculator tool. The company was founded by Dan Mitchell and merged with Milne Mortgages under Managing Director Eva Milne. Zest Money Group is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA: 1004524) as an appointed representative of New Leaf Distribution Ltd.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• First Time Buyer Mortgage Broker Specialist mortgage advisory services for first-time homebuyers in Essex and Suffolk, covering affordability assessment, deposit requirements, fixed and variable rate comparisons, and lender selection through whole-of-market access.
• Buy to Let Mortgage Broker Buy-to-let mortgage advisory services for landlords, including portfolio landlord support, limited company buy-to-let, HMO properties, and rental stress test navigation.
• Remortgage Brokers Remortgage advisory services to help homeowners switch deals, reduce monthly payments, release equity, or avoid standard variable rates.
• Mortgage Broking Services Whole-of-market mortgage brokerage providing expert advice, eligibility assessment, budget establishment, and deal comparison across residential mortgage products.
• Insurance & Protection Services Whole-of-market insurance brokerage covering buildings insurance, contents insurance, and combined policies tailored to individual financial situations and property requirements.
• Home Insurance Home insurance brokerage covering buildings insurance (structure protection) and contents insurance (belongings protection), with policy reviews and switching services.
• Landlord Insurance Specialist landlord insurance covering buildings insurance, contents insurance for furnished rentals, loss of rent cover, liability protection, and optional rent guarantee.
• Private Medical Insurance Private medical insurance brokerage providing access to private healthcare including consultations, diagnostics, hospital treatment, drug access, mental health support, and optional dental/optical cover.
• Life Insurance Life insurance brokerage covering term life, whole-of-life, and family protection plans, including income replacement, funeral cost coverage, children's education support, and mortgage payment protection.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• NatWestminorOthersPart of the lender network accessed through whole of market mortgage broking services.
• Nationwide Building SocietyminorOthersPart of the lender network accessed through whole of market mortgage broking services.
• Pepper MoneyminorOthersPart of the lender network accessed through whole of market mortgage broking services.
• The Mortgage WorksminorOthersPart of the lender network accessed through whole of market mortgage broking services.
• Skipton Building SocietyminorOthersPart of the lender network accessed through whole of market mortgage broking services.
• Aldermore BankminorOthersPart of the lender network accessed through whole of market mortgage broking services.
• SantanderminorOthersPart of the lender network accessed through whole of market mortgage broking services.
• BarclaysminorOthersPart of the lender network accessed through whole of market mortgage broking services.
• HalifaxminorOthersPart of the lender network accessed through whole of market mortgage broking services.
• New Leaf Distribution LtdcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZest Money Group operates as an Appointed Representative of New Leaf Distribution Ltd, which is authorised and regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA: 460421). New Leaf provides the regulatory umbrella under which Zest operates its mortgage and insurance brokerage services.
• Kendan GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerZest Money Group is part of the Kendan Group, described as providing 'Connected expertise. Exceptional journeys.' The parent company provides strategic support and brand positioning for the group of companies.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• SPF Private Clients: Whole-of-market UK mortgage broker with strong buy-to-let, portfolio landlord, and limited company expertise. Comparable to Zest on buy-to-let and BTL advisory capabilities.
• John Charcol: Long-established London-based whole-of-market mortgage broker with strong focus on complex cases, buy-to-let, and high-value lending. Comparable to Zest in advisory model but with a complex-case specialism.
• London & Country Mortgages (L&C): One of the UK's largest fee-free whole-of-market mortgage brokers, offering residential, buy-to-let, remortgage, and protection advice across the UK. Directly comparable to Zest in business model (whole-of-market advice, no proprietary lending) but far larger scale.
• Haysto: UK specialist mortgage broker focused on self-employed, complex income, and adverse credit borrowers. Comparable whole-of-market advice model with a niche-segment focus.
• The Mortgage Hut: UK online mortgage broker offering whole-of-market residential and buy-to-let advice. Directly comparable service mix to Zest with a similar mid-market positioning.

Others

• Openwork Partnership: Large UK mortgage and protection network providing compliance and infrastructure to appointed representatives. Acts as a parent/principal similar in structure (though not directly the same) to the New Leaf Distribution principal arrangement Zest relies on.
• Kendan Group: Zest's parent group providing shared services and strategic support to its brokerage subsidiaries. An enabling / ecosystem relationship rather than a competitive peer.

Emerging players

• Trussle: Online UK mortgage broker focused on remortgages and switching, targeting customers who want a low-touch digital experience. Competes directly with Zest's remortgage segment.
• Habito: Digital-first UK mortgage broker offering whole-of-market comparison and online advice. Competes with Zest for the same residential and remortgage customers but with a self-serve / hybrid digital model.

Broad incumbents

• Mortgage Advice Bureau (MAB): AIM-listed network of over 1,000 advisers across the UK offering mortgage and protection advice through local firms. Operates a similar whole-of-market, advice-led proposition but at a national networked scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/zestmoneygroup

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Zest Money Group