The Georgian offices at Cavendish Corporate Finance present an image engagingly different from the nondescript architecture preferred by most banks.

Resolutely anti-fashion, the 25-strong boutique rejects anything that smacks of trendiness - like sector specialisation, of which it has a refreshingly cynical view. 'Bankers and accountants who say they are sector specialists are really just people who read one or two trade magazines. They will never have the same depth of knowledge as people working in the industry - it is a mistake to use sector specialists,' says Cavendish co-head and founder Howard Leigh.