BERRY LANE BAKERY LTD
🌳Matureactive
07514337 · ltd · incorporated 2011-02-02
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 14.8y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
£-4.8k
book net assets
Opportunity
73/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Manufacture of bread; manufacture of fresh pastry goods and cakes
Sector: Manufacturing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 47240Retail sale of bread, cakes, flour confectionery and sugar confectionery in specialised stores
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 70/100. Strong seller-intent signal (78/100, director aged 67). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Resolve: Confirmation statement overdue. Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 14.8y
85/100
ready
Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.
- · Oldest live charge is 14.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Company profile
address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (3 active, 4 linked, 3 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
44 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
73/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredNegative net assets
Liabilities exceed assets by £4,844
Net assets shrinking
Down £13,244 YoY
Cash YoY
-7%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£9k
↓ 7.5% YoY
Net Worth
-£5k
↓ 158% YoY
Current Assets
£56k
↓ 24% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £7.6k | £32.9k |
| Current assets | £56.2k | £73.6k |
| Cash | £8.6k | £9.3k |
| Debtors | £37.6k | £53.8k |
| Net assets | £-4.8k | £8.4k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
1 signal detected in this company's narrative notes — going-concern language, audit opinion, contingent liabilities, related-party transactions.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (26 events)Click to expand
- 2025-11-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-06-11📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2024-10-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-06-23📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-06-21📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2024-04-29📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2023-12-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-04-19📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2023-04-18📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2022-10-07📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-09-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-02-01➖COTTAM, Suna Jill resigneddirector
- 2021-09-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-03-08📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-03-08📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-02-26📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2021-02-08➕GOLDER, Paul Robert appointeddirector
- 2020-10-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-01-27📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2020-01-27📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2020-01-22➕GOLDER, Margaret Ann appointedsecretary
- 2019-12-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2011-07-25🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2011-02-02🏢Company incorporatedAs BERRY LANE BAKERY LTD
- 2011-02-02➕COTTAM, David Mark appointeddirector
- 2011-02-02➕COTTAM, Suna Jill appointeddirector
Owner dependency
83/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 15 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 67 — succession pressure is live.
Succession & seller-readiness
74/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 67. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 15 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 15 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
Red flags
1 high ·Confirmation statement overdue
highAnnual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.
Evidence: Next due: 2026-02-15
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Paul Robert Golder Individual · British · DOB 01/1980 · age 46 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 05/04/2024 |
Mrs Margaret Anne Golder Individual · British · DOB 09/1947 · age 79 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 22/01/2020 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr David Mark Cottamceased 08/02/2021· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control
- Mrs Suna Jill Cottamceased 08/02/2021· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ACE PROTEIN LIMITED→ 10802871 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| AD SHORROCK LTD→ 08235770 · est 2012 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 13y | — | — |
| AFRI FRESH LIMITED→ 16079346 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AIE PRESTON LIMITED→ 16833407 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| AMIT ICE CREAM & DESSERTS LTD→ 16150072 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ANNAVEE HEALTHY SNACK LTD→ 16521378 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BAKE & SHAKE LTD→ 16910161 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| BERRY'S PIES LTD→ 10935162 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| BETHEL BROTHERS CO LTD→ 15872938 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BIG AL'S FOOD COMPANY LIMITED→ 04458711 · est 2002 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| BILLINGSLEY LTD→ 16175443 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| BISHOP'S CROOK BREWERY LTD.→ 08738512 · est 2013 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 12y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
8 specific questions generated from this company's actual signals — liquidity, leverage, director age, charge count, red flags, age-of-company.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →🔒Advanced scoring suite
Exit-route ranking, improvement thesis, quiet-distress detector, covenant-pressure proxy, extraction monitor, approaching triggers, ownership drift, local cluster, value trap, debt capacity, archetype classification — 48+ scoring modules.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Company details
Statusactive
Typeltd
Incorporated2011-02-02
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC10710 — Manufacture of bread; manufacture of fresh pastry goods and cakes
Registered office
Myre Pole Farm Eaves
Woodplumpton
Preston
Lancashire
PR4 0BQ
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-02-15OVERDUE
Last: 2025-02-01
Officers (3 active · 1 resigned)
GOLDER, Margaret Ann→
Activesecretary · appointed 2020-01-22
View their other companies + combined net worth →
COTTAM, David Mark→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 2011-02-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
GOLDER, Paul Robert→
Activedirector · ~46y · appointed 2021-02-08
View their other companies + combined net worth →
COTTAM, Suna Jill→
Resigneddirector · ~68y · appointed 2011-02-02 · resigned 2022-02-01
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 25/07/2011 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (44 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-25
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2025-06-11
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-02-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-10-18
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-06-23
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2024-06-21
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2024-04-29
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-02-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-12-21
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2023-04-19
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2023-04-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-20
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-10-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-09-15
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-02-16