BOWEN BAKERIES LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
07910148 · ltd · incorporated 2012-01-16
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Opportunity decay
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Feb 2025
Net worth
£325.6k
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Manufacture of bread; manufacture of fresh pastry goods and cakes
Sector: Manufacturing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 56103Take-away food shops and mobile food stands
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 66-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 66). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Cash flow review and working-capital discipline. Cash down -36% YoY — forensic review of receivables, stock turns, and creditor days. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 10.2y
30/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 10.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Cashflow trend is negative — lender view likely cautious.
Data confidence
Overall: high (81/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
2 officers (2 active, 2 linked, 2 with DOB)
90
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
37 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £325,557
Cash YoY
-36%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£44k
↓ 36% YoY
Net Worth
£326k
↑ 9.7% YoY
Current Assets
£278k
↑ 36% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-02-28 | 2024-02-29 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £522.8k | £371.1k |
| Current assets | £277.7k | £204.7k |
| Cash | £43.6k | £68.3k |
| Debtors | £192.2k | £92.1k |
| Net assets | £325.6k | £296.8k |
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
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (20 events)Click to expand
- 2025-05-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-04-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-04-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-10-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-04-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-03-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-08-01📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2019-07-23➕BOWEN, Paul Vincent Peter appointeddirector
- 2019-06-19📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2019-06-18🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Santader UK PLC as Security Trustee
- 2019-04-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-02-21📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2019-02-21📄withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statementpersons-with-significant-control · PSC09
- 2018-04-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-05-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2016-06-09📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2016-04-06📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-02-25🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2012-01-16🏢Company incorporatedAs BOWEN BAKERIES LIMITED
- 2012-01-16➕BOWEN, Vincent appointeddirector
Owner dependency
100/100
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.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "BOWEN" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
- +No director turnover: Company is 14 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
69/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 66. 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 14 years.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Vincent Bowen Individual · British · DOB 06/1960 · age 66 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 16/01/2017 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
🔒Co-director network graph
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
Active · Food & drink · PR postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 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
7 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
Incorporated2012-01-16
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC10710 — Manufacture of bread; manufacture of fresh pastry goods and cakes
Registered office
Bowen Pies
Botany Brow
Chorley
Lancashire
PR6 0JN
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-12
Last: 2025-07-29
Officers (2 active · 0 resigned)
BOWEN, Paul Vincent Peter→
Activedirector · ~37y · appointed 2019-07-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BOWEN, Vincent→
Activedirector · ~66y · appointed 2012-01-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Santader UK as Security Trustee Santader UK PLC as Security Trustee | A registered charge | 1 property | 18/06/2019 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | A registered charge | — | 25/02/2016 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (37 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-05-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-04-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-10-07
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-04-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-03-25
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2019-08-01
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-07-31
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2019-06-19