WE HAE MEAT LIMITED
Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).
Refinance opportunity
8 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 17.5y
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 17.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: high (81/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredKey financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-05-31 | 2024-05-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Cash | £38.0k | — |
| Net assets | £1.31M | — |
| Average employees | — | 4800 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
3 signals 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
- • 1 accounts
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
- 2026-02-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-10-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-10📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2024-09-10📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2024-09-10📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2024-09-10🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2024-09-10🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2024-09-10🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2023-11-08📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-09-01📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2023-08-21🔒Charge registered #8Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2023-08-08📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2023-08-08🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2023-02-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-11-07📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-11-07📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-03-15📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2022-03-10🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2022-02-10📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2022-02-07🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2021-10-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-09-30📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-09-30📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-02-26📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2021-02-25📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-02-25📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2019-03-16🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2012-06-06🔒Charge registered #5Lender: West of Scotland Loan Fund
- 2011-07-26🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2011-07-26🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2008-12-31🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2008-11-25🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2008-09-29🏢Company incorporatedAs WE HAE MEAT LIMITED
- 2008-09-29➕PATON, Alexander James appointeddirector
- 2008-09-29➕PATON, Carlyn Anne appointeddirector
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 18 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
- +No director turnover: Company is 18 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 18 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 18 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
- supportingClean filings + long tenure: Disciplined long-tenure operator — classic lifestyle-business pattern that often sells quietly.
Red flags
1 med ·Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Group structure
Cairnhill Holdings Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Cairnhill Holdings Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 22/02/2021 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr Alexander Patonceased 22/02/2021· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
- Mrs Carlyn Patonceased 22/02/2021· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DURACARE LIMITED→ SC550705 · est 2016 | £8.14M £6.11M–£10.18M | — | — | 5900 | 9y | 84 | 76y |
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| GCBW CATRINE LTD→ SC022403 · est 1943 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 83y | 83 | 74y |
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| IDENTIFICATION TECHNOLOGIES (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→ SC137822 · est 1992 | — | — | £94.2k | — | 34y | 82 | 65y |
| JOHN DAWSON BUTCHERS LIMITED→ SC245500 · est 2003 | — | — | — | 1600 | 23y | 82 | 58y |
| JOHN H MCNAE LTD.→ SC294906 · est 2005 | — | — | — | 1600 | 20y | 82 | 78y |
| NOVA DOG CHEWS LIMITED→ SC283109 · est 2005 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | 82 | 59y |
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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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (2 active · 0 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC | A registered charge | — | 21/08/2023 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 10/03/2022 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC | A registered charge | — | 07/02/2022 | — | |
| satisfied | West of Scotland Loan Fund | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 06/06/2012 | 16/03/2019 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Deed of charge over debtors | 1 property | 26/07/2011 | 10/09/2024 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Floating charge | 1 property | 26/07/2011 | 10/09/2024 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 31/12/2008 | 08/08/2023 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Floating charge | 1 property | 25/11/2008 | 10/09/2024 |