DAVID DEANS LIMITED
Opportunity 76/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 100 | 100 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Corporate timeline (11 events)Click to expand
- 2025-11-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-12-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-07-17📄gazette-filings-brought-up-to-dategazette · DISS40
- 2021-07-13📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2020-09-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-03-29🏢Company incorporatedAs DAVID DEANS LIMITED
- 2019-03-29➕DEANS, David Thomas appointeddirector
- 2019-03-29📄incorporation-companyincorporation · NEWINC
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "DEANS" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
- +No director turnover: Company is 7 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.
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
Red flags
cleanShareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr David Thomas Deans Individual · British · DOB 08/1962 · age 64 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 29/03/2019 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
Active · Food & drink · KY postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| R.T. STUART LIMITED→ SC021805 · est 1941 | £5.39M £3.97M–£6.81M | — | — | 16100 | 84y | 84 | 76y |
| KETTLE PRODUCE LIMITED→ SC097725 · est 1986 | £4.91M £3.62M–£6.20M | — | — | 98700 | 40y | 83 | 65y |
| ALLSON SPARKLE LIMITED→ SC089716 · est 1984 | £4.75M £3.50M–£6.00M | £14.81M | — | 5600 | 41y | 85 | 60y |
| MC FRATM LTD→ SC832929 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| MERCHANTS HOUSE CAFE LTD→ SC671669 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| MICROPOWDERS LTD→ SC671477 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| OPEN DISTILLERY LIMITED→ SC565581 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| OTG 1821 ST ANDREWS LIMITED→ SC682221 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| OVENSTONE 109 LIMITED→ SC557478 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| PATRON SAINT WHISKY LTD→ SC786888 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| SAN LORENZO BAKERY WHOLESALE LTD→ SC603030 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| SCOTCH WHISKY INVESTMENTS LTD→ SC687070 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
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 (1 active · 0 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.