A. & S. HILLMAN LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
00253227 · ltd · incorporated 1931-01-03
Investment thesis
Zombie company — trading but stalled; unlikely mover.
Why interesting: Quiet, steady; could be a succession or carve-out candidate with the right conversation.
Why risky: No growth signal; thin margin for error on price.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2024
Net worth
£2.45M
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Other food services
Sector: Accommodation & food service
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
- 68209Other letting and operating of own or leased real estate
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. 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 (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
5 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 58.7y
15/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 58.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (70/100)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
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
5 charges (5/5 with lender, 5/5 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (1 active, 6 linked, 5 with DOB)
87
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
115 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 £2,452,864
Key financials
1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£368k
Net Worth
£2.5m
Current Assets
£438k
Current Liabilities
—
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-12-03 |
|---|---|
| Total assets | £2.82M |
| Current assets | £438.3k |
| Cash | £368.4k |
| Debtors | £66.0k |
| Net assets | £2.45M |
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
1
filing
- • 1 persons-with-significant-control
Last 90 days
3
filings
- • 3 persons-with-significant-control
Last 180 days
3
filings
- • 3 persons-with-significant-control
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (29 events)Click to expand
- 2026-05-19📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2026-04-01📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2026-04-01📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2025-10-15📄change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortenedaccounts · AA01
- 2025-10-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2024-05-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-11-22📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-09-30➖HILLMAN, Wendy Berenice resigneddirector
- 2023-09-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-04-12📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-04-12📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-08-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-02-21📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2021-08-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-02📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2020-06-26📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2020-06-23🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Hsbc UK Bank PLC
- 2020-05-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-08-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2017-01-21➖HILLMAN, Michael David resignedsecretary
- 2017-01-21➖HILLMAN, Michael David resigneddirector
- 1999-11-23🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 1992-03-31➖BAKER, Frank resigneddirector
- 1992-03-31➖MULLEY, Brian Clifford resigneddirector
- 1992-01-08🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1992-01-08🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1992-01-08🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Midland Bank PLC
- 1967-10-17🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Midland Bank LTD
- 1931-01-03🏢Company incorporatedAs A. & S. HILLMAN LIMITED
Owner dependency
98/100
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
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "HILLMAN" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
75/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- 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.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 95 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
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 Jonathan Paul Hillman Individual · British · DOB 04/1962 · age 64 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/11/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Jonathan Paul Hillmanceased 01/01/2026· 25-50% shares
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| A-MAT HOUSING ASSOCIATION CIC→ 15741651 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
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| ANYTIME COFFEE T LIMITED→ 14159774 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| APNAC (PIZZA) LIMITED→ 02770856 · est 1992 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 33y | — | — |
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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
Incorporated1931-01-03
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC56290 — Other food services
Registered office
White Cottage
Mill Road
Marlow
SL7 1QE
England
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-08-31
Last made up to: 2024-12-03
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-25
Last: 2025-11-11
Officers (1 active · 5 resigned)
Active
HILLMAN, Michael David→
Resignedsecretary · resigned 2017-01-21
BAKER, Frank→
Resigneddirector · ~83y · resigned 1992-03-31
HILLMAN, Michael David→
Resigneddirector · ~93y · resigned 2017-01-21
HILLMAN, Wendy Berenice→
Resigneddirector · ~91y · resigned 2023-09-30
MULLEY, Brian Clifford→
Resigneddirector · ~91y · resigned 1992-03-31
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
5
Total charges
4
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:5 of 5 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc UK Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 23/06/2020 | — | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Fixed and floating charge | 1 property | 08/01/1992 | — | |
| satisfied | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 2 properties | 08/01/1992 | 23/11/1999 | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank PLC | Legal charge | 2 properties | 08/01/1992 | — | |
| outstanding | Midland Bank Midland Bank LTD | Mortgage | 1 property | 17/10/1967 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (115 total)
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2026-05-19
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2026-04-01
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2026-04-01
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-20
change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
accounts · AA01
2025-10-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-10-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-05-22
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-22
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-11-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-26
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-04-12
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-04-12
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-11-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-08-19