BRAYBROOKS BROS. LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
00446738 · ltd · incorporated 1947-12-17
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 Oct 2025
Net worth
£324.9k
book net assets
Opportunity
71/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Investor take
Special-situation opportunity
Distressed agriculture with salvageable qualities — special-situations priority.

Opportunity 71/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (88/100, director aged 79). Asset purchase likely safer than share purchase given structural signals. 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

3 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 78.6y

15/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 78.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (77/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (2 active, 8 linked, 5 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
98 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
71/100Strong
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
59
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £324,887
Cash YoY
+92%
Year on year

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£102k
↑ 92% YoY
Net Worth
£325k
↑ 22% YoY
Current Assets
£105k
↑ 58% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£65k£130k£195k£260k£325kOct 2024Oct 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-10-312024-10-31
Total assets£324.9k£266.1k
Current assets£105.3k£66.5k
Cash£102.1k£53.3k
Debtors£3.2k£13.2k
Net assets£324.9k£266.1k

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
3
filings
  • • 3 mortgage
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (34 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-02-20
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  2. 2026-02-20
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  3. 2026-02-20
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  4. 2026-02-20
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  5. 2026-02-20
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  6. 2026-02-20
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  7. 2025-11-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2024-12-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2023-12-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2023-01-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2022-02-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  12. 2021-02-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2020-04-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2019-02-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-12-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2017-07-24
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  17. 2016-12-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  18. 2016-06-30
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  19. 2016-01-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  20. 2002-07-23
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
  21. 1997-04-03
    ➕
    START, Peter appointed
    secretary
  22. 1997-04-03
    ➖
    DRURY, Barbara Christine resigned
    secretary
  23. 1997-03-26
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Midland Bank PLC
  24. 1996-04-05
    ➕
    START, Pauline Ann appointed
    director
  25. 1996-04-05
    ➕
    DRURY, Barbara Christine appointed
    secretary
  26. 1996-04-05
    ➖
    START, Pauline Ann resigned
    secretary
  27. 1996-04-05
    ➖
    DRURY, Barbara Christine resigned
    director
  28. 1996-04-05
    ➖
    START, Pauline Ann resigned
    director
  29. 1995-10-29
    ➖
    BRAYBROOKS, Doris Evelyn resigned
    director
  30. 1994-07-28
    ➕
    DRURY, Barbara Christine appointed
    director
  31. 1994-07-28
    ➕
    START, Pauline Ann appointed
    director
  32. 1994-07-27
    ➖
    BRAYBROOKS, Leonard Kennewell resigned
    director
  33. 1948-01-09
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Midland Bank LTD
  34. 1947-12-17
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As BRAYBROOKS BROS. LIMITED

Owner dependency

100/100
Critical — business is the founder

The 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.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 30 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 79 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

100/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 79 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 30 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 79 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 high · 1 med ·
Confirmation statement overdue
high

Annual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.

Evidence: Next due: 2026-07-04

Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mrs Pauline Ann Start
Individual · British · DOB 10/1947 · age 79
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

9 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
Incorporated1947-12-17
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01110 — Growing of cereals (except rice), leguminous crops and oil seeds

Registered office

29 Stonegate
Cowbit
Spalding
Lincolnshire
PE12 6AH

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-07-31
Last made up to: 2025-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-04OVERDUE
Last: 2025-06-20

Officers (2 active · 6 resigned)

START, Peter→
secretary · appointed 1997-04-03
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
START, Pauline Ann→
director · ~79y · appointed 1996-04-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
DRURY, Barbara Christine→
secretary · appointed 1996-04-05 · resigned 1997-04-03
Resigned
START, Pauline Ann→
secretary · resigned 1996-04-05
Resigned
BRAYBROOKS, Doris Evelyn→
director · ~112y · resigned 1995-10-29
Resigned
BRAYBROOKS, Leonard Kennewell→
director · ~112y · resigned 1994-07-27
Resigned
DRURY, Barbara Christine→
director · ~88y · appointed 1994-07-28 · resigned 1996-04-05
Resigned
START, Pauline Ann→
director · ~79y · appointed 1994-07-28 · resigned 1996-04-05
Resigned

Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.

Mortgages & charges

3
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
HSBC
Hsbc Bank PLC
Debenture1 property23/07/200220/02/2026
satisfied
Midland Bank
Midland Bank PLC
Legal mortgage5 properties26/03/199720/02/2026
satisfied
Midland Bank
Midland Bank LTD
Mortgage1 property09/01/194820/02/2026

Recent filings (98 total)

mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-02-20
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-02-20
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-02-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-01-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-06-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-02-11
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-02-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-06-23