FRIEND FARMS LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
00676800 · ltd · incorporated 1960-12-02
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
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
  • · Oldest live charge 59.3y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Oct 2024
Net worth
£230.4k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 01410
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
Investor take
Pursue
Asset-holding vehicle. Family succession underway — not a classic acquisition target.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 85/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

2 live charges · oldest 59.3y

85/100
ready

Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.

  • · Oldest live charge is 59.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (78/100)

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
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (4 active, 8 linked, 6 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
108 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
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 declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £230,447

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£51k
Net Worth
£230k
↑ 15% YoY
Current Assets
£431k
↑ 9.0% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£86k£173k£259k£345k£431kOct 2023Oct 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2024-10-312023-10-31
Total assets£310.4k£292.0k
Current assets£431.3k£395.8k
Cash£50.7k—
Debtors£180.1k£186.6k
Net assets£230.4k£199.9k

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
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (28 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-07-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-05-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-06-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-04-14
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  5. 2023-04-14
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  6. 2023-04-12
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  7. 2023-04-12
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  8. 2023-04-07
    ➕
    FRIEND, Sanda Susan appointed
    secretary
  9. 2023-04-07
    ➕
    FRIEND, Alexander James Hinchliffe appointed
    director
  10. 2022-11-21
    ➖
    FRIEND, Flavia Frederica resigned
    secretary
  11. 2022-11-21
    ➖
    FRIEND, Flavia Frederica resigned
    director
  12. 2022-07-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2021-07-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2020-07-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2019-07-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2018-07-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  17. 2017-08-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  18. 2016-05-03
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-current-extended
    accounts · AA01
  19. 2007-07-05
    ➕
    FRIEND, Sanda Susan appointed
    director
  20. 2007-07-05
    ➖
    FRIEND, Edward Charles Hinchliffe resigned
    director
  21. 2006-12-08
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  22. 2006-12-08
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  23. 2000-06-30
    ➖
    FRIEND, Irvine James Cowley resigned
    director
  24. 2000-05-23
    ➕
    FRIEND, James Irvine Hinchliffe appointed
    director
  25. 2000-05-23
    ➕
    FRIEND, Edward Charles Hinchliffe appointed
    director
  26. 1977-09-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation LTD
  27. 1967-02-10
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation LTD
  28. 1960-12-02
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As FRIEND FARMS LIMITED

Owner dependency

98/100
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
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "FRIEND" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 26 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 68 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

40/100
Moderate signal

Some succession indicators present. Worth watching; approach if sector/strategy fits.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFamily succession underway: Not a takeover target — FRIEND, Alexander James Hinchliffe (same surname) appointed 2023-04-07. Pattern consistent with intra-family handover.
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 68. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 26 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 65 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

clean
No red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)

Shareholders & ownership

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr James Irvine Hinchliffe Friend
Individual · British · DOB 03/1958 · age 68
25–50%
—25-50% shares06/04/2016
Mrs Sanda Susan Friend
Individual · British · DOB 10/1959 · age 67
25–50%
—25-50% shares06/04/2016

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

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14188491 · est 2022 · no financials extracted
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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
Incorporated1960-12-02
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01410 — SIC 01410

Registered office

The Old Rectory
Mucklestone
Market Drayton
Shropshire
TF9 4DN

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-07-31
Last made up to: 2024-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-04-12
Last: 2026-03-29

Officers (4 active · 4 resigned)

FRIEND, Sanda Susan→
secretary · appointed 2023-04-07
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
FRIEND, Alexander James Hinchliffe→
director · ~37y · appointed 2023-04-07
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
FRIEND, James Irvine Hinchliffe→
director · ~68y · appointed 2000-05-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
FRIEND, Sanda Susan→
director · ~67y · appointed 2007-07-05
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
FRIEND, Flavia Frederica→
secretary · resigned 2022-11-21
Resigned
FRIEND, Edward Charles Hinchliffe→
director · ~66y · appointed 2000-05-23 · resigned 2007-07-05
Resigned
FRIEND, Flavia Frederica→
director · ~97y · resigned 2022-11-21
Resigned
FRIEND, Irvine James Cowley→
director · ~103y · resigned 2000-06-30
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

2
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation LTD
Charge1 property30/09/197708/12/2006
satisfied
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation
The Agricultural Mortgage Corporation LTD
Charge1 property10/02/196708/12/2006

Recent filings (108 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-07-16
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-05-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-06-22
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2023-04-14
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2023-04-14
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-12
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2023-04-12
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-04-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-07-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-03-31