BENTLEY RESTAURANTS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
00766592 · ltd · incorporated 1963-07-05
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
—
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Licenced restaurants
Sector: Accommodation & food service
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 77-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 77). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 7 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (53/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

12 live charges · 7 lenders · oldest 61.3y

15/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 61.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 7 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

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
12 charges (12/12 with lender, 12/12 with type)
90
Directors & officers
12 officers (2 active, 12 linked, 10 with DOB)
87
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
130 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
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
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Dec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31
Average employees12001000

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
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (49 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-05-01
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  3. 2025-05-01
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  4. 2024-09-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-09-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  6. 2022-09-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2021-09-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  8. 2020-12-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2019-07-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  10. 2018-09-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  11. 2017-10-11
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  12. 2017-09-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  13. 2016-09-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  14. 2015-10-16
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  15. 2015-09-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  16. 2008-10-10
    ➖
    BENEDETTO, Lina resigned
    director
  17. 2007-02-17
    ➕
    BENEDETTO, Maria Encarnacion appointed
    secretary
  18. 2007-02-17
    ➖
    BENEDETTO, Prospero resigned
    secretary
  19. 2007-01-31
    ➖
    BENEDETTO, Carmelo resigned
    director
  20. 2007-01-31
    ➖
    BENEDETTO, Francesca resigned
    director
  21. 2007-01-31
    ➖
    BENEDETTO, Prospero resigned
    director
  22. 2005-03-03
    ➖
    BENEDETTO, Elisabetta resigned
    director
  23. 2005-03-03
    ➖
    BENEDETTO, Pasquale resigned
    director
  24. 2004-12-31
    ➖
    LORMANT, Jean Louis resigned
    director
  25. 2004-12-31
    ➖
    LORMANT, Rocchina resigned
    director
  26. 2000-10-17
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #11
  27. 2000-06-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #12
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  28. 1999-06-09
    ➕
    BENEDETTO, Carmelo appointed
    director
  29. 1998-12-05
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  30. 1998-11-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #11
    Lender: Cambridge Building Society
  31. 1996-09-27
    🔒
    Charge registered #10
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  32. 1996-05-22
    ➖
    BENEDETTO, Carmelo resigned
    director
  33. 1996-01-12
    🔒
    Charge registered #9
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  34. 1994-06-11
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #7
  35. 1994-06-11
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  36. 1994-06-04
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #8
  37. 1993-06-14
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: Close Brothers Limited
  38. 1992-02-29
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  39. 1992-02-20
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  40. 1992-02-20
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  41. 1992-02-20
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  42. 1991-08-27
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  43. 1991-08-09
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  44. 1988-03-31
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Ucb Bank PLC
  45. 1988-02-08
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Midland Bank PLC
  46. 1986-11-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Midland Bank PLC
  47. 1984-02-08
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Midland Bank PLC
  48. 1965-03-26
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Scotch House (Cambridge) LTD
  49. 1963-07-05
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As BENTLEY RESTAURANTS LIMITED

Owner dependency

90/100
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.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 77 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

85/100
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 77 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 63 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 med ·
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

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Donato Rocco Benedetto
Individual · Italian · DOB 03/1949 · age 77
50–75%
50–75%board control50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control06/04/2016
Mrs Maria Encarnacion Benedetto
Individual · Spanish · DOB 11/1966 · age 60
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting06/04/2016

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
Incorporated1963-07-05
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC56101 — Licenced restaurants

Registered office

150 Huntingdon Road
Cambridge
Cambridgeshire
CB3 0LB

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-09
Last: 2025-09-25

Officers (2 active · 10 resigned)

BENEDETTO, Maria Encarnacion→
secretary · appointed 2007-02-17
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BENEDETTO, Donato Rocco→
director · ~77y
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BENEDETTO, Prospero→
secretary · resigned 2007-02-17
Resigned
BENEDETTO, Carmelo→
director · ~73y · appointed 1999-06-09 · resigned 2007-01-31
Resigned
BENEDETTO, Carmelo→
director · ~73y · resigned 1996-05-22
Resigned
BENEDETTO, Elisabetta→
director · ~98y · resigned 2005-03-03
Resigned
BENEDETTO, Francesca→
director · ~78y · resigned 2007-01-31
Resigned
BENEDETTO, Lina→
director · ~67y · resigned 2008-10-10
Resigned
BENEDETTO, Pasquale→
director · ~99y · resigned 2005-03-03
Resigned
BENEDETTO, Prospero→
director · ~80y · resigned 2007-01-31
Resigned
LORMANT, Jean Louis→
director · ~70y · resigned 2004-12-31
Resigned
LORMANT, Rocchina→
director · ~75y · resigned 2004-12-31
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

12
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:12 of 12 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal mortgage1 property30/06/2000—
satisfied
Cambridge Building Society
Mortgage1 property30/11/199817/10/2000
outstanding
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal mortgage1 property27/09/1996—
outstanding
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Mortgage debenture1 property12/01/1996—
satisfied
Close Brothers
Close Brothers Limited
Credit agreement1 property14/06/199304/06/1994
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Legal charge of licensed premises1 property27/08/199111/06/1994
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Debenture1 property09/08/199111/06/1994
satisfied
Ucb Bank
Ucb Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property31/03/198805/12/1998
satisfied
Midland Bank
Midland Bank PLC
Fixed and floating charge1 property08/02/198829/02/1992
satisfied
Midland Bank
Midland Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property24/11/198620/02/1992
satisfied
Midland Bank
Midland Bank PLC
Legal charge2 properties08/02/198420/02/1992
satisfied
The Scotch House (Cambridge)
The Scotch House (Cambridge) LTD
Legal charge1 property26/03/196520/02/1992
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (130 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-25
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-05-01
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-05-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-09-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-09-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-09-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-09-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2020-12-14
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-09-30