NEW FOREST BREWERY LIMITED
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 60). 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 (65/100).
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 49.2y
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 49.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 35/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (79/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.
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 | 2025-05-31 | 2024-05-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | — | 1300 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
2 signals 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 accounts
Corporate timeline (33 events)Click to expand
- 2026-02-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2025-09-03📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-03-05➖WATTS, John Leslie resigneddirector
- 2025-02-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-02-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-01-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-09-01➕PETRUV, Sharon appointedsecretary
- 2022-09-01📄change-person-secretary-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH03
- 2022-09-01📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-09-01📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2022-09-01📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2022-09-01📄appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP03
- 2022-09-01📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-09-01📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-09-01📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2022-08-24📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2022-05-17➖WATTS, Valerie Jean resignedsecretary
- 2022-05-17➖WATTS, Valerie Jean resigneddirector
- 2022-02-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-01-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-01-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2019-11-18📄capital-cancellation-sharescapital · SH06
- 2019-11-06📄capital-return-purchase-own-sharescapital · SH03
- 2019-09-07➖WATTS, Stuart resigneddirector
- 2013-11-08🔒Charge registered #4Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2008-10-29➕PETRUV, Robert Hanus appointeddirector
- 2006-05-11➕PETRUV, Sharon appointeddirector
- 2006-05-11➕WATTS, Stuart appointeddirector
- 2004-07-16🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 1994-02-01🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 1993-08-06🔒Charge registered #2Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 1977-04-28🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 1976-04-02🏢Company incorporatedAs NEW FOREST BREWERY LIMITED
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 20 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 60. Early succession window.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 20 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 50 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
cleanShareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr John Leslie Watts Individual · British · DOB 08/1943 · age 83 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| KATESKITCHEN MICROBAKERY LTD→ 16479763 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| KITCHEN GARDEN BOTANICALS LTD→ 12852725 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| LITTLEWORLD GLOBAL LTD→ 14000959 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| LOWICKS COMMUNITY LTD→ 14901511 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| MANOR Q SOURCING LTD→ 16884310 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MATTERMOON LTD→ 15977532 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| MERU PICKS LIMITED→ 16964781 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| MODERN STANDARD SERVICE LIMITED→ 11189616 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| MOTSPUR LIMITED→ 11481798 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| NANAB LIMITED→ 16712211 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NEW FOREST LOG SUPPLIES LTD→ 16535672 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| NEW PASTURES BUTCHERS LTD→ 11572689 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
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 (3 active · 4 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 08/11/2013 | — | |
| outstanding | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Legal mortgage | 1 property | 16/07/2004 | — | |
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | Mortgage debenture | 1 property | 06/08/1993 | — | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 28/04/1977 | 01/02/1994 |