BUTTERWORTH & SON LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
01268555 · ltd · incorporated 1976-07-14
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 Sept 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
73/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Wholesale of sugar and chocolate and sugar confectionery
Sector: Wholesale & retail
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 46370Wholesale of coffee, tea, cocoa and spices
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.

Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 65/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 4 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

6 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 36.3y

30/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 36.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (79/100)

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
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)
90
Directors & officers
6 officers (2 active, 6 linked, 3 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
123 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
73/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
60
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
82
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£0Sept 2024Sept 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-09-302024-09-30
Average employees900900

Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (32 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-06-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-01-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2022-11-16
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-06-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-03-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2020-06-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2019-09-05
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  9. 2019-08-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  10. 2019-04-02
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  11. 2019-04-01
    ➕
    EGAN, Catriona appointed
    secretary
  12. 2019-03-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2018-10-31
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  14. 2018-10-30
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  15. 2018-10-30
    📄
    capital-name-of-class-of-shares
    capital · SH08
  16. 2018-10-30
    📄
    capital-name-of-class-of-shares
    capital · SH08
  17. 2018-10-30
    📄
    capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
    capital · SH10
  18. 2018-10-26
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  19. 2018-10-05
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  20. 2017-03-01
    ➖
    BUTTERWORTH, Robert Charles resigned
    director
  21. 2013-07-04
    ➖
    BUTTERWORTH, Louise resigned
    secretary
  22. 2013-03-19
    ➖
    BUTTERWORTH, Mradula Sophie resigned
    director
  23. 2012-09-03
    ➖
    BUTTERWORTH, Mradula Sophie resigned
    secretary
  24. 2012-09-02
    ➕
    BUTTERWORTH, Louise appointed
    secretary
  25. 2010-01-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  26. 2009-05-29
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  27. 2004-05-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Terry Odam & Carol Ann Odam
  28. 2004-05-01
    ➕
    BUTTERWORTH, Robert Adam, Mr. appointed
    director
  29. 1994-10-07
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  30. 1990-10-12
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  31. 1990-04-27
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
  32. 1976-07-14
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As BUTTERWORTH & SON 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.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "BUTTERWORTH" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

75/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 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

1 low
5 live charges
low

Heavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Robert Charles Butterworth
Individual · British · DOB 03/1946 · age 80
50–75%
—50-75% shares06/04/2016

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

🔒Co-director network graph

Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →

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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
Incorporated1976-07-14
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC46360 — Wholesale of sugar and chocolate and sugar confectionery

Registered office

The Old Post Cottage Top Green
Denston
Newmarket
Suffolk
CB8 8PW

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-06-30
Last made up to: 2025-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-31
Last: 2025-10-17

Officers (2 active · 4 resigned)

EGAN, Catriona→
secretary · appointed 2019-04-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BUTTERWORTH, Robert Adam, Mr.→
director · ~51y · appointed 2004-05-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BUTTERWORTH, Louise→
secretary · appointed 2012-09-02 · resigned 2013-07-04
Resigned
BUTTERWORTH, Mradula Sophie→
secretary · resigned 2012-09-03
Resigned
BUTTERWORTH, Mradula Sophie→
director · ~79y · resigned 2013-03-19
Resigned
BUTTERWORTH, Robert Charles→
director · ~80y · resigned 2017-03-01
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

6
Total charges
5
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property30/08/2019—
outstanding
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property28/01/2010—
outstanding
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property29/05/2009—
outstanding
Terry Odam & Carol Ann Odam
Rent deposit deed1 property28/05/2004—
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal mortgage1 property12/10/199007/10/1994
outstanding
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Legal mortgage1 property27/04/1990—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (123 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-05-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-06-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-01-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-16
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-06-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-08-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-03-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-08-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-06-20
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2019-09-05