A.B. PRODUCE PLC

🌳Matureactive
02240234 · plc · incorporated 1988-04-06
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
hardening · 12-months
Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.
  • · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Post-harvest crop activities
Sector: Agriculture, forestry & fishing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 10310SIC 10310
  • 10390SIC 10390
  • 52290Other transportation support activities
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 77-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (73/100, director aged 77). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

8 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 37.9y

35/100
too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

  • · Oldest live charge is 37.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 40/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (58/100)

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

Company profile
address, 4 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
8 charges (8/8 with lender, 8/8 with type)
90
Directors & officers
16 officers (5 active, 16 linked, 11 with DOB)
84
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
6 connected companies via shared directors
63
Filing history
165 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
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
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (57 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-02-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-10-27
    📄
    change-corporate-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH04
  3. 2025-10-27
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  4. 2025-10-27
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  5. 2025-04-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2024-02-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2024-02-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2023-04-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2022-11-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2022-11-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2022-10-18
    📄
    memorandum-articles
    incorporation · MA
  12. 2022-10-14
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  13. 2022-06-07
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  14. 2022-06-01
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  15. 2022-06-01
    📄
    appoint-corporate-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP04
  16. 2022-06-01
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  17. 2022-05-26
    ➕
    SGH COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  18. 2022-05-26
    ➖
    TOMKINSON, Derek William resigned
    secretary
  19. 2021-07-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-full
    accounts · AA
  20. 2019-03-14
    📄
    auditors-resignation-company
    auditors · AUD
  21. 2014-08-29
    ➖
    BRIDGEN, Andrew James resigned
    director
  22. 2012-07-31
    ➖
    LARGE, Paul Raymond resigned
    director
  23. 2011-12-23
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #7
  24. 2011-12-23
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  25. 2011-09-16
    ➖
    MCQUAIDE, Martin resigned
    director
  26. 2010-03-10
    ➕
    LARGE, Paul Raymond appointed
    director
  27. 2010-01-20
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  28. 2009-11-03
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
  29. 2007-05-30
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  30. 2007-05-30
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  31. 2006-05-02
    ➕
    SHARRATT, Neil Andrew appointed
    director
  32. 2005-09-09
    ➖
    PARKER, Alan resigned
    director
  33. 2005-02-10
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  34. 2004-03-05
    ➕
    MCQUAIDE, Martin appointed
    director
  35. 2004-01-09
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  36. 2003-04-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  37. 2003-03-26
    ➕
    TOMKINSON, Derek William appointed
    secretary
  38. 2003-03-26
    ➖
    WATSON, John Gordon resigned
    secretary
  39. 1999-06-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  40. 1998-12-09
    ➕
    PARKER, Alan appointed
    director
  41. 1998-11-24
    ➖
    GRAY, Sidney Charles resigned
    director
  42. 1998-09-01
    ➕
    TOMKINSON, Derek William appointed
    director
  43. 1998-06-05
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  44. 1997-04-01
    ➖
    BRIDGEN, Ann resigned
    director
  45. 1997-02-14
    ➖
    BRIDGEN, Alan William resigned
    director
  46. 1996-07-22
    ➖
    BRIDGEN, Paul Julian resigned
    secretary
  47. 1996-07-22
    ➕
    WATSON, John Gordon appointed
    secretary
  48. 1996-05-01
    ➕
    ELLIS, Peter John appointed
    director
  49. 1996-05-01
    ➕
    GRAY, Sidney Charles appointed
    director
  50. 1994-02-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Showing most recent 50 of 57 events

Owner dependency

65/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • -4 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 38 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 77 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

90/100
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.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 38 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 38 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 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.

Group structure

A.B. Produce Trading Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
A.B. Produce Trading Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
⬇
A.B. PRODUCE PLC
This company · 02240234

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
A.B. Produce Trading Limited
Corporate entity
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.

🔒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

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
Typeplc
Incorporated1988-04-06
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC01630 — Post-harvest crop activities

Registered office

C/O Ampa Holdings Llp Level 19, The Shard
32 London Bridge Street
London
SE1 9SG
United Kingdom

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-05-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-09
Last: 2025-09-25

Officers (5 active · 11 resigned)

SGH COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2022-05-26
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BRIDGEN, Paul Julian→
director · ~59y · appointed 1988-04-07
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ELLIS, Peter John→
director · ~72y · appointed 1996-05-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SHARRATT, Neil Andrew→
director · ~62y · appointed 2006-05-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
TOMKINSON, Derek William→
director · ~77y · appointed 1998-09-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BRIDGEN, Ann→
secretary · resigned 1993-02-12
Resigned
BRIDGEN, Paul Julian→
secretary · appointed 1993-02-12 · resigned 1996-07-22
Resigned
TOMKINSON, Derek William→
secretary · appointed 2003-03-26 · resigned 2022-05-26
Resigned
WATSON, John Gordon→
secretary · appointed 1996-07-22 · resigned 2003-03-26
Resigned
BRIDGEN, Alan William→
director · ~85y · resigned 1997-02-14
Resigned
BRIDGEN, Andrew James→
director · ~62y · resigned 2014-08-29
Resigned
BRIDGEN, Ann→
director · ~83y · resigned 1997-04-01
Resigned
GRAY, Sidney Charles→
director · ~95y · appointed 1996-05-01 · resigned 1998-11-24
Resigned
LARGE, Paul Raymond→
director · ~60y · appointed 2010-03-10 · resigned 2012-07-31
Resigned
MCQUAIDE, Martin→
director · ~67y · appointed 2004-03-05 · resigned 2011-09-16
Resigned
PARKER, Alan→
director · ~70y · appointed 1998-12-09 · resigned 2005-09-09
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

8
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:8 of 8 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
Debenture1 property03/11/2009—
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Mortgage1 property10/02/200523/12/2011
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Mortgage1 property09/01/200423/12/2011
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Legal charge1 property22/04/200330/05/2007
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Legal charge1 property28/06/199930/05/2007
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Legal charge1 property22/02/199405/06/1998
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
Debenture1 property31/08/199020/01/2010
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Bank PLC
Single debenture1 property18/07/198817/09/1991
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (165 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2026-02-03
change-corporate-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH04
2025-10-27
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2025-10-27
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2025-10-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-09-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2024-02-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2024-02-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-25
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2022-11-18
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2022-10-18
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2022-10-14