ADVANCE VENDING SERVICES LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
02647287 · ltd · incorporated 1991-09-20
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 2023
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
70/100
Strong
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What this business does
Primary activity: Other food services
Sector: Accommodation & food service
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 77390Renting and leasing of other machinery, equipment and tangible goods n.e.c.
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)
Distressed active trading company — structural issues outweigh the discount.

Opportunity 70/100 (strong), bankability 55/100. Strong seller-intent signal (65/100, director aged 59). Biggest value-creation lever: File overdue accounts. Clears statutory overdue flag — immediate bankability uplift for refinance conversations. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (53/100).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (76/100)

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
10 officers (1 active, 10 linked, 5 with DOB)
80
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
91 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
70/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
55
Adequate — check latest filings for context.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
67
Some moderate concerns — review flags.
Signal strength
90
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 2022Dec 2023

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2023-12-312022-12-31
Average employees100100

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 gazette
Last 180 days
4
filings
  • • 2 gazette
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 dissolution
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (37 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-06-09
    📄
    gazette-notice-compulsory
    gazette · GAZ1
  2. 2026-01-17
    📄
    gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
    gazette · DISS40
  3. 2026-01-14
    📄
    dissolved-compulsory-strike-off-suspended
    dissolution · DISS16(SOAS)
  4. 2025-12-02
    📄
    gazette-notice-compulsory
    gazette · GAZ1
  5. 2025-03-11
    📄
    gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
    gazette · DISS40
  6. 2025-03-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  7. 2025-01-14
    📄
    dissolved-compulsory-strike-off-suspended
    dissolution · DISS16(SOAS)
  8. 2024-12-10
    📄
    gazette-notice-compulsory
    gazette · GAZ1
  9. 2023-12-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  10. 2023-12-09
    📄
    gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
    gazette · DISS40
  11. 2023-12-05
    📄
    gazette-notice-compulsory
    gazette · GAZ1
  12. 2022-09-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  13. 2021-12-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  14. 2020-12-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  15. 2019-10-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  16. 2018-12-14
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  17. 2018-11-15
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  18. 2018-11-01
    ➖
    HAMBLETON, Louize resigned
    director
  19. 2014-09-30
    ➖
    HAMBLETON, Louize resigned
    secretary
  20. 2014-09-30
    ➕
    HAMBLETON, Louize appointed
    director
  21. 2006-01-01
    ➕
    HAMBLETON, Louize appointed
    secretary
  22. 2005-12-31
    ➖
    CARDY, Stephen Anthony resigned
    secretary
  23. 2005-12-31
    ➖
    CARDY, Stephen Anthony resigned
    director
  24. 1994-11-01
    ➕
    CARDY, Stephen Anthony appointed
    secretary
  25. 1994-11-01
    ➖
    HAMBLETON, Beryl resigned
    secretary
  26. 1994-11-01
    ➕
    CARDY, Stephen Anthony appointed
    director
  27. 1994-11-01
    ➖
    HAMBLETON, Beryl resigned
    director
  28. 1993-03-10
    ➕
    HAMBLETON, Beryl appointed
    secretary
  29. 1993-03-10
    ➕
    HAMBLETON, Beryl appointed
    director
  30. 1992-10-14
    ➖
    BALLARD, Robert Douglas resigned
    secretary
  31. 1992-10-14
    ➖
    BALLARD, Robert Douglas resigned
    director
  32. 1991-09-20
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As ADVANCE VENDING SERVICES LIMITED
  33. 1991-09-20
    ➕
    HAMBLETON, Nicholas appointed
    director
  34. 1991-09-20
    ➕
    BALLARD, Robert Douglas appointed
    secretary
  35. 1991-09-20
    ➕
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  36. 1991-09-20
    ➖
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  37. 1991-09-20
    ➕
    BALLARD, Robert Douglas appointed
    director

Owner dependency

93/100
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.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 35 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 59 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

80/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 59. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 35 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 35 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 high ·
Accounts overdue
high

Statutory accounts have not been filed by their due date. Can indicate admin breakdown, cash preservation, or deliberate delay.

Evidence: Next due: 2025-10-01

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Nicholas Hambleton
Individual · English · DOB 04/1967 · age 59
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016

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

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A FLAME LTD→
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A&K RESTAURANTS LTD→
10301386 · est 2016 · no financials extracted
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14888858 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
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16137483 · est 2024 · no financials extracted
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14983004 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
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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
Incorporated1991-09-20
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC56290 — Other food services

Registered office

159 Winter Road
Southsea
Portsmouth
Hampshire
PO4 8DR

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2025-10-01OVERDUE
Last made up to: 2023-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-04
Last: 2025-09-20

Officers (1 active · 9 resigned)

HAMBLETON, Nicholas→
director · ~59y · appointed 1991-09-20
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BALLARD, Robert Douglas→
secretary · appointed 1991-09-20 · resigned 1992-10-14
Resigned
CARDY, Stephen Anthony→
secretary · appointed 1994-11-01 · resigned 2005-12-31
Resigned
HAMBLETON, Beryl→
secretary · appointed 1993-03-10 · resigned 1994-11-01
Resigned
HAMBLETON, Louize→
secretary · appointed 2006-01-01 · resigned 2014-09-30
Resigned
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1991-09-20 · resigned 1991-09-20
Resigned
BALLARD, Robert Douglas→
director · ~64y · appointed 1991-09-20 · resigned 1992-10-14
Resigned
CARDY, Stephen Anthony→
director · ~59y · appointed 1994-11-01 · resigned 2005-12-31
Resigned
HAMBLETON, Beryl→
director · ~87y · appointed 1993-03-10 · resigned 1994-11-01
Resigned
HAMBLETON, Louize→
director · ~57y · appointed 2014-09-30 · resigned 2018-11-01
Resigned

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

Recent filings (91 total)

gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2026-06-09
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2026-01-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-01-15
dissolved-compulsory-strike-off-suspended
dissolution · DISS16(SOAS)
2026-01-14
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2025-12-02
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2025-03-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-03-10
dissolved-compulsory-strike-off-suspended
dissolution · DISS16(SOAS)
2025-01-14
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2024-12-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-12-13
gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
gazette · DISS40
2023-12-09
gazette-notice-compulsory
gazette · GAZ1
2023-12-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-04