DORMEN FOODS LTD

💤Zombieactive
02704323 · ltd · incorporated 1992-04-07
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 Jun 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
73/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 10890
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.

Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 9 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (58/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

10 live charges · 9 lenders · oldest 32.1y

15/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 32.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 9 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · 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, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
10 charges (10/10 with lender, 10/10 with type)
90
Directors & officers
18 officers (2 active, 18 linked, 12 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
2 connected companies via shared directors
51
Filing history
177 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
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
55
Some acquirability indicators.
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£0Jun 2024Jun 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-06-302024-06-30
Average employees35002800

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 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (70 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-03-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-06-04
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  3. 2025-05-31
    🔒
    Charge registered #10
    Lender: Aib Foods Limited
  4. 2025-03-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-10-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  6. 2023-02-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  7. 2022-03-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  8. 2020-11-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2019-12-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2019-06-12
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-current-shortened
    accounts · AA01
  11. 2019-04-18
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  12. 2019-04-18
    🔒
    Charge registered #9
    Lender: Santander UK PLC
  13. 2019-04-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2019-01-09
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  15. 2019-01-02
    ➕
    SAWHNEY, Kanwarbir Singh appointed
    secretary
  16. 2018-12-05
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
  17. 2018-12-05
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  18. 2018-11-30
    ➕
    FAROOQ, Kamran appointed
    director
  19. 2018-11-30
    ➖
    BEARDWOOD, Joseph resigned
    secretary
  20. 2018-11-30
    ➖
    TAGUE, John Patrick resigned
    director
  21. 2018-11-30
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  22. 2018-11-30
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  23. 2018-11-30
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  24. 2018-11-08
    ➕
    BEARDWOOD, Joseph appointed
    secretary
  25. 2018-11-08
    ➖
    HUBERS, Gerrit Jan resigned
    director
  26. 2018-11-08
    ➖
    PUIJPE, Edwin resigned
    director
  27. 2018-11-08
    ➕
    TAGUE, John Patrick appointed
    director
  28. 2016-07-12
    ➕
    HUBERS, Gerrit Jan appointed
    director
  29. 2016-07-12
    ➖
    MUSTONEN, Olli Ensio resigned
    director
  30. 2016-07-12
    ➕
    PUIJPE, Edwin appointed
    director
  31. 2015-03-02
    ➖
    ELEVUORI, Antti Juhani resigned
    director
  32. 2015-03-02
    ➕
    MUSTONEN, Olli Ensio appointed
    director
  33. 2013-11-08
    ➕
    ELEVUORI, Antti Juhani appointed
    director
  34. 2013-10-31
    ➖
    DAVIES, Robert Andrew resigned
    secretary
  35. 2013-10-31
    ➖
    DAVIES, Robert Andrew resigned
    director
  36. 2013-04-24
    ➖
    SIMMONDS, Paul Stuart resigned
    director
  37. 2011-08-27
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #8
  38. 2011-08-27
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #7
  39. 2010-01-05
    🔒
    Charge registered #8
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  40. 2007-09-12
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  41. 2007-09-06
    ➖
    BROOKS, Michael Henry resigned
    secretary
  42. 2007-09-06
    ➕
    DAVIES, Robert Andrew appointed
    secretary
  43. 2007-09-06
    ➖
    BROOKS, Michael Henry resigned
    director
  44. 2007-09-06
    ➖
    CAMERON, Angus Charles resigned
    director
  45. 2007-09-06
    ➕
    DAVIES, Robert Andrew appointed
    director
  46. 2007-09-06
    ➕
    SIMMONDS, Paul Stuart appointed
    director
  47. 2007-09-06
    🔒
    Charge registered #7
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  48. 2007-08-21
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  49. 2006-01-11
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  50. 2005-12-23
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
Showing most recent 50 of 70 events

Owner dependency

75/100
High — earn-out structure required

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

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

55/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 34 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.

Group structure

Snack Factory Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Snack Factory Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
ultimate parent
⬇
DORMEN FOODS LTD
This company · 02704323

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
Snack Factory Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
—75-100% shares30/11/2018
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Halo Foods Limitedceased 30/11/2018· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control

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
Typeltd
Incorporated1992-04-07
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC10890 — SIC 10890

Registered office

Unit 10 Dunbeath Court
Elgin Industrial Estate
Swindon
SN2 8QE
United Kingdom

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-21
Last: 2026-02-07

Officers (2 active · 16 resigned)

SAWHNEY, Kanwarbir Singh→
secretary · appointed 2019-01-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
FAROOQ, Kamran→
director · ~51y · appointed 2018-11-30
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BEARDWOOD, Joseph→
secretary · appointed 2018-11-08 · resigned 2018-11-30
Resigned
BROOKS, Michael Henry→
secretary · appointed 1992-06-29 · resigned 2007-09-06
Resigned
DAVIES, Robert Andrew→
secretary · appointed 2007-09-06 · resigned 2013-10-31
Resigned
SCHUPKE, Sally Ann→
secretary · appointed 1992-04-07 · resigned 1992-07-09
Resigned
BROOKS, Michael Henry→
director · ~60y · appointed 1992-06-29 · resigned 2007-09-06
Resigned
CAMERON, Angus Charles→
director · ~61y · appointed 1992-06-29 · resigned 2007-09-06
Resigned
DAVIES, Robert Andrew→
director · ~72y · appointed 2007-09-06 · resigned 2013-10-31
Resigned
ELEVUORI, Antti Juhani→
director · ~47y · appointed 2013-11-08 · resigned 2015-03-02
Resigned
HARTWRIGHT, Jonathan Usher→
director · ~62y · appointed 1992-06-29 · resigned 1995-02-28
Resigned
HUBERS, Gerrit Jan→
director · ~63y · appointed 2016-07-12 · resigned 2018-11-08
Resigned
MUSTONEN, Olli Ensio→
director · ~41y · appointed 2015-03-02 · resigned 2016-07-12
Resigned
PUIJPE, Edwin→
director · ~59y · appointed 2016-07-12 · resigned 2018-11-08
Resigned
SCHUPKE, Sally Ann→
director · ~70y · appointed 1992-04-07 · resigned 1992-07-09
Resigned
SIMMONDS, Paul Stuart→
director · ~68y · appointed 2007-09-06 · resigned 2013-04-24
Resigned
TAGUE, John Patrick→
director · ~61y · appointed 2018-11-08 · resigned 2018-11-30
Resigned
INTERMARK (GUILDFORD) LIMITED→
corporate-director · appointed 1992-04-07 · resigned 1992-07-09
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

10
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:10 of 10 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Aib Foods
Aib Foods Limited
A registered charge—31/05/2025—
outstanding
Santander
Santander UK PLC
A registered charge1 property18/04/2019—
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Supplemental deed1 property05/01/201027/08/2011
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Debenture1 property06/09/200727/08/2011
satisfied
Royal Bank Invoice Finance
Royal Bank Invoice Finance Limited
Fixed and floating charge1 property20/11/200012/09/2007
satisfied
The County Council of Dorset
Rental deposit deed1 property16/10/199821/08/2007
satisfied
Taylor Woodrow Developments
Taylor Woodrow Developments Limited
Rent deposit deed1 property11/05/199803/11/1998
satisfied
NatWest Group
Coutts & Company
Mortgage debenture1 property09/06/199711/01/2006
satisfied
Griffin Credit Services
Griffin Credit Services Limited
Fixed charge on purchased debts which fail to vest1 property06/05/199723/12/2005
satisfied
National Westminster Bank
National Westminster Bank PLC
Mortgage debenture1 property11/05/199402/03/1998
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (177 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-03-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-03-04
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-06-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-03-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-03-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-10-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-03-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-02-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-03-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-03-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-05-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-11-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-03-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-12-17