THE VILLAGE BAKERY (MELMERBY) LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
03067651 · ltd · incorporated 1995-06-13
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
—
year to Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
79/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Non-trading company
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Dormant / non-trading with a 73-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (93/100, director aged 73). 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

6 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 30.8y

35/100
too messy

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 30.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Legal-friction score 40/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

Data confidence

Overall: high (80/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

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
6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)
90
Directors & officers
15 officers (3 active, 15 linked, 7 with DOB)
79
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
5 connected companies via shared directors
60
Filing history
111 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
79/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
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£0Mar 2024Mar 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-03-312024-03-31
Average employees00

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
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (55 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-11-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-12-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-12-20
    📄
    appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP03
  4. 2024-12-20
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  5. 2024-03-01
    ➕
    LEFTWICH, Claire appointed
    secretary
  6. 2024-03-01
    ➖
    SIMMONS, David resigned
    secretary
  7. 2023-09-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  8. 2022-04-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  9. 2021-04-26
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  10. 2021-04-26
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  11. 2021-04-26
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  12. 2021-04-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  13. 2021-04-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  14. 2019-10-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  15. 2018-10-14
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  16. 2018-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  17. 2017-12-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  18. 2016-12-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
    accounts · AA
  19. 2008-06-02
    ➕
    SIMMONS, David appointed
    secretary
  20. 2008-05-31
    ➖
    TRINGHAM, Roger Martin resigned
    secretary
  21. 2004-11-23
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #6
  22. 2004-11-23
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  23. 2004-11-23
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  24. 2004-11-23
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  25. 2002-12-04
    ➖
    WHITLEY, Andrew Michael resigned
    director
  26. 2000-04-14
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  27. 1999-09-17
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  28. 1999-07-07
    ➕
    TRINGHAM, Roger Martin appointed
    secretary
  29. 1999-06-10
    ➖
    ANDREWS, Robert John resigned
    secretary
  30. 1998-10-13
    ➕
    BELL, Michael John appointed
    director
  31. 1998-10-13
    ➕
    CALLAGHAN, Philip Gerard appointed
    director
  32. 1998-10-13
    ➖
    MCGHEE, Andrew Raymond resigned
    director
  33. 1998-10-13
    ➖
    MCKECHNIE, Roger Antony Nigel resigned
    director
  34. 1998-10-13
    ➖
    PIKE, John Hadley resigned
    director
  35. 1997-10-30
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  36. 1997-10-20
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
  37. 1996-05-28
    ➕
    ANDREWS, Robert John appointed
    secretary
  38. 1996-05-28
    ➖
    PIKE, John Hadley resigned
    secretary
  39. 1995-09-01
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Development Commission
  40. 1995-09-01
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Tsb Bank PLC
  41. 1995-09-01
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Tsb Bank PLC
  42. 1995-07-07
    ➖
    MCDOWELL, Fiona Katherine resigned
    secretary
  43. 1995-07-07
    ➕
    PIKE, John Hadley appointed
    secretary
  44. 1995-07-07
    ➖
    BRUNTON, Mark John resigned
    director
  45. 1995-07-07
    ➕
    MCGHEE, Andrew Raymond appointed
    director
  46. 1995-07-07
    ➕
    MCKECHNIE, Roger Antony Nigel appointed
    director
  47. 1995-07-07
    ➕
    PIKE, John Hadley appointed
    director
  48. 1995-07-07
    ➕
    WHITLEY, Andrew Michael appointed
    director
  49. 1995-06-13
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As THE VILLAGE BAKERY (MELMERBY) LIMITED
  50. 1995-06-13
    ➕
    MCDOWELL, Fiona Katherine appointed
    secretary
Showing most recent 50 of 55 events

Owner dependency

83/100
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
  • +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 28 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 73 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

86/100
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 73 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 28 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • 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

Bells Of Lazonby Holdings Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Bells Of Lazonby Holdings Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares
ultimate parent
⬇
THE VILLAGE BAKERY (MELMERBY) LIMITED
This company · 03067651

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
Bells Of Lazonby Holdings Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%75-100% shares · 75-100% voting06/04/2016

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
Typeltd
Incorporated1995-06-13
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC74990 — Non-trading company

Registered office

The Village Bakery
Melmerby
Penrith
Cumbria
CA10 1HE

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-06-27
Last: 2025-06-13

Officers (3 active · 12 resigned)

LEFTWICH, Claire→
secretary · appointed 2024-03-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BELL, Michael John→
director · ~66y · appointed 1998-10-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
CALLAGHAN, Philip Gerard→
director · ~73y · appointed 1998-10-13
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
ANDREWS, Robert John→
secretary · appointed 1996-05-28 · resigned 1999-06-10
Resigned
MCDOWELL, Fiona Katherine→
secretary · appointed 1995-06-13 · resigned 1995-07-07
Resigned
PIKE, John Hadley→
secretary · appointed 1995-07-07 · resigned 1996-05-28
Resigned
SIMMONS, David→
secretary · appointed 2008-06-02 · resigned 2024-03-01
Resigned
TRINGHAM, Roger Martin→
secretary · appointed 1999-07-07 · resigned 2008-05-31
Resigned
JL NOMINEES TWO LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1995-06-13 · resigned 1995-06-13
Resigned
BRUNTON, Mark John→
director · ~62y · appointed 1995-06-13 · resigned 1995-07-07
Resigned
MCGHEE, Andrew Raymond→
director · ~86y · appointed 1995-07-07 · resigned 1998-10-13
Resigned
MCKECHNIE, Roger Antony Nigel→
director · ~85y · appointed 1995-07-07 · resigned 1998-10-13
Resigned
PIKE, John Hadley→
director · ~75y · appointed 1995-07-07 · resigned 1998-10-13
Resigned
WHITLEY, Andrew Michael→
director · ~78y · appointed 1995-07-07 · resigned 2002-12-04
Resigned
JL NOMINEES ONE LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1995-06-13 · resigned 1995-06-13
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

6
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property14/04/200023/11/2004
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property30/10/199723/11/2004
satisfied
Barclays
Barclays Bank PLC
Debenture1 property20/10/199723/11/2004
satisfied
Development Commission
Legal charge1 property01/09/199523/11/2004
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
Tsb Bank PLC
Mortgage debenture1 property01/09/1995—
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Tsb Bank PLC
Legal charge1 property01/09/199517/09/1999
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (111 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2025-11-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-12-23
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2024-12-20
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2024-12-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-06-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-09-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2022-04-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-06-14
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2021-04-26
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2021-04-26
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2021-04-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2021-04-26