CHAPEL DOWN GROUP PLC

🌳Matureactive

04362181 · plc · incorporated 2002-01-28

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

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch

What this business does

Primary activity: SIC 11020

Sector: Manufacturing

Investor take

Pursue

Active trading company with a 78-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 78). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 7 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (45/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

21 live charges · 7 lenders · oldest 25.5y

25/100

too messy

Structure is too messy for a clean refinance right now — clean up first or expect bespoke terms.

· Oldest live charge is 25.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
· 7 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
· Legal-friction score 53/100 (high).

Data confidence

Overall: medium (60/100)

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

No iXBRL financials extracted

Lenders & charges

21 charges (21/21 with lender, 21/21 with type)

Directors & officers

31 officers (8 active, 31 linked, 26 with DOB)

Ownership & PSC

1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared

Director network

11 connected companies via shared directors

Filing history

260 filings on record

Gazette notices

No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)

Opportunity Score

80/100Exceptional

PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional

Strong composite across quality, acquirability, and risk. High-priority target — progress to serious diligence.

Business quality

Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.

Acquirability

Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.

Risk profile

Few red flags.

Signal strength

100

Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days

filings

Last 90 days

filings

Last 180 days

filing

• 1 confirmation-statement

Counts from Companies House filing history.

Corporate timeline (117 events)Click to expand

2025-09-24
➖
GLENN, Martin Richard resigned
director
2025-09-24
📄
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-09-16
📄
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-08-27
➕
LITHERLAND, Peter Simon appointed
director
2025-07-09
📄
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2025-06-27
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2025-04-08
➕
MOUTON, Lourens appointed
secretary
2025-04-08
➕
MOUTON, Lourens appointed
director
2025-04-08
➖
SMITH, Robert Allan Charles resigned
secretary
2025-04-08
➖
SMITH, Robert Allan Charles resigned
director
2025-04-08
📄
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-04-08
📄
appoint-person-secretary-company-with-name-date
officers · AP03
2025-04-08
📄
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-04-08
📄
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2025-02-20
📄
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-02-20
🔓
Charge satisfied #21
2025-02-19
📄
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2025-02-10
📄
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-02-10
📄
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-02-10
📄
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-02-01
➕
PENNEFATHER, James Richard Somerset appointed
director
2025-01-31
➖
CARTER, Andrew James resigned
director
2024-12-31
➖
GILLIAND, Stewart Charles resigned
director
2024-09-20
📄
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-09-18
🔒
Charge registered #22
Lender: Pnc Business Credit a Trading Style of Pnc Financial Services UK LTD
2024-06-27
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-group
accounts · AA
2024-01-10
📄
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2024-01-09
📄
capital-cancellation-shares-by-plc
capital · SH07
2024-01-08
📄
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2024-01-07
📄
capital-variation-of-rights-attached-to-shares
capital · SH10
2023-12-19
📄
capital-alter-shares-consolidation
capital · SH02
2023-12-19
📄
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2023-12-19
📄
memorandum-articles
incorporation · MA
2023-06-29
➕
SPENCER, Michael Alan appointed
director
2023-06-29
➖
EMENY, Selina Holliday resigned
director
2022-09-01
➕
SMITH, Robert Allan Charles appointed
secretary
2022-09-01
➕
SMITH, Robert Allan Charles appointed
director
2022-08-31
➖
WOODHOUSE, Richard Alexander Bruce resigned
secretary
2022-08-31
➖
WOODHOUSE, Richard Alexander Bruce resigned
director
2022-06-30
➖
HARVEY, Mark Simon resigned
director
2021-09-13
➕
CARTER, Andrew James appointed
director
2021-09-13
➖
THOMPSON, Frazer Douglas resigned
director
2021-06-08
🔒
Charge registered #21
Lender: Hsbc UK Bank PLC
2021-06-08
🔒
Charge registered #20
Lender: Pnc Business Credit a Trading Style of Pnc Financial Services UK LTD
2021-06-08
🔓
Charge satisfied #17
2021-06-08
🔓
Charge satisfied #16
2021-06-08
🔓
Charge satisfied #15
2021-06-01
🔓
Charge satisfied #19
2021-06-01
🔓
Charge satisfied #18
2021-05-19
➕
GILLIAND, Stewart Charles appointed
director

Showing most recent 50 of 117 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

-7 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
+Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
+Founder age: Director aged approximately 78 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

80/100

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 78 years old. Natural succession window is now.
primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 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

Ipgl Limited holds 25-50% — a significant corporate investor but not a controlling parent.

🏛️

Ipgl Limited

Corporate parent · holds 25-50% shares

significant stake

⬇

CHAPEL DOWN GROUP PLC

This company · 04362181

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

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner

Name	Shares	Voting rights	Nature of control	Notified
Ipgl Limited Corporate entity	25–50%	25–50%	25-50% shares · 25-50% voting	13/06/2018

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 →

Similar companies

Active · Food & drink · TN postcode area

Company	Est. value	Turnover	Net worth	Staff	Age	Opp	Director
AHQ GROUP LTD→ 11206962 · est 2018 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	8y	—	—
AJS COFFEE LIMITED→ 14748732 · est 2023 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	3y	—	—
ALCHEMICA LTD→ 16503414 · est 2025 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
ALEX BOYD LTD→ 12866820 · est 2020 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	5y	—	—
ALEX'S CAKE BOUTIQUE LIMITED→ 10332550 · est 2016 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	9y	—	—
ALLKIN GROUP LIMITED→ 14289924 · est 2022 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	3y	—	—
ALSOP & WALKER LIMITED→ 05873721 · est 2006 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	19y	—	—
AMO TEA COMPANY LIMITED→ 00131700 · est 1913 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	112y	—	—
ANDINA INGHAM LTD→ 05632602 · est 2005 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	20y	—	—
ANNAMARIA'S CAKERY LTD→ 16406186 · est 2025 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	—	—	—
APPOWAY LTD→ 12052830 · est 2019 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	6y	—	—
ARDO UK LIMITED→ 00974319 · est 1970 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	56y	—	—

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

Incorporated2002-01-28

Jurisdictionengland-wales

Primary SIC11020 — SIC 11020

Registered office

Chapel Down Winery

Smallhythe Road

Tenterden

Kent

TN30 7NG

Filing status

Accounts

Next due: 2026-06-30

Last made up to: 2024-12-31

Confirmation statement

Next due: 2027-02-11

Last: 2026-01-28