FOUR ELMS FRUIT FARM LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
04440512 · ltd · incorporated 2002-05-16
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
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 10320
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company. Family succession underway — not a classic acquisition target.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
8 officers (3 active, 8 linked, 6 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
66 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
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
90
Good data coverage for analysis.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 300 | 300 |
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
1
filing
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (29 events)Click to expand
- 2025-08-12📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2025-08-12📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2025-08-11➕SMEDLEY, Mark appointeddirector
- 2025-08-11➖SMEDLEY, Pamela Ann resigneddirector
- 2025-07-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-05-19📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-05-19📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2025-05-19📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2024-07-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-05-19📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-09-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-09-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-08-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-09-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-07-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2010-04-11➖SMEDLEY, George Michael resignedsecretary
- 2010-04-11➖SMEDLEY, George Michael resigneddirector
- 2002-05-16🏢Company incorporatedAs FOUR ELMS FRUIT FARM LIMITED
- 2002-05-16➕SMEDLEY, Richard John appointeddirector
- 2002-05-16➕SMEDLEY, Susan Jane appointeddirector
- 2002-05-16➕BREWER, Suzanne appointednominee-secretary
- 2002-05-16➖BREWER, Suzanne resignednominee-secretary
- 2002-05-16➕SMEDLEY, George Michael appointedsecretary
- 2002-05-16➕BREWER, Kevin, Dr appointednominee-director
- 2002-05-16➖BREWER, Kevin, Dr resignednominee-director
- 2002-05-16➕SMEDLEY, George Michael appointeddirector
- 2002-05-16➕SMEDLEY, Pamela Ann appointeddirector
Owner dependency
83/100
Critical — business is the founderThe business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
FACTORS
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 67 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
30/100
Weak signalLimited succession signal. Not a near-term off-market candidate.
SIGNALS
- primaryFamily succession underway: Not a takeover target — SMEDLEY, Mark (same surname) appointed 2025-08-11. Pattern consistent with intra-family handover.
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 67. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Richard John Smedley Individual · British · DOB 11/1959 · age 67 | 25–50% | — | 25-50% shares | 06/04/2016 |
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 →Similar companies
Active · Food & drink · EX postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COSTERMONGER GROUP LTD→ 12099545 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| DEVONVALE LIMITED→ 04399540 · est 2002 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 24y | — | — |
| DOLLYMAL'S KITCHEN LTD→ 16831362 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| DUNBIA (UK)→ 03382084 · est 1997 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 28y | — | — |
| DUNN BROTHERS LIMITED→ 05207910 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
| ELECTRIC BAKERY BUDE LTD→ 12149864 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| ELLIS BAKERY LTD→ 11085075 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| FEISTY FOODS LTD→ 11191475 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| FERMATECH - UK LIMITED→ 16891132 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| FURZELEIGH DOWN DAIRY LIMITED→ 09287882 · est 2014 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 11y | — | — |
| GELULU LTD→ 15768683 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| GEORGIE PORGIE'S PUDDINGS LIMITED→ 07208998 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2002-05-16
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC10320 — SIC 10320
Registered office
Woodlands
Harpford
Sidmouth
Devon
EX10 0NJ
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-30
Last: 2026-05-16
Officers (3 active · 5 resigned)
SMEDLEY, Mark→
Activedirector · ~36y · appointed 2025-08-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SMEDLEY, Richard John→
Activedirector · ~67y · appointed 2002-05-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SMEDLEY, Susan Jane→
Activedirector · ~64y · appointed 2002-05-16
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BREWER, Suzanne→
Resignednominee-secretary · appointed 2002-05-16 · resigned 2002-05-16
SMEDLEY, George Michael→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2002-05-16 · resigned 2010-04-11
BREWER, Kevin, Dr→
Resignednominee-director · ~74y · appointed 2002-05-16 · resigned 2002-05-16
SMEDLEY, George Michael→
Resigneddirector · ~99y · appointed 2002-05-16 · resigned 2010-04-11
SMEDLEY, Pamela Ann→
Resigneddirector · ~95y · appointed 2002-05-16 · resigned 2025-08-11
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Recent filings (66 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-05-22
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2025-08-12
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-08-12
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-07-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-20
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-05-19
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-05-19
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-05-19
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-07-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-21
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-08-04
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-08-18
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-19
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2022-05-19