JAMES CHOCOLATES LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
04481087 · ltd · incorporated 2002-07-09
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 Mar 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
74/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 10821
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 74/100 (strong), bankability 77/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 55). 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 (58/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

3 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 22.8y

15/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 22.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

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, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
3 charges (3/3 with lender, 3/3 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (1 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
72 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
74/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

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

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
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£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 employees20002400

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
3
filings
  • • 2 mortgage
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 90 days
3
filings
  • • 2 mortgage
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Last 180 days
3
filings
  • • 2 mortgage
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-07-01
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  2. 2026-07-01
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  3. 2026-07-01
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  4. 2026-07-01
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  5. 2025-11-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2024-12-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2023-11-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2023-06-03
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  9. 2023-06-03
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  10. 2023-03-31
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  11. 2022-07-29
    📄
    termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM02
  12. 2022-07-18
    ➖
    HIBBERT, Victoria resigned
    secretary
  13. 2021-11-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2021-03-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2020-07-16
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  16. 2020-07-16
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  17. 2019-12-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  18. 2018-12-04
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  19. 2018-11-29
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-previous-shortened
    accounts · AA01
  20. 2018-03-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  21. 2016-06-16
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Liberty Leasing PLC
  22. 2004-09-28
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
  23. 2003-10-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
  24. 2002-07-09
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As JAMES CHOCOLATES LIMITED
  25. 2002-07-09
    ➕
    HUTCHINS, James appointed
    director
  26. 2002-07-09
    ➕
    HIBBERT, Victoria appointed
    secretary
  27. 2002-07-09
    ➕
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  28. 2002-07-09
    ➖
    SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  29. 2002-07-09
    ➕
    INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  30. 2002-07-09
    ➖
    INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

85/100
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 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

75/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 24 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.
  • 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.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr James Hutchins
Individual · British · DOB 09/1971 · age 55
75–100%
75–100%board controlsig. influence75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · significant influence15/07/2016

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

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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
Incorporated2002-07-09
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC10821 — SIC 10821

Registered office

Unit 5, Cheddar House Leighton Lane Industrial Estate
Evercreech
Shepton Mallet
Somerset
BA4 6LQ
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-06-20
Last: 2026-06-06

Officers (1 active · 3 resigned)

HUTCHINS, James→
director · ~55y · appointed 2002-07-09
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HIBBERT, Victoria→
secretary · appointed 2002-07-09 · resigned 2022-07-18
Resigned
SWIFT INCORPORATIONS LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2002-07-09 · resigned 2002-07-09
Resigned
INSTANT COMPANIES LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2002-07-09 · resigned 2002-07-09
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

3
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:3 of 3 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Liberty Leasing
Liberty Leasing PLC
A registered charge—16/06/201603/06/2023
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Tsb Commercial Finance Limited
All assets debenture1 property28/09/200401/07/2026
satisfied
Lloyds Banking Group
Lloyds Tsb Bank PLC
Debenture1 property15/10/200301/07/2026

Recent filings (72 total)

mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-07-01
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-07-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-06-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-11-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-06-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-12-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-06-06
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-11-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-06-06
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-06-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-03-31
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-07-29
termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM02
2022-07-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-11-18
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-07-23