ACORN BREWERY OF BARNSLEY LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
04768717 · ltd · incorporated 2003-05-18
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
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 19.3y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒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: Manufacture of beer
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company. Family succession underway — not a classic acquisition target.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Same-surname younger director in place — likely family handover, not open to sale. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 1 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 19.3y
65/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 19.3 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Legal-friction score 33/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)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
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (2 active, 9 linked, 6 with DOB)
83
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 5 total, 5 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
80 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
75
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
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 · FRS 102| Metric | 2025-03-31 | 2024-03-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | — | £1.29M |
| Current assets | — | £1.37M |
| Cash | — | £70.4k |
| Debtors | — | £1.25M |
| Net assets | — | £1.29M |
| Average employees | 1000 | — |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
1
filing
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (38 events)Click to expand
- 2025-12-16📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-12-02➖FITZPATRICK, Brendan resigneddirector
- 2024-12-02📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-11-25📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2024-11-15📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2024-11-15📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2024-11-14➕HUGHES, Christy appointeddirector
- 2024-11-14➕HUGHES, David Stewart appointeddirector
- 2024-10-18📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2024-10-18📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2024-10-18📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-09-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2024-02-09📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2024-01-28📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2023-10-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-08-23📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-08-23📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2023-08-23📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2023-08-23📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2023-08-23📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2023-08-23📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2023-08-21➕FITZPATRICK, Brendan appointeddirector
- 2023-08-21➖HUGHES, Christy resigneddirector
- 2023-08-21➖HUGHES, David Stewart resigneddirector
- 2022-07-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-08-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2017-01-03➕HUGHES, Christy appointeddirector
- 2014-04-22➖HUGHES, Judith resignedsecretary
- 2014-04-22➖HUGHES, Judith resigneddirector
- 2007-01-22🔒Charge registered #1Lender: P.A.T. (Pensions) Limited
- 2003-05-18🏢Company incorporatedAs ACORN BREWERY OF BARNSLEY LIMITED
- 2003-05-18➕HUGHES, Judith appointedsecretary
- 2003-05-18➕L & A SECRETARIAL LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-05-18➖L & A SECRETARIAL LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2003-05-18➕HUGHES, David Stewart appointeddirector
- 2003-05-18➕HUGHES, Judith appointeddirector
- 2003-05-18➕L & A REGISTRARS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2003-05-18➖L & A REGISTRARS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
74/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 58 — approaching natural succession window.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
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
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr David Stewart Hughes Individual · British · DOB 05/1968 · age 58 | 25–50% | 25–50% | board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control | 18/10/2024 |
Mrs Christy Hughes Individual · British · DOB 04/1979 · age 47 | 25–50% | 25–50% | board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control | 18/10/2024 |
3 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Bluesea2 Ltdceased 18/10/2024· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
- Mrs Christy Hughesceased 21/08/2023· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
- Mr David Stewart Hughesceased 21/08/2023· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Similar companies
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 51KM LIMITED→ 15227599 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| A.L.SIMPKIN & CO.LIMITED→ 00244390 · est 1929 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 96y | — | — |
| ABBEYDALE BREWERY LIMITED→ 04586313 · est 2002 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| ABHI PRODUCTS LTD→ 16349681 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ADC VENTURES LIMITED→ 07312776 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 15y | — | — |
| AFRICAN FARMER'S DELIGHT FOODS LTD→ 14749579 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| AGEYA LIMITED→ 15827842 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| AGRIVITE LTD→ 15227322 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ALEBEACAKES LTD→ 16187965 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ALECHEMIST LIMITED→ 12564119 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| ALKEME LTD→ 16575408 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ALLEN JACKSON BAKERY LIMITED→ 15063694 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions
6 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
Incorporated2003-05-18
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC11050 — Manufacture of beer
Registered office
Unit 3 Aldham Industrial Estate, Mitchell Road
Wombwell
Barnsley
South Yorkshire
S73 8HA
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-06-01
Last: 2025-05-18
Officers (2 active · 7 resigned)
HUGHES, Christy→
Activedirector · ~47y · appointed 2024-11-14
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HUGHES, David Stewart→
Activedirector · ~58y · appointed 2024-11-14
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HUGHES, Judith→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2003-05-18 · resigned 2014-04-22
L & A SECRETARIAL LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-05-18 · resigned 2003-05-18
FITZPATRICK, Brendan→
Resigneddirector · ~55y · appointed 2023-08-21 · resigned 2024-12-02
HUGHES, Christy→
Resigneddirector · ~47y · appointed 2017-01-03 · resigned 2023-08-21
HUGHES, David Stewart→
Resigneddirector · ~58y · appointed 2003-05-18 · resigned 2023-08-21
HUGHES, Judith→
Resigneddirector · ~59y · appointed 2003-05-18 · resigned 2014-04-22
L & A REGISTRARS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-05-18 · resigned 2003-05-18
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | P.A.T. (Pensions) P.A.T. (Pensions) Limited | Rent deposit deed | 1 property | 22/01/2007 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (80 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-16
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-23
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2024-12-02
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2024-11-25
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2024-11-15
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2024-11-15
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2024-10-18
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2024-10-18
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-10-18
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-09-23
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-06-03
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2024-02-09
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2024-01-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-10-19
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-08-23