JOE'S ICE CREAM LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
04976003 · ltd · incorporated 2003-11-25
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 Dec 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
81/100
Exceptional
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 10520
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 73-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 81/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (63/100, director aged 73). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

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
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
11 officers (9 active, 11 linked, 8 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
73 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
81/100Exceptional
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
85
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 accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Dec 2023Dec 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2024-12-312023-12-31
Average employees1380013700

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
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (30 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-10-23
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  2. 2025-09-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-08-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-09-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-08-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-07-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2020-10-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  8. 2019-08-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  9. 2018-09-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2018-08-07
    📄
    capital-alter-shares-subdivision
    capital · SH02
  11. 2018-08-03
    📄
    capital-name-of-class-of-shares
    capital · SH08
  12. 2018-08-03
    📄
    capital-name-of-class-of-shares
    capital · SH08
  13. 2018-08-03
    📄
    resolution
    resolution · RESOLUTIONS
  14. 2017-08-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2017-02-20
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  16. 2017-02-20
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  17. 2017-02-01
    ➕
    HUGHES, Lucy appointed
    director
  18. 2017-02-01
    ➕
    HUGHES, Michael appointed
    director
  19. 2007-01-01
    ➕
    BROWN, Helen Claire appointed
    director
  20. 2007-01-01
    ➕
    HANNON, Teresa Frances appointed
    director
  21. 2007-01-01
    ➕
    JONES, Paul Alan appointed
    director
  22. 2007-01-01
    ➕
    PETERS, Stephen Michael appointed
    director
  23. 2003-11-28
    ➖
    FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  24. 2003-11-28
    ➖
    FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  25. 2003-11-25
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As JOE'S ICE CREAM LIMITED
  26. 2003-11-25
    ➕
    HUGHES, Dominic Ernest appointed
    secretary
  27. 2003-11-25
    ➕
    HUGHES, Adrian appointed
    director
  28. 2003-11-25
    ➕
    HUGHES, Dominic Ernest appointed
    director
  29. 2003-11-25
    ➕
    FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  30. 2003-11-25
    ➕
    FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

73/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • -8 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 23 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 73 — succession pressure is live.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

90/100
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.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 23 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 23 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

clean
No 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
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Dominic Ernest Hughes
Individual · British · DOB 01/1953 · age 73
25–50%
—25-50% shares06/04/2016
Mr Adrian Hughes
Individual · British · DOB 05/1956 · age 70
25–50%
—25-50% shares06/04/2016

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

Similar companies

Active · Food & drink · SA postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
HARBOUR BREWERY TENBY LIMITED→
09323534 · est 2014 · no financials extracted
————11y——
HAVEN FOODS LIMITED→
04608179 · est 2002 · no financials extracted
————23y——
HAVIN TURKISH PASTRY LTD→
12811129 · est 2020 · no financials extracted
————5y——
HIGHMEAD DAIRIES LIMITED→
02051184 · est 1986 · no financials extracted
————39y——
IN THE WELSH WIND DISTILLERY LTD→
11166962 · est 2018 · no financials extracted
————8y——
JAM TAN FOODS LTD→
14599617 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————3y——
LA CREME PATISSERIE & CATERING CO. LTD→
05629921 · est 2005 · no financials extracted
————20y——
LEEKY BARREL BREWING LIMITED→
15089556 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
LEVANT DELIGHTS UK LIMITED→
10703432 · est 2017 · no financials extracted
————9y——
LIQUID ICE WATER COMPANY LIMITED→
03326700 · est 1997 · no financials extracted
————29y——
LITTLE VALLEY BAKERY LTD→
11909578 · est 2019 · no financials extracted
————7y——
LL CARDIFF LTD→
15079241 · est 2023 · no financials extracted
————2y——
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
Incorporated2003-11-25
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC10520 — SIC 10520

Registered office

85 St Helens Rd
Swansea
SA1 1BQ

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-09-30
Last made up to: 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-09
Last: 2025-11-25

Officers (9 active · 2 resigned)

HUGHES, Dominic Ernest→
secretary · appointed 2003-11-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BROWN, Helen Claire→
director · ~62y · appointed 2007-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HANNON, Teresa Frances→
director · ~58y · appointed 2007-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HUGHES, Adrian→
director · ~70y · appointed 2003-11-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HUGHES, Dominic Ernest→
director · ~73y · appointed 2003-11-25
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HUGHES, Lucy→
director · ~40y · appointed 2017-02-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
HUGHES, Michael→
director · ~44y · appointed 2017-02-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
JONES, Paul Alan→
director · ~57y · appointed 2007-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
PETERS, Stephen Michael→
director · ~55y · appointed 2007-01-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2003-11-25 · resigned 2003-11-28
Resigned
FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2003-11-25 · resigned 2003-11-28
Resigned

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

Recent filings (73 total)

confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-12-04
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2025-10-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-09-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-08-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-12-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-09-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-08-22
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-12-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2021-07-26
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-01-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2020-10-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-12-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2019-08-28