3 CORNMARKET LOUTH LIMITED
Opportunity 79/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (73/100, director aged 75). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 5 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
Refinance opportunity
6 live charges · 5 lenders · oldest 22.1y
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 22.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Cashflow trend is negative — lender view likely cautious.
Data confidence
Overall: high (81/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
Sector-multiple EBITDA, turnover, and NAV-proxy valuation range with confidence tier — derived from extracted iXBRL financials.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredKey financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-07-31 | 2024-07-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £278.6k | £263.1k |
| Current assets | £20.2k | £26.3k |
| Cash | £14.0k | £18.5k |
| Debtors | £6.3k | £7.8k |
| Net assets | £278.6k | £263.1k |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 confirmation-statement
Corporate timeline (32 events)Click to expand
- 2025-10-13📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2025-03-18📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-17📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-17📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-03-17📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2025-02-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2023-10-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2022-10-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-20📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2021-12-20📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2021-12-20📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2021-12-13➕BATESON, Kathryn Anne appointeddirector
- 2021-10-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2020-09-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2019-10-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2018-10-31📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-10-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-09-06🔓Charge satisfied #6
- 2005-08-26🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2005-08-26🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2005-08-02🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Deepdale Catering Limited Pembroke Catering Limited and Chicheley Catering Limited
- 2005-08-02🔒Charge registered #5Lender: John William Downs and Susan Dorothy Anne Downs
- 2005-06-11🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2005-06-11🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2005-04-01🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Deepdale Catering Limited, Pembroke Catering Limited and Chicheley Catering Limited
- 2005-04-01🔒Charge registered #3Lender: John William Downs and Suan Dorothy Anne Downs
- 2004-04-02🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Deepdale Catering Limited, Pembroke Catering Limited, Chichely Catering Limited
- 2004-04-02🔒Charge registered #1Lender: John William Downs and Susan Dorothy Anne Downs
- 2004-03-15🏢Company incorporatedAs 3 CORNMARKET LOUTH LIMITED
- 2004-03-15➕DOWNS, Susan Dorothy Anne appointedsecretary
- 2004-03-15➕DOWNS, John William appointeddirector
- 2004-03-15➕DOWNS, Susan Dorothy Anne appointeddirector
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 22 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 75 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 75 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 22 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 22 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 ·Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
3 active beneficial owners · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Kathryn Anne Bateson Individual · British · DOB 05/1978 · age 48 | 75–100% | 75–100% | sig. influence75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · significant influence · trust interest | 08/12/2021 |
Mr John William Downs Individual · British · DOB 08/1951 · age 75 | 75–100% | 75–100% | sig. influence75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · significant influence · trust interest | 06/04/2016 |
Mrs Susan Dorothy Anne Downs Individual · British · DOB 07/1951 · age 75 | 75–100% | 75–100% | sig. influence75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · significant influence · trust interest | 06/04/2016 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Harold Andrew Johnstonceased 08/12/2021· 75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
Radial SVG graph showing every company connected via shared directors, colour-coded by status.
Available from the Pro tier upwards.
See pricing →Similar companies
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 108 STOCKWELL ROAD (RESIDENTS ASSOCIATION) LIMITED→ 05717989 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
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| 14 TOWER STREET LTD→ 13341554 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
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| 2 LANCASTER ROAD LTD→ 14179099 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| 21 STAR LTD→ 10554210 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| 23 INCORPORATED LTD→ 15324411 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 26 BARBICAN ROAD LIMITED→ 10457288 · est 2016 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| 28 AVENUE VICTORIA MANAGEMENT LTD→ 13680377 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| 2J PROPERTIES LIMITED→ 10635242 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| 2LET AGENCY LIMITED→ 07211683 · est 2010 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 16y | — | — |
| 31 MARKET PLACE (COMMERCIAL) LIMITED→ 16539728 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (4 active · 0 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | Deepdale Catering Pembroke Catering and Chicheley Catering Deepdale Catering Limited Pembroke Catering Limited and Chicheley Catering Limited | Second legal charge | 2 properties | 02/08/2005 | 06/09/2017 | |
| outstanding | John William Downs and Susan Dorothy Anne Downs | Legal charge | 2 properties | 02/08/2005 | — | |
| satisfied | Deepdale Catering , Pembroke Catering and Chicheley Catering Deepdale Catering Limited, Pembroke Catering Limited and Chicheley Catering Limited | Second legal charge | 2 properties | 01/04/2005 | 26/08/2005 | |
| satisfied | John William Downs and Suan Dorothy Anne Downs | Legal charge | 1 property | 01/04/2005 | 26/08/2005 | |
| satisfied | Deepdale Catering , Pembroke Catering , Chichely Catering Deepdale Catering Limited, Pembroke Catering Limited, Chichely Catering Limited | Second legal charge | 2 properties | 02/04/2004 | 11/06/2005 | |
| satisfied | John William Downs and Susan Dorothy Anne Downs | Legal charge | 2 properties | 02/04/2004 | 11/06/2005 |