BLENDS FOR FRIENDS LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
05575130 · ltd · incorporated 2005-09-27
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 10831
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 62-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 67/100. Strong seller-intent signal (80/100, director aged 62). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
4 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 12.9y
35/100
too messy
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 12.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: high (82/100)Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.
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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
5 officers (2 active, 5 linked, 3 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
11 connected companies via shared directors
78
Filing history
88 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
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
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 | 2025-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 28 | 2800 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
2 signals 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
4
filings
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
4
filings
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
4
filings
- • 2 persons-with-significant-control
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (37 events)Click to expand
- 2026-05-05📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2026-05-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2026-05-01📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2025-06-10📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2025-06-10🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2025-03-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-09-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-19📄capital-allotment-sharescapital · SH01
- 2024-03-19📄capital-name-of-class-of-sharescapital · SH08
- 2024-03-06📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2024-03-05📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-03-05📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2024-03-05📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC02
- 2024-03-05📄memorandum-articlesincorporation · MA
- 2024-03-05📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2024-02-22📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2024-02-22📄termination-secretary-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM02
- 2024-02-22📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2024-02-19📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2024-02-14➕GEORGE, Gavin Michael appointeddirector
- 2024-02-14🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Exap Limited
- 2024-02-13➖PROBYN, Nicole resignedsecretary
- 2024-02-13➖PROBYN, Nicole resigneddirector
- 2024-02-01📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2024-02-01📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2023-06-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-25🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Bibby Financial Services Limited
- 2021-06-22🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2017-11-16🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ)
- 2017-02-10🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2015-01-01➕PROBYN, Nicole appointeddirector
- 2013-06-20🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Barclays Bank PLC
- 2007-10-02➖ASHMAN, Suzanne Claire resignedsecretary
- 2007-10-02➕PROBYN, Nicole appointedsecretary
- 2005-09-27🏢Company incorporatedAs BLENDS FOR FRIENDS LIMITED
- 2005-09-27➕PROBYN, Alexander Dighton appointeddirector
- 2005-09-27➕ASHMAN, Suzanne Claire appointedsecretary
Owner dependency
76/100
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.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 21 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 62 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
66/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 62. Early succession window.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 21 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
1 med ·Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Group structure
2 corporate shareholders identified. Group structure is distributed.
🏛️significant stake
Exap Limited
Corporate parent · holds 25-50% shares
🏛️majority
R T & F Holdings Limited
Corporate parent · holds 50-75% shares · board control
⬇
BLENDS FOR FRIENDS LIMITED
This company · 05575130
Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
R T & F Holdings Limited Corporate entity | 50–75% | 50–75% | board control50-75% shares · 50-75% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
Exap Limited Corporate entity | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 14/02/2024 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Mr Alex Probynceased 14/02/2024· 25-50% shares
- Mrs Nicole Probynceased 14/02/2024· 25-50% shares
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
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3T BREWERY LTD→ 16885303 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ABENDANA’S LTD→ 16148280 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ACC S1 LIMITED→ 05705887 · est 2006 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 20y | — | — |
| ALPIINE TRADERS LTD→ 17087711 · est 2026 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| APE2O LIMITED→ 11367313 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ARTISAN COFFEE CO LIMITED→ 06062615 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| B & M WINES LTD→ 11753725 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| BAKE 'N' TREAT LTD→ 13267876 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BATTS HILL DISTILLERS LTD→ 12646736 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| BOLNEY WINE ESTATE LTD→ 04697328 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 23y | — | — |
| BOOKHAM HARRISON FARMS LIMITED→ 06078132 · est 2007 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 19y | — | — |
| BREAD OF LIFE LTD→ 13000089 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2005-09-27
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC10831 — SIC 10831
Registered office
The Cottage, 2
Castlefield Road
Reigate
Surrey
RH2 0AP
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-09-30
Last made up to: 2025-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-22
Last: 2026-05-08
Officers (2 active · 3 resigned)
GEORGE, Gavin Michael→
Activedirector · ~62y · appointed 2024-02-14
View their other companies + combined net worth →
PROBYN, Alexander Dighton→
Activedirector · ~50y · appointed 2005-09-27
View their other companies + combined net worth →
ASHMAN, Suzanne Claire→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2005-09-27 · resigned 2007-10-02
PROBYN, Nicole→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2007-10-02 · resigned 2024-02-13
PROBYN, Nicole→
Resigneddirector · ~53y · appointed 2015-01-01 · resigned 2024-02-13
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
4
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Exap Exap Limited | A registered charge | — | 14/02/2024 | — | |
| satisfied | Bibby Financial Services Bibby Financial Services Limited | A registered charge | — | 25/06/2021 | 10/06/2025 | |
| satisfied | Svenska Handelsbanken Ab (Publ) | A registered charge | — | 16/11/2017 | 22/06/2021 | |
| satisfied | Barclays Barclays Bank PLC | A registered charge | 1 property | 20/06/2013 | 10/02/2017 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (88 total)
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-05-08
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2026-05-05
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-05-01
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2026-05-01
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-06-10
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-23
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-08
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2024-03-19
capital-name-of-class-of-shares
capital · SH08
2024-03-19
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2024-03-06
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-03-05
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2024-03-05
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC02
2024-03-05