AJS VENDING LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
05949103 · ltd · incorporated 2006-09-27
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 Oct 2024
Net worth
£42.2k
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
What this business does
Primary activity: Other food services
Sector: Accommodation & food service
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 61-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 61). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Broaden director team. Sole director creates succession risk and reduces buyer comfort. Appoint a second director or strong #2. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (73/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
2 live charges · oldest 13.5y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 13.5 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (70/100)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
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (2 active, 4 linked, 1 with DOB)
75
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
1 connected companies via shared directors
48
Filing history
51 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
82/100Exceptional
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
80
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredPositive net assets
Net assets £42,178
Key financials
1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£17k
Net Worth
£42k
Current Assets
£79k
Current Liabilities
—
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-10-31 |
|---|---|
| Total assets | £282.8k |
| Current assets | £79.0k |
| Cash | £16.9k |
| Debtors | £16.2k |
| Net assets | £42.2k |
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
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (24 events)Click to expand
- 2025-09-26📄change-account-reference-date-company-current-extendedaccounts · AA01
- 2025-05-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2024-04-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2023-01-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2021-12-10📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2020-11-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2020-01-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-26📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2017-11-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2017-01-09📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-05-18📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-09-30📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-03-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2014-10-23📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2014-02-19📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2012-11-29🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2012-11-26🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2006-09-27🏢Company incorporatedAs AJS VENDING LIMITED
- 2006-09-27➕SHERRATT, Shirley Ann appointedsecretary
- 2006-09-27➕SHERRATT, Mark Antony appointeddirector
- 2006-09-27➕TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2006-09-27➖TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2006-09-27➕COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2006-09-27➖COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
93/100
Critical — business is the founderThe 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 20 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 61 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
78/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 61. Early succession window.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 20 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 20 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
cleanNo red flags detected from available public data. (This is not a clean bill of health — detailed accounts review still recommended.)
Shareholders & ownership
1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Mark Antony Sherratt Individual · British · DOB 04/1965 · age 61 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control · firm interest | 01/09/2016 |
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
Active · Hospitality · FY postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 14 AGNEW STREET LYTHAM FLAT MANAGEMENT COMPANY LIMITED→ 02841324 · est 1993 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 32y | — | — |
| 15SIX LIMITED→ 14985717 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 168 ENTERPRISE LTD→ 12327632 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| 333 TAKEAWAY LTD→ 15408540 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| 3RN HOLIDAY LETS LIMITED→ 13318417 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| A & F TRADING LTD→ 11227308 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| A-MURAD GROUP LTD→ 16576022 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ACCOMMODATED LIMITED→ 14161203 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| ADELPHI APARTMENTS LTD→ 04787764 · est 2003 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 22y | — | — |
| AKASH TANDOORI BLACKPOOL LIMITED→ 11133519 · est 2018 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| ALBERT HOTEL (BLACKPOOL) LIMITED→ 11823255 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 7y | — | — |
| ALBERT ROAD LUXURY APARTMENTS LIMITED→ 12592135 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2006-09-27
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC56290 — Other food services
Registered office
Vending House
Clifton Road
Blackpool
Lancashire
FY4 4QA
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2024-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-11
Last: 2025-09-27
Officers (2 active · 2 resigned)
SHERRATT, Shirley Ann→
Activesecretary · appointed 2006-09-27
View their other companies + combined net worth →
SHERRATT, Mark Antony→
Activedirector · ~61y · appointed 2006-09-27
View their other companies + combined net worth →
TEMPLE SECRETARIES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2006-09-27 · resigned 2006-09-27
COMPANY DIRECTORS LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2006-09-27 · resigned 2006-09-27
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
2
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Legal charge | 1 property | 29/11/2012 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Debenture | 1 property | 26/11/2012 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (51 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-11-17
change-account-reference-date-company-current-extended
accounts · AA01
2025-09-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-05-01
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-11-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-04-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-01-04
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-31
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2021-12-10
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-11-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2020-11-19
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-10-07
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2020-01-21
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-09-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2018-11-26