APPLEBY CREAMERY LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
06415334 · ltd · incorporated 2007-11-01
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 Jul 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: SIC 10512
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 66-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 66). 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 · 2 lenders · oldest 8.8y

30/100
under pressure

Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.

  • · Oldest live charge is 8.8 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (72/100)

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
10 officers (1 active, 10 linked, 6 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
4 connected companies via shared directors
57
Filing history
65 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.

Key financials

1 year extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-07-31
Average employees1500

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
2
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
3
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 persons-with-significant-control
Last 180 days
3
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 accounts
  • • 1 persons-with-significant-control
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (39 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-04-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  2. 2026-04-13
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  3. 2025-04-10
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
    mortgage · MR04
  4. 2025-04-10
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  5. 2025-01-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  6. 2024-04-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  7. 2023-05-23
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  8. 2023-05-11
    ➖
    CALLANDER, William Mark resigned
    director
  9. 2023-05-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  10. 2022-04-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  11. 2021-03-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  12. 2021-02-05
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  13. 2021-02-04
    ➖
    CROUCH, Peter James resigned
    director
  14. 2020-05-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
    accounts · AA
  15. 2020-02-27
    ➖
    MACLENNAN, Stuart Alexander resigned
    director
  16. 2020-02-27
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  17. 2019-05-16
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  18. 2019-05-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  19. 2018-02-12
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  20. 2018-02-08
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Npif Tvc Debt LP Acting by Tvc Loans Npif Gp Limited as the General Partner of Npif Tvc Debt LP Acting by Fw Capital Limited.
  21. 2017-11-17
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  22. 2017-08-03
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
  23. 2016-04-29
    ➖
    WALTON, Sandra Maria resigned
    secretary
  24. 2016-04-29
    ➕
    CALLANDER, William Mark appointed
    director
  25. 2016-04-29
    ➕
    CROUCH, Peter James appointed
    director
  26. 2016-04-29
    ➕
    MACLENNAN, Stuart Alexander appointed
    director
  27. 2014-09-11
    ➖
    MANDLE, Robert Alan resigned
    director
  28. 2014-09-11
    ➖
    PARMLEY, Robert Leslie resigned
    director
  29. 2014-09-10
    ➖
    WALTON, Maurice Tom resigned
    secretary
  30. 2014-09-10
    ➕
    WALTON, Sandra Maria appointed
    secretary
  31. 2007-11-02
    ➖
    FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  32. 2007-11-02
    ➖
    FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  33. 2007-11-01
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As APPLEBY CREAMERY LIMITED
  34. 2007-11-01
    ➕
    WALTON, Maurice Tom appointed
    director
  35. 2007-11-01
    ➕
    WALTON, Maurice Tom appointed
    secretary
  36. 2007-11-01
    ➕
    FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  37. 2007-11-01
    ➕
    MANDLE, Robert Alan appointed
    director
  38. 2007-11-01
    ➕
    PARMLEY, Robert Leslie appointed
    director
  39. 2007-11-01
    ➕
    FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD appointed
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

100/100
Critical — business is the founder

The 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 19 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 66 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

88/100
Likely off-market candidate

Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 66. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 19 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 19 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.)

Group structure

Cows & Co Group Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Cows & Co Group Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
⬇
APPLEBY CREAMERY LIMITED
This company · 06415334

Parent relationships inferred from Persons with Significant Control filings. Full subsidiary tree requires reverse-lookup (coming).

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Cows & Co Group Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control04/05/2017

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 →

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 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
Incorporated2007-11-01
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC10512 — SIC 10512

Registered office

Appleby Creamery
Cross Croft Industrial Estate
Appleby-In-Westmorland
Cumbria
CA16 6HX
England

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-04-30
Last made up to: 2025-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-05-10
Last: 2026-04-26

Officers (1 active · 9 resigned)

WALTON, Maurice Tom→
director · ~66y · appointed 2007-11-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WALTON, Maurice Tom→
secretary · appointed 2007-11-01 · resigned 2014-09-10
Resigned
WALTON, Sandra Maria→
secretary · appointed 2014-09-10 · resigned 2016-04-29
Resigned
FORM 10 SECRETARIES FD LTD→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2007-11-01 · resigned 2007-11-02
Resigned
CALLANDER, William Mark→
director · ~59y · appointed 2016-04-29 · resigned 2023-05-11
Resigned
CROUCH, Peter James→
director · ~58y · appointed 2016-04-29 · resigned 2021-02-04
Resigned
MACLENNAN, Stuart Alexander→
director · ~55y · appointed 2016-04-29 · resigned 2020-02-27
Resigned
MANDLE, Robert Alan→
director · ~79y · appointed 2007-11-01 · resigned 2014-09-11
Resigned
PARMLEY, Robert Leslie→
director · ~67y · appointed 2007-11-01 · resigned 2014-09-11
Resigned
FORM 10 DIRECTORS FD LTD→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2007-11-01 · resigned 2007-11-02
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

2
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
TypeProperties
satisfied
Npif Tvc Debt LP Acting by Tvc Loans Npif Gp as the General Partner of Npif Tvc Debt LP Acting by Fw Capital .
Npif Tvc Debt LP Acting by Tvc Loans Npif Gp Limited as the General Partner of Npif Tvc Debt LP Acting by Fw Capital Limited.
A registered charge2 properties08/02/201810/04/2025
outstanding
HSBC
Hsbc Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property03/08/2017—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (65 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-05-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2026-04-28
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2026-04-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-05-06
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-04-10
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2025-01-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-05-08
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2024-04-29
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-05-23
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-05-04
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2023-05-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-03
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2022-04-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-04-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridged
accounts · AA
2021-03-30