BIG PENNY LTD

💤Zombieactive
07095615 · ltd · incorporated 2009-12-04
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 Mar 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
73/100
Strong
🔔
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What this business does
Primary activity: Manufacture of beer
Sector: Manufacturing
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 56302Public houses and bars
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.

Opportunity 73/100 (strong), bankability 67/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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 (58/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

6 live charges · 5 lenders · oldest 13.9y

15/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 13.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · 5 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: medium (73/100)

Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.

Company profile
address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
1 year of iXBRL accounts extracted (no YoY comparison) + narrative notes parsed
50
Lenders & charges
6 charges (6/6 with lender, 6/6 with type)
90
Directors & officers
11 officers (1 active, 11 linked, 11 with DOB)
90
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
127 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
73/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional 

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
55
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
77
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
Metric2024-03-31
Average employees9800

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 capital
Last 90 days
2
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 capital
Last 180 days
2
filings
  • • 1 confirmation-statement
  • • 1 capital
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (52 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-06-17
    📄
    capital-allotment-shares
    capital · SH01
  2. 2026-01-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2025-11-26
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  4. 2025-11-20
    ➖
    KOBUS, Frans Evert resigned
    director
  5. 2025-03-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  6. 2025-02-24
    📄
    second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
    confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
  7. 2024-03-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  8. 2023-03-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  9. 2022-09-09
    ✏️
    certificate-change-of-name-company
    change-of-name · CERTNM
  10. 2022-06-29
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  11. 2022-06-29
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  12. 2022-06-29
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  13. 2022-06-29
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  14. 2022-06-29
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  15. 2022-06-27
    ➖
    GOODWIN, David Jonathan resigned
    director
  16. 2022-06-27
    ➕
    KOBUS, Frans Evert appointed
    director
  17. 2022-06-27
    ➖
    MINTER, Andrew James resigned
    director
  18. 2022-06-27
    ➖
    SMITH, Geoffrey Richard resigned
    director
  19. 2022-06-27
    ➖
    TAYLOR, Robert Bruce resigned
    director
  20. 2022-03-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  21. 2022-01-19
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  22. 2022-01-19
    📄
    withdrawal-of-a-person-with-significant-control-statement
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC09
  23. 2021-07-27
    ➖
    HEAP, Malcolm Stuart Joseph resigned
    director
  24. 2021-07-27
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  25. 2021-02-21
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  26. 2021-02-16
    📄
    mortgage-satisfy-charge-part
    mortgage · MR04
  27. 2020-03-10
    ➖
    MORGAN, James William Heudebourck resigned
    director
  28. 2019-06-28
    ➖
    HEARLE, Emma resigned
    director
  29. 2018-07-10
    ➕
    HEARLE, Emma appointed
    director
  30. 2018-05-31
    ➖
    BOWEN, Timothy William resigned
    director
  31. 2018-02-17
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #5
  32. 2018-02-17
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #4
  33. 2018-02-01
    ➕
    HEMUS, Michael-George Carwardine appointed
    director
  34. 2018-01-15
    🔒
    Charge registered #6
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC (Trading as Both Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank) (Company Number SC001111)
  35. 2016-05-05
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #3
  36. 2015-12-24
    🔒
    Charge registered #5
    Lender: Growth Street Provision Limited
  37. 2015-10-22
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Growth Street Provision Limited
  38. 2015-05-21
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #2
  39. 2015-05-21
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  40. 2015-03-25
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Growth Street Limited
  41. 2014-01-16
    ➕
    BOWEN, Timothy William appointed
    director
  42. 2014-01-16
    ➕
    GOODWIN, David Jonathan appointed
    director
  43. 2014-01-16
    ➕
    HEAP, Malcolm Stuart Joseph appointed
    director
  44. 2014-01-16
    ➕
    MINTER, Andrew James appointed
    director
  45. 2014-01-16
    ➕
    SMITH, Geoffrey Richard appointed
    director
  46. 2014-01-16
    ➕
    TAYLOR, Robert Bruce appointed
    director
  47. 2013-01-24
    ➖
    HEMUS, Michael-George Carwardine resigned
    director
  48. 2012-10-02
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council
  49. 2012-07-25
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London
  50. 2009-12-04
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As BIG PENNY LTD
Showing most recent 50 of 52 events

Owner dependency

75/100
High — earn-out structure required

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

FACTORS
  • +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.

Succession & seller-readiness

55/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.

SIGNALS
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 17 years old and no new directors in the last 3 years — succession not yet being planned internally.

Red flags

1 med ·
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Michael-George Carwardine Hemus
Individual · British · DOB 07/1980 · age 46
25–50%
25–50%25-50% shares · 25-50% voting15/10/2021

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

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
Incorporated2009-12-04
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC11050 — Manufacture of beer

Registered office

1 Priestley Way
Walthamstow
London
E17 6AL
United Kingdom

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-12-31
Last made up to: 2025-03-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-12-08
Last: 2025-11-24

Officers (1 active · 10 resigned)

HEMUS, Michael-George Carwardine→
director · ~46y · appointed 2018-02-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
BOWEN, Timothy William→
director · ~43y · appointed 2014-01-16 · resigned 2018-05-31
Resigned
GOODWIN, David Jonathan→
director · ~76y · appointed 2014-01-16 · resigned 2022-06-27
Resigned
HEAP, Malcolm Stuart Joseph→
director · ~55y · appointed 2014-01-16 · resigned 2021-07-27
Resigned
HEARLE, Emma→
director · ~47y · appointed 2018-07-10 · resigned 2019-06-28
Resigned
HEMUS, Michael-George Carwardine→
director · ~46y · appointed 2009-12-04 · resigned 2013-01-24
Resigned
KOBUS, Frans Evert→
director · ~49y · appointed 2022-06-27 · resigned 2025-11-20
Resigned
MINTER, Andrew James→
director · ~60y · appointed 2014-01-16 · resigned 2022-06-27
Resigned
MORGAN, James William Heudebourck→
director · ~46y · appointed 2009-12-04 · resigned 2020-03-10
Resigned
SMITH, Geoffrey Richard→
director · ~50y · appointed 2014-01-16 · resigned 2022-06-27
Resigned
TAYLOR, Robert Bruce→
director · ~66y · appointed 2014-01-16 · resigned 2022-06-27
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

6
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:6 of 6 shown
TypeProperties
part-satisfied
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank PLC (Trading as Both Clydesdale and Yorkshire Bank) (Company Number SC001111)
A registered charge—15/01/2018—
satisfied
Growth Street Provision
Growth Street Provision Limited
A registered charge—24/12/201517/02/2018
satisfied
Growth Street Provision
Growth Street Provision Limited
A registered charge1 property22/10/201517/02/2018
satisfied
Growth Street
Growth Street Limited
A registered charge1 property25/03/201505/05/2016
satisfied
Cheshire West and Chester Borough Council
Rent deposit deed1 property02/10/201221/05/2015
satisfied
The Mayor and Commonalty and Citizens of the City of London
Rent deposit deed1 property25/07/201221/05/2015
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (127 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-06-23
capital-allotment-shares
capital · SH01
2026-06-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-01-02
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2025-11-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-03-27
second-filing-of-confirmation-statement-with-made-up-date
confirmation-statement · RP04CS01
2025-02-24
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2024-03-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-11-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2023-03-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-12-15
certificate-change-of-name-company
change-of-name · CERTNM
2022-09-09
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2022-06-29
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-06-29
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-06-29