ACE OF TASTE LIMITED
💤Zombieactive
07496778 · ltd · incorporated 2011-01-18
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 Feb 2025
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Take-away food shops and mobile food stands
Sector: Accommodation & food service
Investor take
PursueStrong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and bankable structure.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 80/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. 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 (58/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
1 live charge · oldest 8.2y
45/100
under pressure
Refinance would be pressure-driven, not opportunity-driven. Expect tighter margins and covenant scrutiny.
- · Oldest live charge is 8.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
- · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)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
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
1 charges (1/1 with lender, 1/1 with type)
90
Directors & officers
1 officers (1 active, 1 linked, 1 with DOB)
90
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
36 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
77/100Strong
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Business quality
70
Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.
Acquirability
60
Some acquirability indicators.
Risk profile
85
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 · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-02-28 | 2024-02-28 |
|---|---|---|
| Average employees | 200 | -200 |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
🔒Filing-note intelligence
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
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
0
filings
Last 180 days
2
filings
- • 1 confirmation-statement
- • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (18 events)Click to expand
- 2025-11-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-04-05📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2024-04-05📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-11-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-11-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-02-23📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2021-02-23📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2020-12-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-11-07📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-11-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-03-15📄mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-datemortgage · MR01
- 2018-03-14🔒Charge registered #1Lender: National Westminster Bank PLC
- 2017-12-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2016-11-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2011-01-18🏢Company incorporatedAs ACE OF TASTE LIMITED
- 2011-01-18➕CHEN, Xiuhua appointeddirector
Owner dependency
90/100
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 15 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +No director turnover: Company is 15 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
68/100
Strong succession signalMultiple 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.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 15 years.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 15 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Ms Xiuhua Chen Individual · British · DOB 07/1988 · age 38 | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 23/02/2021 |
1 historic (ceased) PSC
- Mr Samuel Chun Yu Tamceased 23/02/2021· 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.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1086 POULTON HOUSE LIMITED→ 14029741 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| 1824 LIMITED→ 14304213 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| 247 PIZZAS LTD→ 12474953 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| 81 WATER STREET LIMITED→ 13725391 · est 2021 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 4y | — | — |
| 92 DEGREES ON LORD STREET LIMITED→ 12195513 · est 2019 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 6y | — | — |
| A J MALLIBAND HOSPITALITY LIMITED→ 15557592 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| A&B SPUDS LTD→ 16781524 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| A2Z BBQ LTD→ 15289725 · est 2023 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 2y | — | — |
| ABDULS SPICE LTD→ 15780897 · est 2024 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
| ABSDELIGHTS LTD→ 16782214 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ADENEY ESTATES LIMITED→ 09926289 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
| ADLINGTON CATERING LTD→ 16374535 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 1y | — | — |
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
Incorporated2011-01-18
Jurisdictionengland-wales
Primary SIC56103 — Take-away food shops and mobile food stands
Registered office
1 Clifford Road
Birkdale
Southport
PR8 4JR
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2026-11-30
Last made up to: 2025-02-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2027-02-01
Last: 2026-01-18
Officers (1 active · 0 resigned)
CHEN, Xiuhua→
Activedirector · ~38y · appointed 2011-01-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
1
Total charges
1
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:1 of 1 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | National Westminster Bank National Westminster Bank PLC | A registered charge | — | 14/03/2018 | — |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (36 total)
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2026-02-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2025-11-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-01-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-11-29
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2024-04-05
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2024-04-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-01-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-11-27
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-02-13
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-11-17
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-02-14
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2021-11-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-03-04
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2021-02-23
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2021-02-23