DILLY'S CHOCOLATES LIMITED
Opportunity 75/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. 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 (73/100).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (78/100)Adequate coverage. AI outputs are reliable for the sections scored high; verify the rest in diligence.
Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsHover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2024-10-31 | 2023-10-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | — | £-10.3k |
| Current assets | — | £8.8k |
| Net assets | — | £-10.3k |
| Average employees | 3 | — |
Amounts extracted automatically from iXBRL. Fields left blank were not reported or not mapped. Values in GBP unless stated.
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
Corporate timeline (17 events)Click to expand
- 2025-10-27📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2025-06-05📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2025-03-27📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2024-07-23📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-07-24📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-21📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-25📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-04-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-04-25📄administrative-restoration-companyrestoration · RT01
- 2022-03-29📄gazette-dissolved-compulsorygazette · GAZ2
- 2022-01-11📄gazette-notice-compulsorygazette · GAZ1
- 2020-10-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-10-19📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2018-10-24🏢Company incorporatedAs DILLY'S CHOCOLATES LIMITED
- 2018-10-24➕PENNEY, Stephen John appointedsecretary
- 2018-10-24➕PENNEY, Dilys Sarah appointeddirector
- 2018-10-24📄incorporation-companyincorporation · NEWINC
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Sole director: Only one active director — all governance concentrated on one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
- +No director turnover: Company is 8 years old with no director changes — suggests a very tight-knit founder team never broadened.
Succession & seller-readiness
Multiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
Red flags
1 lowMultiple address changes in a short period can indicate operational instability or admin disorder.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr Stephen John Penney Individual · British · DOB 11/1953 · age 73 | 25–50% | 25–50% | board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control | 24/10/2018 |
Mrs Dilys Sarah Penney Individual · British · DOB 06/1962 · age 64 | 25–50% | 25–50% | board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control | 24/10/2018 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| COASTLINE COFFEE ROASTERS LIMITED→ 16877679 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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| DWR PENCEIBWR WATER LIMITED→ 16491179 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| ECCENTRIC SPIRIT CO LTD→ 12608012 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| EDGEMOOR BAKERY LTD→ 16840025 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
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 →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
Registered office
Filing status
Officers (2 active · 0 resigned)
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