J & F,S LICENSED GROCERS LIMITED
🌳Matureactive
SC104265 · ltd · incorporated 1987-04-23
Investment thesis
Established operating company — standard diligence applies, no dominant angle.
Why interesting: Live, filing, normal profile.
Why risky: No standout signals in either direction.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
- · Oldest live charge 36.9y old — refinance window within 12 months
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Jul 2025
Net worth
£699.2k
book net assets
Opportunity
77/100
Strong
What this business does
Primary activity: Retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating
Sector: Wholesale & retail
Investor take
PursueActive trading company with a 72-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.
Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (68/100, director aged 72). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Discharge stale live charges. 2 live charge(s) created 15+ years ago — likely paid but undischarged. Clean register. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
🏦
Refinance opportunity
5 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 36.9y
50/100
clean up first
Refinance viable after a tidy-up — address the highlighted items first.
- · Oldest live charge is 36.9 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
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
5 charges (5/5 with lender, 5/5 with type)
90
Directors & officers
4 officers (3 active, 4 linked, 3 with DOB)
85
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 4 total, 4 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
109 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
70
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
77
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 £699,202
Cash YoY
-9%
Year on year
Key financials
2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accountsCash
£145k
↓ 9.3% YoY
Net Worth
£699k
↑ 1.1% YoY
Current Assets
£164k
↓ 5.2% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series
Financials
Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown| Metric | 2025-07-31 | 2024-07-31 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £709.0k | £700.1k |
| Current assets | £164.1k | £173.0k |
| Cash | £145.1k | £159.9k |
| Debtors | £19.0k | £13.1k |
| Net assets | £699.2k | £691.8k |
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
2
filings
- • 1 accounts
- • 1 persons-with-significant-control
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (28 events)Click to expand
- 2026-02-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2026-02-09📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2025-08-11📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2025-01-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2024-02-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2023-04-25📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2022-08-26📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2022-08-26📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2022-08-26📄termination-director-company-with-name-termination-dateofficers · TM01
- 2022-08-26📄cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC07
- 2022-02-25➖WOOD, Frances Kathleen resigneddirector
- 2022-01-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2021-11-30📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2021-11-23➕FARISH, Fiona Janet appointeddirector
- 2020-12-22📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-09-12📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-fullaccounts · AA
- 2020-08-28📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2020-08-28📄notification-of-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC01
- 2019-04-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-unaudited-abridgedaccounts · AA
- 2009-07-17🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2009-07-17🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2009-04-15🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2002-09-11🔒Charge registered #5Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2001-01-03🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Scottish Building Society
- 1989-08-04🔒Charge registered #3Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 1989-07-24🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 1989-07-24🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 1987-04-23🏢Company incorporatedAs J & F,S LICENSED GROCERS LIMITED
Owner dependency
81/100
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
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 72 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
76/100
Likely off-market candidateStrong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 72 years old. Natural succession window is now.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 39 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
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mrs Fiona Janet Farish Individual · British · DOB 11/1963 · age 63 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 31/07/2016 |
Mr James Alison Farish Individual · British · DOB 02/1954 · age 72 | 25–50% | 25–50% | board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control | 31/07/2016 |
2 historic (ceased) PSCs
- Miss Frances Kathleen Woodceased 25/02/2022· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting
- Mr James Alison Farishceased 31/07/2016· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · significant influence
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| DIRECT PETS LIMITED→ 09561407 · est 2015 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 10y | — | — |
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| FLANNIGAN SEAFOODS LTD→ 10626267 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 9y | — | — |
| FUNKY PRODUCTS LTD→ 07679895 · est 2011 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 14y | — | — |
| G N STORES LIMITED→ 12634539 · est 2020 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 5y | — | — |
| G. C. GRIEVE LIMITED→ 04004933 · est 2000 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 25y | — | — |
| GREEN BERWICK LIMITED→ 14437112 · est 2022 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 3y | — | — |
| HHHK LTD→ 10996318 · est 2017 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 8y | — | — |
| HUDDLESTON QUARTERS LIMITED→ 16433711 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| IDEAL CARPETS AND BEDS LIMITED→ 16806426 · est 2025 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | — | — | — |
| J & K MCNEILL LIMITED→ SC270043 · est 2004 · no financials extracted | — | — | — | — | 21y | — | — |
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
Incorporated1987-04-23
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC47110 — Retail sale in non-specialised stores with food, beverages or tobacco predominating
Registered office
11 Coopersknowe Crescent
Galashiels
TD1 2DS
United Kingdom
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-04-30
Last made up to: 2025-07-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-08-25
Last: 2025-08-11
Officers (3 active · 1 resigned)
Active
FARISH, Fiona Janet→
Activedirector · ~63y · appointed 2021-11-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
WOOD, Frances Kathleen→
Resigneddirector · ~70y · resigned 2022-02-25
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
5
Total charges
2
Outstanding
2
Active lenders
Status:Lender:5 of 5 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 11/09/2002 | — | |
| outstanding | Scottish Building Society | Standard security | 1 property | 03/01/2001 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 04/08/1989 | 15/04/2009 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 24/07/1989 | 17/07/2009 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 24/07/1989 | 17/07/2009 |
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.
Recent filings (109 total)
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-02-20
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2026-02-09
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-08-11
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2025-08-11
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-01-15
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-08-16
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-02-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-08-22
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-04-25
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-08-26
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2022-08-26
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-08-26
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2022-08-26
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2022-08-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-01-14