COSTLEY INNS & WINE BARS LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC168509 · ltd · incorporated 1996-09-24
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 Sept 2024
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
82/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Licenced restaurants
Sector: Accommodation & food service
Investor take
Pursue
Active trading company with a 74-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 82/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 74). 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 (73/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

4 live charges · 2 lenders · oldest 19.1y

30/100
under pressure

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

  • · Oldest live charge is 19.1 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Two lenders — manageable, but coordination required.
  • · Distress signals active — lender appetite narrows.

Data confidence

Overall: high (80/100)

Strong data coverage across all sections. AI outputs should be trusted with minimal caveats.

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
4 charges (4/4 with lender, 4/4 with type)
90
Directors & officers
8 officers (2 active, 8 linked, 5 with DOB)
83
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
94 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

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
—
Net Worth
—
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£0£0£0£0Sept 2023Sept 2024

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2024-09-302023-09-30
Average employees00

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
0
filings
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-09-24
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
  2. 2025-04-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-06-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-06-08
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  5. 2022-05-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  6. 2021-06-25
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  7. 2021-04-15
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  8. 2020-09-30
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  9. 2019-04-23
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  10. 2018-06-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  11. 2018-05-31
    📄
    mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
    mortgage · MR01
  12. 2018-05-25
    🔒
    Charge registered #4
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
  13. 2017-04-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  14. 2016-06-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  15. 2015-10-21
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  16. 2015-07-01
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-small
    accounts · AA
  17. 2011-03-25
    🔓
    Charge satisfied #1
  18. 2009-11-26
    🔒
    Charge registered #3
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank PLC
  19. 2007-10-25
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  20. 2007-03-23
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
  21. 2000-07-09
    ➖
    ALLISON, Elizabeth resigned
    director
  22. 2000-07-09
    ➖
    MURDOCH, James Kenneth resigned
    director
  23. 2000-07-09
    ➖
    POGGI, Michael resigned
    director
  24. 1997-06-16
    ➖
    ALLISON, James resigned
    director
  25. 1996-10-04
    ➕
    COSTLEY, Catherine appointed
    secretary
  26. 1996-10-04
    ➕
    COSTLEY, William James Mccreadie appointed
    director
  27. 1996-10-04
    ➖
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  28. 1996-10-04
    ➕
    ALLISON, Elizabeth appointed
    director
  29. 1996-10-04
    ➕
    ALLISON, James appointed
    director
  30. 1996-10-04
    ➕
    MURDOCH, James Kenneth appointed
    director
  31. 1996-10-04
    ➕
    POGGI, Michael appointed
    director
  32. 1996-10-04
    ➖
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED resigned
    corporate-nominee-director
  33. 1996-09-24
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As COSTLEY INNS & WINE BARS LIMITED
  34. 1996-09-24
    ➕
    OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  35. 1996-09-24
    ➕
    JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED 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.
  • +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "COSTLEY" — strong identity link between founder and business.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 30 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 74 — succession pressure is live.

Succession & seller-readiness

100/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • primaryFounder aged 70+: Senior director is approximately 74 years old. Natural succession window is now.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 30 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 30 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

Costley & Costley Hoteliers Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️
Costley & Costley Hoteliers Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
ultimate parent
⬇
COSTLEY INNS & WINE BARS LIMITED
This company · SC168509

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
Costley & Costley Hoteliers Limited
Corporate entity
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control24/09/2016

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

9 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
Incorporated1996-09-24
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC56101 — Licenced restaurants

Registered office

Lochgreen House Hotel
Monktonhill Road
Troon
KA10 7EN
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2026-06-30
Last made up to: 2024-09-30
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-08
Last: 2025-09-24

Officers (2 active · 6 resigned)

COSTLEY, Catherine→
secretary · appointed 1996-10-04
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
COSTLEY, William James Mccreadie→
director · ~74y · appointed 1996-10-04
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
OSWALDS OF EDINBURGH LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 1996-09-24 · resigned 1996-10-04
Resigned
ALLISON, Elizabeth→
director · ~72y · appointed 1996-10-04 · resigned 2000-07-09
Resigned
ALLISON, James→
director · ~74y · appointed 1996-10-04 · resigned 1997-06-16
Resigned
MURDOCH, James Kenneth→
director · ~66y · appointed 1996-10-04 · resigned 2000-07-09
Resigned
POGGI, Michael→
director · ~62y · appointed 1996-10-04 · resigned 2000-07-09
Resigned
JORDANS (SCOTLAND) LIMITED→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 1996-09-24 · resigned 1996-10-04
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

4
Total charges
3
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:4 of 4 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank PLC
A registered charge1 property25/05/2018—
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank PLC
Standard security1 property26/11/2009—
outstanding
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Floating charge1 property25/10/2007—
satisfied
Virgin Money
Clydesdale Bank Public Limited Company
Standard security1 property23/03/200725/03/2011
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (94 total)

confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-29
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2025-09-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2025-04-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-09-24
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2024-06-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-09-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2023-06-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-09-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2022-05-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-09-28
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2021-06-25
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2021-04-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-small
accounts · AA
2020-09-30
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2020-09-24
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2019-10-03