THE HERITAGE FRAGRANCE COMPANY LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC169331 · ltd · incorporated 1996-10-25
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.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and stalled — no momentum either way. Needs an approach trigger.
What changed my view
Last 30 days

No material changes in the last 30 days.

Last 90 days

No snapshot from 90 days ago — start tracking from today.

Last 180 days

No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.

🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
year to Dec 2025
Net worth
£2
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
🔔
Follow this company (free)
Email alerts on filings, charges, director changes, gazette notices. No account needed.

Unsubscribe any time from any email. GDPR-respectful.

🔒Generate AI memo →🔒Outreach pack →🔒Corporate story →📑 Reports →Sign in to watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Non-trading company
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pursue
Dormant / non-trading with a 77-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 77). 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: high (84/100)

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

Company profile
address, 1 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
3 years of iXBRL accounts extracted + narrative notes parsed
95
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
13 officers (2 active, 13 linked, 6 with DOB)
79
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
3 connected companies via shared directors
54
Filing history
105 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
🔒Estimated company valuation

Sector-multiple EBITDA, turnover, and NAV-proxy valuation range with confidence tier — derived from extracted iXBRL financials.

Available from the Pro tier upwards.

See pricing →
Opportunity Score
80/100Exceptional
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
90
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £2
Very low cash
Cash position: £2
Cash YoY
+0%
Year on year

Key financials

3 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£2
~ YoY
Net Worth
£2
~ YoY
Current Assets
—
Current Liabilities
—
£0£0£1£1£2£2Dec 2023Dec 2024Dec 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-12-312024-12-312023-12-31
Total assets£2£2—
Cash£2£2—
Net assets£2£2—

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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (42 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-06-02
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-04-03
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  3. 2024-03-13
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-05-10
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  5. 2023-02-08
    📄
    change-person-director-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH01
  6. 2023-02-08
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  7. 2023-02-08
    📄
    change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
    officers · CH03
  8. 2023-02-08
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  9. 2022-04-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2022-02-22
    ➖
    SPENCER, Liza Miranda resigned
    director
  11. 2021-05-26
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  12. 2021-05-21
    ➖
    LEASK, Zoe Pearl resigned
    director
  13. 2021-03-22
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2020-03-19
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2019-04-09
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2019-02-02
    📄
    gazette-filings-brought-up-to-date
    gazette · DISS40
  17. 2019-01-15
    📄
    gazette-notice-compulsory
    gazette · GAZ1
  18. 2018-12-14
    📄
    change-account-reference-date-company-current-extended
    accounts · AA01
  19. 2017-11-07
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  20. 2011-11-01
    ➖
    WILTSHIRE, David Alan resigned
    director
  21. 2011-04-25
    ➕
    LEASK, Zoe Pearl appointed
    director
  22. 2009-10-23
    ➕
    WILTSHIRE, David Alan appointed
    director
  23. 2009-07-15
    ➕
    SPENCER, Liza Miranda appointed
    director
  24. 2006-11-23
    ➕
    BRADFORD, Nicholas appointed
    secretary
  25. 2006-11-23
    ➖
    CLP SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  26. 2005-10-25
    ➕
    CLP SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  27. 2005-10-25
    ➖
    PAULL & WILLIAMSONS resigned
    corporate-secretary
  28. 2005-10-25
    ➖
    THE COMMERCIAL LAW PRACTICE resigned
    corporate-secretary
  29. 2004-12-29
    ➕
    THE COMMERCIAL LAW PRACTICE appointed
    corporate-secretary
  30. 1998-04-07
    ➖
    GIBB, Alastair Crofts resigned
    secretary
  31. 1998-04-07
    ➕
    PAULL & WILLIAMSONS appointed
    corporate-secretary
  32. 1998-04-07
    ➖
    CAMPBELL, Robert Martin, Dr resigned
    director
  33. 1997-12-10
    ➖
    GREETHAM, David Andrew resigned
    director
  34. 1997-07-01
    ➕
    SPENCER, Michael John appointed
    director
  35. 1997-01-27
    ➕
    GREETHAM, David Andrew appointed
    director
  36. 1996-10-25
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As THE HERITAGE FRAGRANCE COMPANY LIMITED
  37. 1996-10-25
    ➕
    GIBB, Alastair Crofts appointed
    secretary
  38. 1996-10-25
    ➕
    CORPORATE ADMINISTRATION SECRETARIES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-secretary
  39. 1996-10-25
    ➖
    CORPORATE ADMINISTRATION SECRETARIES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-secretary
  40. 1996-10-25
    ➕
    CAMPBELL, Robert Martin, Dr appointed
    director
  41. 1996-10-25
    ➕
    CORPORATE ADMINISTRATION SERVICES LIMITED appointed
    corporate-director
  42. 1996-10-25
    ➖
    CORPORATE ADMINISTRATION SERVICES LIMITED resigned
    corporate-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.
  • +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 29 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Founder age: Director aged approximately 77 — 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 77 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 29 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.)

Shareholders & ownership

1 active beneficial owner · dominant holder ≥75%
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mr Michael John Spencer
Individual · British · DOB 02/1949 · age 77
75–100%
—75-100% shares06/04/2016

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 →

Similar companies

Active · Holding company · DD postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
STRATHMATICS (LEISURE) LIMITED→
SC148157 · est 1993
£143.5k
£122.0k–£165.1k
—£143.5k—32y8258y
ACCOUNT TAX (SCOTLAND) LTD→
SC273878 · est 2004
£1
£1–£1
—£1—21y8076y
FEUDUTIES LIMITED→
SC053153 · est 1973
————53y8371y
BLACKADDERS TRUSTEES LIMITED→
SC213924 · est 2000
————25y8264y
DELSON HOLDINGS LIMITED→
SC385095 · est 2010
———10015y8262y
FORSTER GROUP LIMITED→
SC294457 · est 2005
———20020y8259y
J.R. POWER MOTION LIMITED→
SC272621 · est 2004
———221y8278y
LIGNUM (DUNDEE) LIMITED→
SC045453 · est 1968
———258y8293y
BLACKADDERS NOMINEES LIMITED→
SC214722 · est 2001
————25y8164y
BRJ NOMINEES LIMITED→
SC170594 · est 1996
————29y8164y
BRJ TRUSTEES LIMITED→
SC104535 · est 1987
————39y8164y
DKT ENGINEERING LIMITED→
SC209738 · est 2000
———325y8174y
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

8 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
Incorporated1996-10-25
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC74990 — Non-trading company

Registered office

Account Tax Ltd
Traill Drive
Montrose
Angus
DD10 8SW

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-09-30
Last made up to: 2025-12-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-11-08
Last: 2025-10-25

Officers (2 active · 11 resigned)

BRADFORD, Nicholas→
secretary · appointed 2006-11-23
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SPENCER, Michael John→
director · ~77y · appointed 1997-07-01
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
GIBB, Alastair Crofts→
secretary · appointed 1996-10-25 · resigned 1998-04-07
Resigned
CLP SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2005-10-25 · resigned 2006-11-23
Resigned
CORPORATE ADMINISTRATION SECRETARIES LIMITED→
corporate-secretary · appointed 1996-10-25 · resigned 1996-10-25
Resigned
PAULL & WILLIAMSONS→
corporate-secretary · appointed 1998-04-07 · resigned 2005-10-25
Resigned
THE COMMERCIAL LAW PRACTICE→
corporate-secretary · appointed 2004-12-29 · resigned 2005-10-25
Resigned
CAMPBELL, Robert Martin, Dr→
director · ~71y · appointed 1996-10-25 · resigned 1998-04-07
Resigned
GREETHAM, David Andrew→
director · ~62y · appointed 1997-01-27 · resigned 1997-12-10
Resigned
LEASK, Zoe Pearl→
director · ~51y · appointed 2011-04-25 · resigned 2021-05-21
Resigned
SPENCER, Liza Miranda→
director · ~59y · appointed 2009-07-15 · resigned 2022-02-22
Resigned
WILTSHIRE, David Alan→
director · ~82y · appointed 2009-10-23 · resigned 2011-11-01
Resigned
CORPORATE ADMINISTRATION SERVICES LIMITED→
corporate-director · appointed 1996-10-25 · resigned 1996-10-25
Resigned

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

Recent filings (105 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-06-02
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-04-03
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-03-13
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-26
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2023-05-10
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2023-02-08
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-02-08
change-person-secretary-company-with-change-date
officers · CH03
2023-02-08
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-02-08
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-10-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2022-04-05
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-10-28
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2021-05-26