R LITTLE (BAKERS) LIMITED
- · Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage
Opportunity 75/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Strong seller-intent signal (83/100, director aged 67). Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 3 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).
Refinance opportunity
7 live charges · 3 lenders · oldest 18.6y
Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 18.6 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 3 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.
Data confidence
Overall: medium (77/100)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.
Signals from accounts
Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declaredKey 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 | 2024-09-30 | 2023-09-30 |
|---|---|---|
| Total assets | £197.5k | £208.8k |
| Current assets | £47.6k | £74.3k |
| Net assets | £186.8k | £182.5k |
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 (35 events)Click to expand
- 2025-04-03📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2024-03-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2023-10-04📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-10-04📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC04
- 2023-06-01📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2022-06-29📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2020-04-14📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2019-04-15📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2018-04-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entityaccounts · AA
- 2017-04-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2016-02-11📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2015-09-20📄annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholdersannual-return · AR01
- 2015-05-05📄accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-smallaccounts · AA
- 2011-08-16➕LITTLE, Joy Reid appointedsecretary
- 2011-08-16➕LITTLE, Joy Reid appointeddirector
- 2011-08-15➖LITTLE, Alistair resignedsecretary
- 2011-08-15➖LITTLE, Alistair resigneddirector
- 2011-08-15🔒Charge registered #7Lender: Alistair Little
- 2011-08-15🔒Charge registered #6Lender: Alistair Little
- 2011-08-15🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2011-08-15🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2011-08-09🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2011-04-21🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2011-01-18🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2007-10-22🔒Charge registered #2Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2007-09-21🔒Charge registered #1Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
- 2002-10-01➕LITTLE, David appointeddirector
- 2002-10-01➕LITTLE, Alistair appointedsecretary
- 2002-10-01➖YORK PLACE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-10-01➕LITTLE, Alistair appointeddirector
- 2002-10-01➖YORK PLACE COMPANY NOMINEES LIMITED resignedcorporate-nominee-director
- 2002-09-20🏢Company incorporatedAs R LITTLE (BAKERS) LIMITED
- 2002-09-20➕YORK PLACE COMPANY SECRETARIES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-secretary
- 2002-09-20➕YORK PLACE COMPANY NOMINEES LIMITED appointedcorporate-nominee-director
Owner dependency
The business appears inseparable from the founder. Acquisition without a serious earn-out or meaningful transition period would likely destroy value.
- +Two-director setup: Only two active directors — typical of owner-managed SMEs but limits succession.
- +Founder name in company name: Company name contains director surname "LITTLE" — strong identity link between founder and business.
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 24 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Founder age: Director aged approximately 67 — succession pressure is live.
- +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.
Succession & seller-readiness
Strong acquirability signals converging. Worth approaching directly — this is how off-market deals start.
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 67. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- secondaryTwo-director governance: Small-team governance. Succession depth is thin but not absent.
- primary20+ year tenure: Director in role 24 years. Very long tenure is a classic succession signal.
- secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 24 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
1 med · 1 lowMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Heavily leveraged with multiple live security positions — understand the capital structure before proceeding.
Shareholders & ownership
2 active beneficial owners| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Mr David Little Individual · British · DOB 02/1959 · age 67 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
Mrs Joy Reid Little Individual · British · DOB 10/1960 · age 66 | 25–50% | 25–50% | 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting | 06/04/2016 |
From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.
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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 →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 (3 active · 4 resigned)
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| outstanding | Alistair Little | Standard security | 1 property | 15/08/2011 | — | |
| outstanding | Alistair Little | Standard security | 1 property | 15/08/2011 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 15/08/2011 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 15/08/2011 | — | |
| outstanding | Lloyds Banking Group Bank of Scotland PLC | Floating charge | 1 property | 09/08/2011 | — | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Standard security | 1 property | 22/10/2007 | 21/04/2011 | |
| satisfied | Lloyds Banking Group The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC | Bond & floating charge | 1 property | 21/09/2007 | 18/01/2011 |