CALIFORNIA CAKE COMPANY (HOLDINGS) LIMITED
⚰️Wound downliquidation
SC286674 · ltd · incorporated 2005-06-27
Investment thesis
Company liquidation — not a live target.
Why interesting: Historical record only; useful for precedent research.
Why risky: Not transactable.
Why now
Window opening · high confidence
More negotiable than before — 3 signals weakening over the last 30 days.
- · Hygiene score: 90 → 70
- · Opportunity score: 57 → 49
- · Bankability: 52 → 42
- · Distress / opportunity: speculative → avoid
Opportunity decay
softening · 6-months
Softening — cumulative signals suggest this becomes more negotiable over the next 3–6 months.
- · 10 recent signals weakening vs 0 strengthening
What changed my view
Last 30 days
Picture worsened over the last 30 days — 3 negative signals vs 0 positive.
- ↓Opportunity score: 57 → 49
- ↓Hygiene score: 90 → 70
- ↓Bankability: 52 → 42
- ·Distress / opportunity: speculative → avoid
Last 90 days
Picture worsened over the last 90 days — 7 negative signals vs 0 positive.
- ↓Lifecycle stage: mature → wound-down
- ·Investment thesis: well_run_hard_buy → unclassified
- ↓Company status: active → liquidation
- ↓Deal-killer verdict: clean → not-transactable
- ↓Opportunity score: 80 → 49
- +3 more
Last 180 days
No snapshot from 180 days ago — start tracking from today.
🔒Estimated value
—
Upgrade to see
Turnover
—
not disclosed
Net worth
—
book net assets
Opportunity
49/100
Watch
What this business does
Primary activity: Activities of head offices
Sector: Professional, scientific & technical
Investor take
Pass (distressed without resilience)Distressed unclear — structural issues outweigh the discount.
Opportunity 49/100 (watch), bankability 42/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Asset purchase likely safer than share purchase given structural signals. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 4 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: distressed disposal / insolvency (65/100). Current lenders should be on monthly review.
🏦
Refinance opportunity
5 live charges · 4 lenders · oldest 20.7y
25/100
too messy
Structure is too messy for a clean refinance right now — clean up first or expect bespoke terms.
- · Oldest live charge is 20.7 years old — likely at or near maturity.
- · 4 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
- · Legal-friction score 50/100 (high).
Data confidence
Overall: medium (61/100)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
No iXBRL financials extracted
0
Lenders & charges
5 charges (5/5 with lender, 5/5 with type)
90
Directors & officers
18 officers (4 active, 18 linked, 11 with DOB)
82
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared
90
Director network
20 connected companies via shared directors
90
Filing history
111 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
Opportunity Score
49/100Watch
PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional
Not actionable now, but monitor — distressed, succession, or structural changes could flip this into a real opportunity.
Business quality
0
Concerning — overdue filings or status flags present.
Acquirability
85
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
41
Multiple red flags — proceed with caution.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.
Recent activity
Last 30 days
0
filings
Last 90 days
2
filings
- • 1 address
- • 1 resolution
Last 180 days
8
filings
- • 5 mortgage
- • 1 address
- • 1 resolution
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (61 events)Click to expand
- 2026-05-06📍change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-addressaddress · AD01
- 2026-05-01📄resolutionresolution · RESOLUTIONS
- 2026-03-28📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2026-03-18📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-03-18🔓Charge satisfied #5
- 2026-02-12📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-02-12📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-02-12📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-02-12📄mortgage-satisfy-charge-fullmortgage · MR04
- 2026-02-12🔓Charge satisfied #4
- 2026-02-12🔓Charge satisfied #3
- 2026-02-12🔓Charge satisfied #2
- 2026-02-12🔓Charge satisfied #1
- 2024-12-30📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2024-01-17📄change-to-a-person-with-significant-controlpersons-with-significant-control · PSC05
- 2023-12-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2023-12-06➕HILL, Steven Paul appointeddirector
- 2023-12-06📄appoint-person-director-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP01
- 2023-04-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2022-07-04📄change-person-director-company-with-change-dateofficers · CH01
- 2021-11-17📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2021-06-04📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2019-12-20📄accounts-with-accounts-type-dormantaccounts · AA
- 2019-04-10📄appoint-corporate-secretary-company-with-name-dateofficers · AP04
- 2019-04-02➕ONE ADVISORY LIMITED appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2019-03-04➖HEENEY, Caroline resignedsecretary
- 2017-09-13➕HEENEY, Caroline appointedsecretary
- 2017-06-15➖COX, Melanie Rachel resignedsecretary
- 2015-12-31➕COX, Melanie Rachel appointedsecretary
- 2015-12-31➖CITY GROUP PLC resignedcorporate-secretary
- 2014-10-30🔒Charge registered #5Lender: Hsbc Corporate Trustee Company (UK) Limited
- 2010-04-01➖MORGAN, Lisa Margaret Wendy resigneddirector
- 2010-01-20➕BOYD, Stephen Alexander appointeddirector
- 2009-10-19➕DUFFY, John Gerald appointeddirector
- 2008-09-29➖BROOKS, David Gary resigneddirector
- 2007-02-22🔒Charge registered #4Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2006-10-01➕MORGAN, Lisa Margaret Wendy appointeddirector
- 2006-09-30➖LOMER, John Antony resigneddirector
- 2005-11-18➖MCKEE, Martin Jack resignedsecretary
- 2005-11-18➕CITY GROUP PLC appointedcorporate-secretary
- 2005-11-18➖BEATTIE, David resigneddirector
- 2005-11-18➕BROOKS, David Gary appointeddirector
- 2005-11-18➕LOMER, John Antony appointeddirector
- 2005-11-18➖MCCORMICK, John Robert resigneddirector
- 2005-11-18➖MCKEE, Martin Jack resigneddirector
- 2005-11-18➖ORR, David Slater resigneddirector
- 2005-11-18➖STEVEN, Ian William resigneddirector
- 2005-11-18🔒Charge registered #3Lender: Hsbc Bank PLC
- 2005-11-18🔒Charge registered #2Lender: Hsbc Equipment Finance (UK) Limited
- 2005-11-18🔒Charge registered #1Lender: Hsbc Asset Finance (UK) Limited
Showing most recent 50 of 61 events
Owner dependency
68/100
High — earn-out structure requiredMaterial founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.
FACTORS
- +Long-tenure founder: Senior director has been in place 17 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
- +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
Succession & seller-readiness
58/100
Strong succession signalMultiple signals suggest succession is on the horizon. Candidate for proactive outreach.
SIGNALS
- primaryFounder aged 63+: Senior director is approximately 64. Approaching typical UK retirement age — succession thinking likely.
- secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 17 years.
Red flags
2 high · 1 med ·Confirmation statement overdue
highAnnual confirmation statement not filed on time. Required statutory filing — overdue is a strong discipline signal.
Evidence: Next due: 2026-07-11
Company in liquidation
highCompany is actively being wound up. Not a going concern.
Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern
mediumMultiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.
Group structure
Finsbury Food Group Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.
🏛️ultimate parent
Finsbury Food Group Limited
Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control
⬇
CALIFORNIA CAKE COMPANY (HOLDINGS) LIMITED
This company · SC286674
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%| Name | Shares | Voting rights | Nature of control | Notified |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Finsbury Food Group Limited Corporate entity | 75–100% | 75–100% | board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control | 06/04/2016 |
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 · Professional services · G postcode area| Company | Est. value | Turnover | Net worth | Staff | Age | Opp | Director |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MOULSDALE INVESTMENTS LIMITED→ SC491741 · est 2014 | £117.51M £86.58M–£148.43M | — | — | 118100 | 11y | 83 | 72y |
| MCGHEE GROUP LIMITED→ SC362390 · est 2009 | £20.62M £15.19M–£26.04M | — | — | — | 16y | 87 | 67y |
| I3WORKS LTD→ SC477423 · est 2014 | £16.71M £12.31M–£21.11M | £38.15M | — | 14200 | 12y | 92 | 61y |
| DOUGALL HOLDINGS LIMITED→ SC182259 · est 1998 | £15.47M £11.40M–£19.54M | — | — | 540 | 28y | 85 | 84y |
| INTERLOCK INVESTMENTS LIMITED→ SC057982 · est 1975 | £3.26M £2.40M–£4.11M | — | — | 20 | 51y | 85 | 72y |
| ACCU-TECH SYSTEMS LIMITED→ SC223891 · est 2001 | £22.3k £16.4k–£28.2k | £413.2k | — | 300 | 24y | 85 | 58y |
| 'A' FLIGHT AVIATION LIMITED→ SC157855 · est 1995 | — | — | £6.9k | — | 31y | 83 | 72y |
| AKELA PLANT HIRE LTD→ SC313584 · est 2006 | — | — | £1.74M | — | 19y | 83 | 58y |
| ANDERSON KNIGHT LIMITED→ SC214850 · est 2001 | — | — | — | 2300 | 25y | 83 | 63y |
| ASSISTING SUCCESS LIMITED→ SC294900 · est 2005 | — | — | £29.2k | — | 20y | 83 | 62y |
| BIO-IMAGES DRUG DELIVERY LTD→ SC383233 · est 2010 | — | — | — | 0 | 15y | 83 | 82y |
| BOSWELL MITCHELL & JOHNSTON LIMITED→ SC258273 · est 2003 | — | — | £3.06M | — | 22y | 83 | 59y |
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
Statusliquidation
Typeltd
Incorporated2005-06-27
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC70100 — Activities of head offices
Registered office
Level 2, The Beacon
176 St. Vincent Street
Glasgow
G2 5SG
Filing status
Accounts
Next due: 2027-03-31
Last made up to: 2025-06-28
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-07-11OVERDUE
Last: 2025-06-27
Officers (4 active · 14 resigned)
ONE ADVISORY LIMITED→
Activecorporate-secretary · appointed 2019-04-02
View their other companies + combined net worth →
BOYD, Stephen Alexander→
Activedirector · ~64y · appointed 2010-01-20
View their other companies + combined net worth →
DUFFY, John Gerald→
Activedirector · ~61y · appointed 2009-10-19
View their other companies + combined net worth →
HILL, Steven Paul→
Activedirector · ~43y · appointed 2023-12-06
View their other companies + combined net worth →
COX, Melanie Rachel→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2015-12-31 · resigned 2017-06-15
HEENEY, Caroline→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2017-09-13 · resigned 2019-03-04
MCKEE, Martin Jack→
Resignedsecretary · appointed 2005-09-28 · resigned 2005-11-18
CITY GROUP PLC→
Resignedcorporate-secretary · appointed 2005-11-18 · resigned 2015-12-31
D.W. COMPANY SERVICES LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2005-06-27 · resigned 2005-09-28
BEATTIE, David→
Resigneddirector · ~71y · appointed 2005-09-28 · resigned 2005-11-18
BROOKS, David Gary→
Resigneddirector · ~59y · appointed 2005-11-18 · resigned 2008-09-29
LOMER, John Antony→
Resigneddirector · ~68y · appointed 2005-11-18 · resigned 2006-09-30
MCCORMICK, John Robert→
Resigneddirector · ~77y · appointed 2005-09-28 · resigned 2005-11-18
MCKEE, Martin Jack→
Resigneddirector · ~65y · appointed 2005-09-28 · resigned 2005-11-18
MORGAN, Lisa Margaret Wendy→
Resigneddirector · ~55y · appointed 2006-10-01 · resigned 2010-04-01
ORR, David Slater→
Resigneddirector · ~75y · appointed 2005-09-28 · resigned 2005-11-18
STEVEN, Ian William→
Resigneddirector · ~76y · appointed 2005-09-28 · resigned 2005-11-18
D.W. DIRECTOR 1 LIMITED→
Resignedcorporate-nominee-director · appointed 2005-06-27 · resigned 2005-10-05
Click a director name to see their full track record across all companies.
Mortgages & charges
5
Total charges
0
Outstanding
0
Active lenders
Status:Lender:5 of 5 shown
| Type | Properties | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Corporate Trustee Company (UK) Limited | A registered charge | 2 properties | 30/10/2014 | 18/03/2026 | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Deed of pledge | 1 property | 22/02/2007 | 12/02/2026 | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Bank PLC | Floating charge | 1 property | 18/11/2005 | 12/02/2026 | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Equipment Finance (UK) Limited | Floating charge | 1 property | 18/11/2005 | 12/02/2026 | |
| satisfied | HSBC Hsbc Asset Finance (UK) Limited | Floating charge | 1 property | 18/11/2005 | 12/02/2026 |
Recent filings (111 total)
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2026-05-06
resolution
resolution · RESOLUTIONS
2026-05-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2026-03-28
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-03-18
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-02-12
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-02-12
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-02-12
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2026-02-12
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-07-02
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2024-12-30
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-07-10
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC05
2024-01-17
accounts-with-accounts-type-dormant
accounts · AA
2023-12-20
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2023-12-06
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-07-19