FORT CAFE & TAKEAWAY LIMITED

🌳Matureactive
SC310008 · ltd · incorporated 2006-10-11
Investment thesis
Well-run mature business — low negotiation leverage; premium likely.
Why interesting: Textbook target; clean filings, stable trading.
Why risky: No pressure on seller; any deal likely at full price.
Why now
Window steady · low confidence
Steady and tidy — no seller pressure yet. Approach only if an angle opens.
Opportunity decay
approaching window · 12-months
Approaching a transaction window — refinance or sale event plausible in the next 12 months.
  • · Oldest live charge 11.0y old — refinance window within 12 months
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 Oct 2025
Net worth
£279.5k
book net assets
Opportunity
80/100
Exceptional
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What this business does
Primary activity: Unlicenced restaurants and cafes
Sector: Accommodation & food service
ALSO REGISTERED FOR
  • 56103Take-away food shops and mobile food stands
Investor take
Pursue
Strong opportunity: active trading company with exceptional profile and bankable structure.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 80/100. High owner-dependency — earn-out structure likely required for clean transition. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

2 live charges · oldest 11.0y

85/100
ready

Refinance conversation should be productive — structure clean and timing right.

  • · Oldest live charge is 11.0 years old — likely at or near maturity.
  • · Single lender — cleanest path to refinance.
  • · Legal-friction score 15/100 — clean.

Data confidence

Overall: high (83/100)

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

Company profile
address, 2 SIC codes, incorporation date
100
Financials
3 years of iXBRL accounts extracted + narrative notes parsed
95
Lenders & charges
2 charges (2/2 with lender, 2/2 with type)
90
Directors & officers
9 officers (4 active, 9 linked, 5 with DOB)
81
Ownership & PSC
2 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
71 filings on record
85
Gazette notices
No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)
60
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
75
Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.
Risk profile
85
Few red flags.
Signal strength
100
Good data coverage for analysis.

Signals from accounts

Derived from iXBRL accounts · accounting standard not declared
Positive net assets
Net assets £279,530
Cash YoY
-10%
Year on year

Key financials

3 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£47k
↓ 10% YoY
Net Worth
£280k
↑ 3.4% YoY
Current Assets
£176k
↑ 7.9% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£56k£112k£168k£224k£280kOct 2023Oct 2024Oct 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · accounting standard unknown
Metric2025-10-312024-10-312023-10-31
Total assets£290.4k£282.8k£241.3k
Current assets£176.1k£163.2k£96.3k
Cash£46.6k£51.9k£10.4k
Debtors£124.6k£107.9k£82.0k
Net assets£279.5k£270.4k£230.8k

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
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 90 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Last 180 days
1
filing
  • • 1 accounts
Counts from Companies House filing history.
Corporate timeline (35 events)Click to expand
  1. 2026-05-27
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2025-10-16
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  3. 2025-10-16
    📄
    notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
  4. 2025-04-29
    📄
    capital-return-purchase-own-shares
    capital · SH03
  5. 2025-04-01
    📄
    capital-cancellation-shares
    capital · SH06
  6. 2025-02-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  7. 2024-07-15
    📄
    capital-cancellation-shares
    capital · SH06
  8. 2024-07-15
    📄
    capital-return-purchase-own-shares
    capital · SH03
  9. 2024-06-05
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  10. 2023-09-27
    ➕
    SUMMERS, Gemma Christina appointed
    director
  11. 2023-09-27
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  12. 2023-09-27
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  13. 2023-07-26
    📄
    capital-cancellation-shares
    capital · SH06
  14. 2023-07-26
    📄
    capital-return-purchase-own-shares
    capital · SH03
  15. 2023-03-24
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  16. 2023-03-21
    📄
    appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
    officers · AP01
  17. 2022-10-18
    ➕
    MANSON, Carollynn Duncan appointed
    director
  18. 2022-01-12
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  19. 2021-01-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  20. 2020-05-21
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  21. 2016-02-22
    ➕
    MANSON, Carollynn Duncan appointed
    secretary
  22. 2016-02-22
    ➖
    JOHNSON, Margaret Jane resigned
    secretary
  23. 2015-09-16
    🔒
    Charge registered #2
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  24. 2015-09-11
    ➖
    MANSON, James Robert resigned
    director
  25. 2015-06-04
    🔒
    Charge registered #1
    Lender: The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
  26. 2014-10-11
    ➕
    MANSON, Norman John appointed
    director
  27. 2014-10-11
    ➖
    MANSON, Norman John resigned
    director
  28. 2006-10-11
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As FORT CAFE & TAKEAWAY LIMITED
  29. 2006-10-11
    ➕
    JOHNSON, Margaret Jane appointed
    secretary
  30. 2006-10-11
    ➕
    BRIAN REID LTD. appointed
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  31. 2006-10-11
    ➖
    BRIAN REID LTD. resigned
    corporate-nominee-secretary
  32. 2006-10-11
    ➕
    MANSON, James Robert appointed
    director
  33. 2006-10-11
    ➕
    MANSON, Norman John appointed
    director
  34. 2006-10-11
    ➕
    STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. appointed
    corporate-nominee-director
  35. 2006-10-11
    ➖
    STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD. resigned
    corporate-nominee-director

Owner dependency

66/100
High — earn-out structure required

Material founder dependency. Consider a 2-3 year earn-out and build in a handover plan before completion.

FACTORS
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.
  • +Family involvement: Multiple officers share a surname — likely family business, which concentrates governance.

Succession & seller-readiness

55/100
Strong succession signal

Multiple 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.
  • 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

2 active beneficial owners
NameSharesVoting rightsNature of controlNotified
Mrs Carollynn Duncan Manson
Individual · British · DOB 12/1966 · age 60
25–50%
25–50%board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control03/02/2025
Mr Norman John Manson
Individual · British · DOB 12/1962 · age 64
25–50%
25–50%board control25-50% shares · 25-50% voting · board control06/04/2016

From Companies House Persons with Significant Control filings. Share ranges are banded per the public PSC regime.

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Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

6 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
Incorporated2006-10-11
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC56102 — Unlicenced restaurants and cafes

Registered office

2 Commercial Road
Lerwick
Shetland
ZE1 0HY

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-07-31
Last made up to: 2025-10-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-10-25
Last: 2025-10-11

Officers (4 active · 5 resigned)

MANSON, Carollynn Duncan→
secretary · appointed 2016-02-22
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MANSON, Carollynn Duncan→
director · ~60y · appointed 2022-10-18
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
MANSON, Norman John→
director · ~64y · appointed 2014-10-11
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SUMMERS, Gemma Christina→
director · ~43y · appointed 2023-09-27
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
JOHNSON, Margaret Jane→
secretary · appointed 2006-10-11 · resigned 2016-02-22
Resigned
BRIAN REID LTD.→
corporate-nominee-secretary · appointed 2006-10-11 · resigned 2006-10-11
Resigned
MANSON, James Robert→
director · ~70y · appointed 2006-10-11 · resigned 2015-09-11
Resigned
MANSON, Norman John→
director · ~64y · appointed 2006-10-11 · resigned 2014-10-11
Resigned
STEPHEN MABBOTT LTD.→
corporate-nominee-director · appointed 2006-10-11 · resigned 2006-10-11
Resigned

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

Mortgages & charges

2
Total charges
2
Outstanding
1
Active lenders
Status:Lender:2 of 2 shown
TypeProperties
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
A registered charge1 property16/09/2015—
outstanding
Lloyds Banking Group
The Royal Bank of Scotland PLC
A registered charge—04/06/2015—
Click column headers to sort. Use filters above to narrow by status and lender.

Recent filings (71 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2026-05-27
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-10-16
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2025-10-16
notification-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC01
2025-10-16
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2025-04-29
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2025-04-01
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-02-18
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-10-14
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2024-07-15
capital-return-purchase-own-shares
capital · SH03
2024-07-15
accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2024-06-05
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-10-16
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-09-27
appoint-person-director-company-with-name-date
officers · AP01
2023-09-27
capital-cancellation-shares
capital · SH06
2023-07-26