JOHN W SHORT LIMITED

💤Zombieactive
SC378967 · ltd · incorporated 2010-05-21
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 May 2025
Net worth
£19.9k
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: Manufacture of bread; manufacture of fresh pastry goods and cakes
Sector: Manufacturing
Investor take
Pursue
Asset-holding vehicle with a 60-year-old founder — textbook succession opportunity.

Opportunity 80/100 (exceptional), bankability 75/100. Strong seller-intent signal (70/100, director aged 60). 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: medium (78/100)

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
2 years of iXBRL accounts extracted (YoY deltas available) + narrative notes parsed
75
Lenders & charges
Confirmed no charges registered
85
Directors & officers
2 officers (1 active, 2 linked, 2 with DOB)
90
Ownership & PSC
1 active PSC(s) of 2 total, 2 with control declared
90
Director network
Network not yet resolved
30
Filing history
36 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
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 · FRS 102
Positive net assets
Net assets £19,887
Very low cash
Cash position: £1
Net assets shrinking
Down £3,159 YoY

Key financials

2 years extracted from filed iXBRL accounts
Cash
£1
Net Worth
£20k
↓ 14% YoY
Current Assets
£10k
↓ 1.9% YoY
Current Liabilities
—
£0£5k£9k£14k£18k£23kMay 2024May 2025

Hover to see exact values · click legend to toggle series

Financials

Extracted from Companies House accounts · FRS 102
Metric2025-05-312024-05-31
Total assets£20.3k£25.1k
Current assets£10.4k£10.6k
Cash£1—
Debtors£7.7k—
Net assets£19.9k£23.0k

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 (20 events)Click to expand
  1. 2025-08-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  2. 2024-11-29
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  3. 2023-09-11
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  4. 2023-04-27
    📄
    change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
  5. 2023-04-27
    📄
    cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
    persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
  6. 2023-04-20
    📄
    termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
    officers · TM01
  7. 2023-04-03
    ➖
    SHORT, John William resigned
    director
  8. 2023-01-18
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  9. 2022-08-10
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  10. 2022-05-20
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  11. 2021-02-25
    📍
    change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
    address · AD01
  12. 2021-02-15
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  13. 2020-02-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  14. 2019-02-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
    accounts · AA
  15. 2018-02-26
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
    accounts · AA
  16. 2017-02-28
    📄
    accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-small
    accounts · AA
  17. 2016-05-24
    📄
    annual-return-company-with-made-up-date-full-list-shareholders
    annual-return · AR01
  18. 2010-05-21
    🏢
    Company incorporated
    As JOHN W SHORT LIMITED
  19. 2010-05-21
    ➕
    POTTS, Gabrielle Katherine appointed
    director
  20. 2010-05-21
    ➕
    SHORT, John William appointed
    director

Owner dependency

93/100
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 16 years — deep operational knowledge concentrated in one person.
  • +Senior director age: Director aged approximately 60 — approaching natural succession window.

Succession & seller-readiness

78/100
Likely off-market candidate

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

SIGNALS
  • secondaryFounder aged 58+: Senior director is approximately 60. Early succession window.
  • primarySole active director: Only one director in control. No visible successor — buyers solve the succession problem.
  • secondary12+ year tenure: Director in role 16 years.
  • secondaryStable-but-static management: Company is 16 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
Gabrielle Katherine Potts
Individual · British · DOB 09/1966 · age 60
75–100%
75–100%board control75-100% shares · 75-100% voting · board control06/04/2016
1 historic (ceased) PSC
  • Mr John William Shortceased 03/04/2023· 25-50% shares · 25-50% voting

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

Similar companies

Active · Food & drink · KA postcode area
CompanyEst. valueTurnoverNet worthStaffAgeOppDirector
ISLE OF ARRAN DISTILLERS LIMITED→
SC134963 · est 1991
£9.19M
£6.77M–£11.61M
——930034y8593y
GRANT BROTHERS (MEAT CANNERS) LIMITED→
SC020934 · est 1939
£5.62M
£4.14M–£7.10M
——4287y8066y
LLDR ALEXANDRIA LTD→
SC187650 · est 1998 · no financials extracted
————27y8374y
FOOD SCIENCE LIMITED→
SC352591 · est 2008
——£67.2k—17y8283y
ISLAND CHEESE COMPANY LIMITED→
SC122774 · est 1990
——£290.9k—36y8264y
LLDY ALEXANDRIA LTD→
SC140039 · est 1992 · no financials extracted
————33y8274y
MCCALLUMS FOODS LIMITED→
SC209850 · est 2000
———120025y8263y
K K DRAUGHT DRINKS LIMITED→
SC298673 · est 2006
——£147.5k—20y8158y
ARRAN BREWERY PLC→
SC430232 · est 2012 · no financials extracted
————13y8066y
ELMBRONZE LIMITED→
SC150540 · est 1994
——£311—32y8074y
IRVINE'S LIMITED→
SC302169 · est 2006
———2720y8066y
J.C. PEACOCK & CO., LIMITED→
SC025860 · est 1947
——£9.79M—78y8084y
Peers ranked by estimated value, then turnover, then opportunity score.See all →
🔒Tailored diligence questions

7 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
Incorporated2010-05-21
Jurisdictionscotland
Primary SIC10710 — Manufacture of bread; manufacture of fresh pastry goods and cakes

Registered office

11c Gatehead Road
Crosshouse
Kilmarnock
Ayrshire
KA2 0HN
Scotland

Filing status

Accounts
Next due: 2027-02-28
Last made up to: 2025-05-31
Confirmation statement
Next due: 2026-05-11
Last: 2025-04-27

Officers (1 active · 1 resigned)

POTTS, Gabrielle Katherine→
director · ~60y · appointed 2010-05-21
View their other companies + combined net worth →
Active
SHORT, John William→
director · ~88y · appointed 2010-05-21 · resigned 2023-04-03
Resigned

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

Recent filings (36 total)

accounts-with-accounts-type-total-exemption-full
accounts · AA
2025-08-28
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2025-04-29
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2024-11-29
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2024-04-27
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-09-11
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2023-04-27
change-to-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC04
2023-04-27
cessation-of-a-person-with-significant-control
persons-with-significant-control · PSC07
2023-04-27
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2023-04-20
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2023-01-18
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2022-08-10
confirmation-statement-with-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2022-05-30
accounts-with-accounts-type-micro-entity
accounts · AA
2022-05-20
confirmation-statement-with-no-updates
confirmation-statement · CS01
2021-05-25
change-registered-office-address-company-with-date-old-address-new-address
address · AD01
2021-02-25