JOHNSTONE'S FOOD SERVICE LIMITED

🌳Matureactive

SC502469 · ltd · incorporated 2015-04-07

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.

Opportunity decay

hardening · 12-months

Already tight — no obvious softening catalysts on the horizon.

· Thesis: well-run, low negotiation leverage

🔒Estimated value

—

Upgrade to see

Turnover

—

not disclosed

Net worth

—

book net assets

Opportunity

77/100

Strong

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What this business does

Primary activity: Manufacture of bread; manufacture of fresh pastry goods and cakes

Sector: Manufacturing

Investor take

Pursue

Strong opportunity: active trading company with strong profile and acceptable with review structure.

Opportunity 77/100 (strong), bankability 57/100. Share purchase looks the cleaner deal structure. Biggest value-creation lever: Consolidate lender relationships. 6 distinct lenders creates friction — refinance into single-lender structure for cleaner diligence. Most likely exit: share sale to pe / searcher (65/100).

🏦

Refinance opportunity

9 live charges · 6 lenders · oldest 10.2y

35/100

too messy

Refinance path is blocked by complexity. Rethink structure or expect bespoke, expensive terms.

· Oldest live charge is 10.2 years old — likely at or near maturity.
· 6 lenders named — inter-creditor friction likely.
· Legal-friction score 25/100 — workable, but lender will want more DD.

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

Lenders & charges

9 charges (9/9 with lender, 9/9 with type)

Directors & officers

10 officers (6 active, 10 linked, 6 with DOB)

Ownership & PSC

1 active PSC(s) of 1 total, 1 with control declared

Director network

21 connected companies via shared directors

Filing history

52 filings on record

Gazette notices

No matching gazette notices (standard for active companies)

Opportunity Score

77/100Strong

PassWatchWorth a lookStrongExceptional

Solid opportunity signal. Worth a dedicated memo and management meeting.

Business quality

Active, clean filings, stable charge profile.

Acquirability

Strong succession / seller-readiness signals.

Risk profile

Few red flags.

Signal strength

100

Good data coverage for analysis.

Recent activity

Last 30 days

filing

• 1 confirmation-statement

Last 90 days

filings

• 1 confirmation-statement
• 1 accounts

Last 180 days

filings

• 2 mortgage
• 1 confirmation-statement
• 1 accounts

Counts from Companies House filing history.

Corporate timeline (47 events)Click to expand

2026-03-30
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2025-12-08
📄
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-11-27
📄
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2025-11-26
🔒
Charge registered #9
Lender: Glas Trust Corporation Limited (As Security Agent and Trustee for the Beneficiaries)
2025-11-26
🔒
Charge registered #8
Lender: Glas Trust Corporation Limited (As Security Agent)
2025-06-05
📄
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-06-05
📄
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2025-06-05
🔓
Charge satisfied #5
2025-06-05
🔓
Charge satisfied #2
2025-03-17
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2024-04-18
📄
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-04-15
📄
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2024-04-12
🔒
Charge registered #7
Lender: Glas Trust Corporation Limited (As Security Agent for the Beneficiaries)
2024-04-12
🔒
Charge registered #6
Lender: Glas Trust Corporation Limited (As Security Agent)
2024-03-11
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2023-12-07
📄
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-12-07
📄
mortgage-satisfy-charge-full
mortgage · MR04
2023-12-07
🔓
Charge satisfied #4
2023-12-07
🔓
Charge satisfied #3
2023-04-04
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2022-07-08
📄
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2022-07-06
📄
mortgage-create-with-deed-with-charge-number-charge-creation-date
mortgage · MR01
2022-06-27
🔒
Charge registered #5
Lender: Hsbc Corporate Trustee Company (UK) Limited (as Security Trustee)
2022-06-27
🔒
Charge registered #4
Lender: Hsbc Corporate Trustee Company (UK) Limited (as Security Trustee)
2022-03-10
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2021-06-09
📄
accounts-with-accounts-type-full
accounts · AA
2020-12-08
📄
termination-director-company-with-name-termination-date
officers · TM01
2020-11-13
➖
TRIST, Lawrence John Hollins resigned
director
2020-04-20
📄
change-person-director-company-with-change-date
officers · CH01
2019-04-02
➕
ONE ADVISORY LIMITED appointed
corporate-secretary
2019-03-04
➖
HEENEY, Caroline resigned
secretary
2018-08-07
➕
HILL, Steven Paul appointed
director
2018-03-02
🔓
Charge satisfied #1
2018-02-22
🔒
Charge registered #3
Lender: Hsbc Corporate Trustee Company (UK) Limited as Security Trustee
2018-02-22
🔒
Charge registered #2
Lender: Hsbc Corporate Trustee Company (UK) Limited (as Security Trustee)
2017-09-13
➕
HEENEY, Caroline appointed
secretary
2017-06-15
➖
COX, Melanie Rachel resigned
secretary
2016-02-26
🔒
Charge registered #1
Lender: Hsbc Corporate Trustee Company (UK) Limited
2015-12-31
➕
COX, Melanie Rachel appointed
secretary
2015-12-31
➖
CITY GROUP PLC resigned
corporate-secretary
2015-07-20
➕
TRIST, Lawrence John Hollins appointed
director
2015-04-10
➕
CHREE, Ian Charles Gordon appointed
director
2015-04-10
➕
WILLS, Lucy Charlotte appointed
director
2015-04-07
🏢
Company incorporated
As JOHNSTONE'S FOOD SERVICE LIMITED
2015-04-07
➕
BOYD, Stephen Alexander appointed
director
2015-04-07
➕
DUFFY, John Gerald appointed
director
2015-04-07
➕
CITY GROUP PLC appointed
corporate-secretary

Owner dependency

48/100

Moderate — manageable with handover

Some founder dependency, but not acute. A structured handover period should cover most risk.

FACTORS

-5 active directors: Broader management team in place — suggests transferable governance.
+Senior director age: Director aged approximately 64 — approaching natural succession window.

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

1 med ·

Charge satisfaction-then-recreation pattern

medium

Multiple instances where a charge was satisfied and a new charge created within 6 months. Suggests active refinancing cycle.

Group structure

Lightbody Of Hamilton Limited is the ultimate parent — holding 75%+ shares. This company sits inside their group.

🏛️

Lightbody Of Hamilton Limited

Corporate parent · holds 75-100% shares · board control

ultimate parent

⬇

JOHNSTONE'S FOOD SERVICE LIMITED

This company · SC502469

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
Lightbody Of Hamilton 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 · Food & drink · ML postcode area

Company	Est. value	Turnover	Net worth	Staff	Age	Opp	Director
DAVIDSON BROTHERS (SHOTTS) LIMITED→ SC025270 · est 1947	£13.67M £10.07M–£17.27M	—	—	69	79y	84	79y
BLAIRMHOR DISTILLERS LIMITED→ SC140080 · est 1992	—	—	£0	—	33y	83	77y
BLAIRMHOR LIMITED→ SC099017 · est 1986	—	—	£9.05M	—	39y	83	77y
LAZY DAY FOODS LIMITED→ SC298222 · est 2006	—	—	£2.52M	—	20y	83	71y
CENTRAL BAKERY SUPPLIES LTD.→ SC370821 · est 2010	—	—	—	900	16y	82	65y
GARDINERS OF SCOTLAND LIMITED→ SC207381 · est 2000	—	—	£2.80M	—	25y	82	85y
BRAND NEW CAKE LIMITED→ SC379264 · est 2010	—	—	—	—	15y	80	61y
CALIFORNIA CAKE COMPANY LIMITED→ SC204757 · est 2000 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	26y	80	64y
CAMPBELLS FUDGE LIMITED→ SC394263 · est 2011	—	—	—	200	15y	80	62y
DENHOLM BAKERS LTD→ SC358592 · est 2009	—	—	£149.5k	—	17y	80	74y
INVER HOUSE DISTILLERS LIMITED→ SC040036 · est 1964 · no financials extracted	—	—	—	—	62y	80	72y
JINXY LIMITED→ SC254032 · est 2003	—	—	£56.3k	—	22y	80	72y

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.

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Company details

Statusactive

Typeltd

Incorporated2015-04-07

Jurisdictionscotland

Primary SIC10710 — Manufacture of bread; manufacture of fresh pastry goods and cakes

Registered office

73 Bothwell Road

Hamilton

ML3 0DW

United Kingdom

Filing status

Accounts

Next due: 2027-03-31

Last made up to: 2025-06-28

Confirmation statement

Next due: 2027-04-25

Last: 2026-04-11