THORNTONS LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2027-05-31 (in 1y)
Last filed for 2025-08-31
Confirmation statement due
2026-12-02 (in 7mo)
Last made up 2025-11-18
Watchouts
None on the register
Cash
£421K
-45.7% vs 2024
Net assets
£35M
+10.5% vs 2024
Employees
552
-11.7% vs 2024
Profit before tax
£4M
+52.5% vs 2024
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Consumer Staples median
Accounts
2-year trend · latest reflected 2025-08-31
| Metric | Trend | 2024-08-31 | 2025-08-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £85,695,000 | £90,352,000 | |
| Operating profit | £5,063,000 | £6,127,000 | |
| Profit before tax | £2,904,000 | £4,430,000 | |
| Net profit | £1,363,000 | £2,719,000 | |
| Cash | £775,000 | £421,000 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £31,104,000 | £31,722,000 | |
| Net assets | £31,552,000 | £34,867,000 | |
| Equity | £31,552,000 | £34,867,000 | |
| Average employees | 625 | 552 | |
| Wages | £22,562,000 | £21,838,000 | |
| Directors' remuneration | — | — |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. About these numbers
Year-on-year
FY2024 → FY2025 · period ending 2025-08-31 vs 2024-08-31
-
Turnover
+5.4%
£85,695,000 £90,352,000
-
Cash
-45.7%
£775,000 £421,000
-
Net assets
+10.5%
£31,552,000 £34,867,000
-
Employees
-11.7%
625 552
-
Operating profit
+21%
£5,063,000 £6,127,000
-
Profit before tax
+52.5%
£2,904,000 £4,430,000
-
Wages
-3.2%
£22,562,000 £21,838,000
Each % is (latest − prior) ÷ |prior| for the line item as filed. The comparison is only shown when the latest and prior accounts cover broadly equal-length periods — short or long stubs (typical around incorporation or a year-end change) are suppressed rather than misrepresented. Lines a company doesn't report are omitted. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2024-08-31 | 2025-08-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 5.9% | 6.8% | |
| Net margin | 1.6% | 3.0% | |
| Return on capital employed | 16.3% | 19.3% | |
| Current ratio | 0.66x | 0.67x | |
| Interest cover | 1.92x | 3.32x |
Margins divide P&L lines by turnover. Gearing is liabilities over total assets. Current ratio is current assets over creditors falling due within one year. Interest cover is operating profit over absolute finance costs. Sector-distribution context coming next.
Name history
Renamed 2 times since incorporation
- THORNTONS LIMITED 2016-11-21 → present
- THORNTONS PLC 1988-01-26 → 2016-11-21
- J.W. THORNTON LIMITED 1921-05-13 → 1988-01-26
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 101
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The directors consider that Thorntons Limited has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. The Company continues to adopt the going concern basis in preparing its annual financial statements, supported by financial support from Ferrero International S.A. for at least 12 months.”
Group structure
- THORNTONS LIMITED · parent
- Gartner Pralines Limited 100%
- Imco (3496) Limited 100%
Significant events
- “The Ferrero Group continues to invest in its UK operations, following the successful integration of Eat Natural into the business. This acquisition has strengthened the Company's portfolio and broadened its presence across key segments of the Sweet Packaged Foods market. With Eat Natural's assets and liabilities now fully transferred into Thorntons Limited, the Company operates as the primary manufacturing entity for the Group in the UK.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
3 active · 57 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| THANDI, Harpreet Kaur | Secretary | 2020-11-11 | — | — |
| BARKER, Craig | Director | 2025-01-01 | May 1970 | British |
| VALENTINI, Giuseppe | Director | 2025-11-05 | Oct 1965 | Italian |
Show 57 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| COLE, Richard Andrew | Secretary | 2000-03-18 | 2005-03-24 |
| HENSON, Mark Richard | Secretary | 2006-01-13 | 2016-12-31 |
| SHIRLEY, Tim John | Secretary | 2017-01-01 | 2017-01-01 |
| SHIRLEY, Tim John | Secretary | 2017-01-01 | 2020-11-11 |
| THORNTON, Michael Stanley | Secretary | — | 2000-03-18 |
| WALL, John Robert | Secretary | 2005-03-24 | 2006-01-13 |
| ALLEN, Martin Charles | Director | 1998-11-09 | 2004-10-13 |
| AVIS, Alice Mary Cleoniki | Director | 2002-07-10 | 2003-01-07 |
| BALDWIN, Peter William | Director | 1996-06-25 | 2002-07-09 |
| BLOOMER, Barry | Director | 2006-07-18 | 2017-02-17 |
| BURDON, Peter | Director | 2000-05-08 | 2006-09-30 |
| BURNETT, Christopher Thomas | Director | 2004-04-26 | 2006-02-02 |
| CASTELLI, Salvatore | Director | 2017-02-17 | 2019-08-22 |
| CONTI, Valentino | Director | 2022-01-01 | 2026-03-05 |
| COYLE, John | Director | 1992-12-14 | 1995-07-12 |
| CULVERHOUSE, John Gordon | Director | 1992-12-14 | 2004-07-06 |
| CZYZAK-DANNENBAUM, Peggy Scott | Director | 1994-06-29 | 2002-07-18 |
| D'ANGELO, Giuseppe Antonio | Director | 2015-08-20 | 2017-10-18 |
| DAVEY, Martin Thomas Peter | Director | 2004-04-05 | 2008-12-05 |
| DAVIES, Michael Roy | Director | 2006-10-25 | 2010-09-30 |
| DE MORAGAS RAGUE, Jorge | Director | 2015-08-20 | 2017-10-18 |
| DI PIETRO, Paolo | Director | 2019-08-22 | 2021-12-31 |
| DOUTY, Philip Simon | Director | 2002-09-30 | 2006-12-15 |
| EDELMAN, Keith Graeme | Director | 2012-02-21 | 2014-10-03 |
| ETCHELLS, Nigel John | Director | 1992-12-14 | 1993-06-18 |
| FELLOWS, Jonathan | Director | 1997-02-10 | 1998-08-31 |
| GEORGE, Martin Peter | Director | 2012-11-01 | 2015-08-20 |
| GOODWIN, Alan David | Director | — | 1997-04-18 |
| HARRISON, Fiona Mary | Director | 1999-06-28 | 2002-11-11 |
| HART, Jonathan Duncan | Director | 2011-01-04 | 2015-06-27 |
| HEAPS, Peter William, Dr | Director | 1992-12-14 | 1993-06-18 |
| HOUGHTON, Diana Jane | Director | 2008-12-05 | 2015-08-20 |
| JACKSON, John Ellis | Director | 1995-05-01 | 2006-09-01 |
| KILLICK, Michael David | Director | 2012-02-17 | 2015-12-31 |
| LANGWORTHY, Pamela, Jp | Director | 1995-01-23 | 1999-09-24 |
| MINNECI, Fabrizio | Director | 2015-08-20 | 2017-10-18 |
| MITCHELL, David James | Director | 1992-12-14 | 1995-10-06 |
| MOUNSEY, Andrew John | Director | 1996-06-25 | 2001-05-11 |
| NERVEGNA, Alessandro | Director | 2019-12-11 | 2021-08-31 |
| OLDANO, Pieraldo | Director | 2016-01-01 | 2019-12-11 |
| PAFFARD, Roger | Director | 1996-01-15 | 2000-02-29 |
| PESCAROLO, Marco | Director | 2017-10-18 | 2022-12-31 |
| POLLARD, Jonathan | Director | 2002-07-10 | 2005-06-22 |
| PRENDERGAST, Dominic | Director | 2001-07-30 | 2008-08-01 |
| ROBSON, William Henry Mark | Director | 2009-12-04 | 2012-02-17 |
| SAMWORTH, David Chetwode | Director | — | 1993-11-25 |
| SANTARELLI, Cristiano | Director | 2023-01-01 | 2025-11-05 |
| SEABRIGHT, John Walter | Director | — | 1995-06-28 |
| STEYAERT, Philippe | Director | 2021-09-01 | 2024-12-31 |
| THORNTON, Christopher John | Director | — | 2006-09-01 |
| THORNTON, Michael Stanley | Director | — | 2003-04-09 |
| TUTTLE, Michael Anthony Stephen | Director | 1993-07-06 | 1999-06-28 |
| VON SPRECKELEN, John Albrecht | Director | 2006-06-05 | 2013-02-01 |
| WALL, John Robert | Director | 2004-12-07 | 2009-12-04 |
| WILCOX, Helen Mary | Director | 2000-01-10 | 2001-05-11 |
| WILKINSON, Paul Nigel | Director | 2006-08-15 | 2015-08-20 |
| WRIGHT, Peter Dominic John | Director | 2007-08-13 | 2011-07-01 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ferrero International S.A. | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100% | 2022-08-23 | Active |
| Ferholding Uk Ltd | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2022-08-23 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 659 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-24 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-03-11 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-12-01 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-11-07 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-11-07 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-04-14 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-01-07 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-01-07 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-11-18 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-04-11 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-02-13 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2023-12-28 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-09-08 | RP04AP01 | officers | Second filing of director appointment with name | |
| 2023-05-25 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-05-04 | PSC02 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2023-05-04 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2023-01-10 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-01-06 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2022-11-28 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-06-08 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 5
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 1
- Officers resigned
- 2
last 12 months
last 24 months
last 12 months
last 12 months
Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.