FREEMANS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY
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Cash
£25m
+88.5% highest in 3 filed years
Net assets
£25m
+135.5% highest in 3 filed years
Employees
143
+3.6% vs 2025
Profit before tax
-£8.8m
+32.3% vs 2025
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
Material uncertainty over going concern
These circumstances indicate the existence of a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern and, therefore, to continue realising its assets and discharging its liabilities in the normal course of business.
-
Going-concern uncertainty disclosed
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2026-02-28
| Metric | Trend | 2024-03-02 | 2025-03-01 | 2026-02-28 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £168,872,000 | £163,222,000 | £178,546,000 | +9.4% | |
| Operating profit | -£4,307,000 | -£12,624,000 | -£8,745,000 | +30.7% | |
| Profit before tax | -£4,356,000 | -£12,973,000 | -£8,780,000 | +32.3% | |
| Net profit | -£4,356,000 | -£12,973,000 | -£8,780,000 | +32.3% | |
| Cash | £9,148,000 | £13,102,000 | £24,691,000 | +88.5% | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £24,196,000 | £14,040,000 | £27,924,000 | +98.9% | |
| Net assets | £22,996,000 | £10,403,000 | £24,503,000 | +135.5% | |
| Equity | £22,996,000 | £10,403,000 | £24,503,000 | +135.5% | |
| Average employees | 147 | 138 | 143 | +3.6% | |
| Wages | £6,373,000 | £5,771,000 | £6,998,000 | +21.3% | |
| Directors' remuneration | £460,000 | £544,000 | £818,000 | +50.4% | |
| Highest paid director | £265,125 | £323,535 | £483,694 | +49.5% |
Values shown as filed in the company's annual accounts. — indicates the figure wasn't present under that line item in that period. The Δ column is the change from the prior filed period as a percentage of |prior|; lines a company doesn't report show —. About these numbers
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2024-03-02 | 2025-03-01 | 2026-02-28 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | -2.6% | -7.7% | -4.9% | |
| Net margin | -2.6% | -7.9% | -4.9% | |
| Return on capital employed | -17.8% | -89.9% | -31.3% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 79.2% | 91.3% | 82.5% | |
| Current ratio | 1.25x | 1.10x | 1.21x | |
| Interest cover | -39.88x | -29.29x | — |
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 1 time since incorporation
- FREEMANS PUBLIC LIMITED COMPANY 1981-12-31 → present
- FREEMANS (LONDON S.W.9.) LIMITED 1936-12-08 → 1981-12-31
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- KPMG LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Material uncertainty disclosed
“These circumstances indicate the existence of a material uncertainty that may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern and, therefore, to continue realising its assets and discharging its liabilities in the normal course of business.”
Significant events
- “The company is currently subject to a strategic review process which, due to its nature, remains confidential.”
- “During the financial period, provisions of £1.3m relating to VAT and £0.8m relating to consumer redress were released.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
2 active · 64 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SCOTT, Ben | Secretary | 2024-05-09 | — | — |
| STEER, Ann | Director | 2020-02-17 | Jul 1972 | British |
Show 64 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| ANDREW, Ian | Secretary | 2001-03-01 | 2008-08-19 |
| GREENWOOD, James Daniel | Secretary | 2020-07-07 | 2024-05-09 |
| LORD, Andrew James | Secretary | 2008-08-19 | 2020-07-07 |
| WEEKS, Stephen Thomas | Secretary | — | 2001-05-17 |
| ANDERSON, Peter William | Director | 2002-11-01 | 2008-04-11 |
| ASTLES, Pamela Rosemary | Director | 1994-11-01 | 1996-12-31 |
| BAHLMANN, Britta | Director | 2012-03-26 | 2015-10-16 |
| BERG, Marc Andreas | Director | 2011-04-12 | 2012-03-26 |
| BLACKWOOD, Walter Murray | Director | 2000-12-06 | 2003-05-31 |
| BOLAND, Richard Paul | Director | 1993-07-08 | 1995-07-28 |
| CARING, Richard Allan | Director | 1999-08-27 | 2006-07-19 |
| CRUSEMANN, Michael Edmund | Director | 1999-08-27 | 2004-10-01 |
| EBINGER, Andrea Sibylle | Director | 2013-01-07 | 2014-07-01 |
| FINNIGAN, Norman | Director | 2000-12-06 | 2004-04-23 |
| FOWLER, Diane | Director | 2012-03-26 | 2015-10-16 |
| GAGELMANN, Diethard Fritz | Director | 2005-01-01 | 2008-07-01 |
| GELSDORF, Peter | Director | 2005-01-01 | 2008-07-01 |
| GILLIES, James | Director | 1992-11-03 | 2001-05-04 |
| HANCOX, Michael John | Director | 2005-12-01 | 2008-08-31 |
| HAUKE, Dirk | Director | 2007-11-23 | 2008-03-31 |
| HAWKER, Michael Leslie | Director | 2000-12-01 | 2005-09-07 |
| HEAD, Alison Maxine | Director | 1994-11-21 | 1997-12-31 |
| HENLEY, William | Director | — | 1992-11-03 |
| HILLEBRAND, Rainer, Dr | Director | 2001-07-01 | 2004-12-31 |
| HINCHCLIFFE, John | Director | 2020-06-26 | 2020-12-31 |
| HINCHCLIFFE, John | Director | 2012-10-01 | 2020-02-17 |
| HINCHCLIFFE, John | Director | 2000-12-06 | 2003-06-20 |
| HOMANN, Timm, Dr | Director | 2012-10-01 | 2014-07-01 |
| HORNBY, Richard John | Director | 2020-11-17 | 2020-12-31 |
| INDYK, Anthony Lewis | Director | 2012-03-26 | 2015-10-16 |
| INDYK, Anthony Lewis | Director | 1996-04-09 | 2001-05-04 |
| ISAACS, David | Director | 1993-11-29 | 1998-10-31 |
| JACKSON, Andrew Edwin | Director | 2000-04-10 | 2000-10-31 |
| JONES, Susan | Director | 2012-10-01 | 2017-03-24 |
| KOCKMANN, Siegfried | Director | 1999-08-27 | 2000-09-30 |
| LINDER, Wolfgang | Director | 2000-09-30 | 2004-12-31 |
| MAY, Jane Veronica | Director | — | 1993-11-25 |
| MCAULAY, Janet | Director | 2003-01-03 | 2008-02-06 |
| MOORE, Neill Lewis Mcdonald | Director | 2008-12-08 | 2020-06-11 |
| NIJHOF, Paul Wilhelmus | Director | 2014-06-01 | 2015-09-01 |
| O'DOHERTY, Elizabeth | Director | 2004-03-04 | 2006-02-17 |
| OLDHAM, Derek | Director | 2004-04-01 | 2007-12-01 |
| OPELT, Marc Erich Bernd Wolfgang | Director | 2014-07-01 | 2019-06-18 |
| OTTO, Michael, Dr | Director | 1999-08-27 | 2007-09-30 |
| PALUCHOWSKI, Tadeusz | Director | 1994-08-01 | 1996-04-19 |
| PEARMINE, Charles Richard | Director | 1998-09-14 | 2001-05-07 |
| PEARMUND, John Jeremy | Director | — | 2001-05-01 |
| PERCIVAL, Ian Campbell | Director | 1995-12-01 | 2001-05-05 |
| PHILLIPS, Graham | Director | 1994-01-04 | 1996-11-29 |
| POOL, Eric Gordon | Director | 1994-02-01 | 1994-07-01 |
| RIETZ, Gert | Director | 1999-08-27 | 2006-10-31 |
| SCHRADER, Hans-Otto | Director | 2007-10-01 | 2012-09-30 |
| SCHRADER, Hans-Otto | Director | 1999-08-27 | 2004-12-31 |
| SCHULTE LAGGENBECK, Jurgen | Director | 2005-10-01 | 2008-07-01 |
| SKELSEY, Alistair James | Director | 2000-12-06 | 2006-04-28 |
| SKELSEY, Alistair James | Director | — | 1994-01-13 |
| SOUTHAM, Christine Noella | Director | 2000-12-06 | 2002-12-13 |
| STOKES, Richard Albert | Director | — | 1997-12-31 |
| STRINGER, John Arthur Fredrick | Director | — | 1993-10-31 |
| STRONG, Liam Gerald | Director | — | 1997-04-30 |
| TULLENERS, Jakob Jacobus Koert | Director | 2008-09-01 | 2015-09-30 |
| WEST, Christopher | Director | 2000-12-06 | 2008-12-05 |
| WOODHEAD, Carole Maxine | Director | 2004-04-01 | 2008-07-01 |
| ZIMMERMANN, Winfred Christian Reinhold, Dr | Director | 2005-01-01 | 2012-12-31 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Freemans Grattan Holdings Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors, Significant influence | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 317 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2026-01-16 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
- 2025-12-15 MA Memorandum articles
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-16 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2026-09-02 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-08-11 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2026-08-11 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2026-02-13 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2026-02-03 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2026-01-16 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2025-12-15 | MA | incorporation | Memorandum articles | |
| 2025-08-26 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-08-11 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2025-06-03 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2024-09-03 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-08-09 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2024-05-14 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2024-05-14 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2024-03-26 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2023-10-17 | SH01 | capital | Capital allotment shares | |
| 2023-08-31 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-08-09 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2023-05-23 | RP04SH01 | capital | Second filing capital allotment shares |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 8
- Capital events
- 5
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 0
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.