THE FOOD COMPANY (UK) LTD
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Next accounts due
2026-09-30 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement due
2026-12-30 (in 7mo)
Last made up 2025-12-16
Watchouts
Cash
£112K
-52.2% vs 2023
Net assets
£2M
+26.5% highest in 4 filed years
Employees
178
0% vs 2023
Profit before tax
£811K
+9.6% vs 2023
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
2 PSCs ceased in last 24 months
Significant control changed hands — see the Ownership section.
Net assets
4-year trend · vs Consumer Staples median
Accounts
4-year trend · latest reflected 2024-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2020-12-31 | 2021-12-31 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | — | — | £11,993,458 | £12,485,755 | |
| Operating profit | — | — | £863,034 | £940,866 | |
| Profit before tax | — | — | £739,920 | £811,003 | |
| Net profit | — | — | £549,379 | £617,713 | |
| Cash | £230,390 | £41,032 | £234,481 | £112,172 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £1,761,882 | £1,838,831 | £3,199,493 | £3,582,600 | |
| Net assets | £266,312 | £565,593 | £1,518,206 | £1,919,919 | |
| Equity | £266,312 | £565,593 | £1,518,206 | £1,919,919 | |
| Average employees | 47 | 82 | 178 | 178 | |
| Wages | — | — | £4,095,363 | £4,509,408 | |
| Directors' remuneration | — | — | £216,266 | £228,461 |
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
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-12-31 vs 2023-12-31
-
Turnover
+4.1%
£11,993,458 £12,485,755
-
Cash
-52.2%
£234,481 £112,172
-
Net assets
+26.5%
£1,518,206 £1,919,919
highest in 4 filed years
-
Employees
0%
178 178
-
Operating profit
+9%
£863,034 £940,866
-
Profit before tax
+9.6%
£739,920 £811,003
-
Wages
+10.1%
£4,095,363 £4,509,408
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 | 2020-12-31 | 2021-12-31 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | — | — | 7.2% | 7.5% | |
| Net margin | — | — | 4.6% | 4.9% | |
| Return on capital employed | — | — | 27.0% | 26.3% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | — | — | 77.3% | 70.0% | |
| Current ratio | — | — | 1.01x | 1.17x | |
| Interest cover | — | — | 7.01x | 7.23x |
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
- THE FOOD COMPANY (UK) LTD 2015-01-21 → present
- THE SOURDOUGH COMPANY LIMITED 2013-12-16 → 2015-01-21
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 102
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Larking Gowen LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate. Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the Company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.”
Significant events
- “Since the balance sheet date, the Company has paid a deposit to purchase a Sourdough bread machine with a total cost of 435,000 Euros. This represents a significant investment to expand capacity and enhance operational efficiency, in line with the directors' business plan.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
4 active · 1 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| GUNNS, Abbie Carla | Director | 2013-12-16 | Jun 1982 | British |
| GUNNS, James Edward | Director | 2014-11-06 | Dec 1981 | British |
| PHILLIPS, Lee Richard James | Director | 2024-09-10 | Jan 1974 | British |
| SHORT, Mathew Lyndon | Director | 2020-03-18 | Jul 1966 | British |
Show 1 resigned officer
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| CANWELL, Alun David | Director | 2020-03-18 | 2024-06-25 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Sourdough Company Group Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2026-01-16 | Active |
| Mrs Abbie Carla Gunns | Individual | Shares 25–50%, Voting 25–50% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2026-01-16 |
| Mr James Edward Gunns | Individual | Shares 25–50%, Voting 25–50% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2026-01-16 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 64 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-01-21 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2026-01-21 | PSC02 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2026-01-21 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2026-01-06 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2025-11-28 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2025-09-29 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-12-16 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2024-09-18 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-09-06 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-06-25 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-04-10 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2023-12-22 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-11-29 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2023-11-23 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2023-11-15 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date | |
| 2023-08-30 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type small | |
| 2023-01-19 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-09-28 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2022-09-28 | MR04 | mortgage | Mortgage satisfy charge full | |
| 2022-06-27 | MR01 | mortgage | Mortgage create with deed with charge number charge creation date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 6
- Capital events
- 0
- 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.