HACHETTE UK DISTRIBUTION LIMITED
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Cash
—
Latest balance sheet
Net assets
£2.2m
+61.2% highest in 3 filed years
Employees
420
+28.4% highest in 3 filed years
Profit before tax
£2.6m
+66.6% highest in 3 filed years
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
Confirmation statement overdue
Due 2026-10-14.
-
1 PSC ceased in last 24 months
Significant control changed hands — see the Ownership section.
Net assets
3-year trend · vs Consumer Discretionary median
Accounts
3-year trend · Δ = latest vs prior filed period · latest reflected 2025-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 | Δ vs prior |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £37,705,879 | £41,889,207 | £53,011,020 | +26.6% | |
| Operating profit | £928,632 | £1,841,082 | £2,961,608 | +60.9% | |
| Profit before tax | £641,932 | £1,550,235 | £2,583,035 | +66.6% | |
| Net profit | £611,169 | £1,319,298 | £2,340,410 | +77.4% | |
| Cash | — | — | — | — | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | — | £14,977,038 | £15,066,034 | +0.6% | |
| Net assets | £1,553,165 | £1,372,463 | £2,212,872 | +61.2% | |
| Equity | £1,553,165 | £1,372,463 | £2,212,873 | +61.2% | |
| Average employees | 326 | 327 | 420 | +28.4% | |
| Wages | £9,079,408 | £10,531,096 | £12,436,731 | +18.1% | |
| Directors' remuneration | £364,652 | £448,856 | £733,304 | +63.4% | |
| Directors' pension contributions | £7,500 | £10,000 | £10,000 | 0% | |
| Highest paid director | £372,152 | £458,856 | £733,304 | +59.8% |
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 | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 | 2025-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | 2.5% | 4.4% | 5.6% | |
| Net margin | 1.6% | 3.1% | 4.4% | |
| Return on capital employed | — | 12.3% | 19.7% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 89.0% | 93.7% | 89.2% | |
| Current ratio | 4.89x | 1.64x | 1.74x | |
| Interest cover | 3.24x | 3.92x | 5.57x |
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
- HACHETTE UK DISTRIBUTION LIMITED 2017-03-15 → present
- H H ESOP LIMITED 1998-08-19 → 2017-03-15
- MAWLAW 382 LIMITED 1998-04-06 → 1998-08-19
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 101
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Constantin
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“In assessing going concern, there was consideration of the potential impacts of high inflation and cost of living crisis on the Company's forecasts; the directors are satisfied that the Company will be able to meet its obligations as they fall due and therefore that the going concern basis of preparation remains appropriate.”
Significant events
- “In 2024, a lease agreement was entered into by Hachette UK Distribution Limited but was recognised in its parent company, Hachette UK Limited. This error was corrected in 2025 with the comparative accounts restated.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
4 active · 21 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WRIGHT, Dylan Matthew | Secretary | 2026-04-01 | — | — |
| SHELLEY, David Richard | Director | 2017-12-12 | Apr 1976 | British |
| WESTBROOK, Joanne Marie | Director | 2026-04-01 | Jul 1976 | British |
| WRIGHT, Dylan Matthew | Director | 2017-03-15 | Mar 1973 | British |
Show 21 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| BROWN, Anthony Malcolm | Secretary | 1999-09-03 | 2002-02-25 |
| BUCKLEY, Michael David | Secretary | 2004-06-15 | 2004-08-02 |
| DE CACQUERAY, Pierre | Secretary | 2005-05-03 | 2026-04-01 |
| FAIRBAIRN, Colin Graham Campbell | Secretary | 2002-02-25 | 2004-06-15 |
| OPZOOMER, Mark William | Secretary | 1998-08-11 | 1999-09-03 |
| ROBINSON, Stephen Leonard | Secretary | 2004-08-02 | 2005-05-03 |
| MAWLAW SECRETARIES LIMITED | Corporate Secretary | 1998-04-06 | 1998-08-11 |
| ADAM, Richard John | Director | 1999-09-03 | 1999-10-18 |
| BROWN, Anthony Malcolm | Director | 1999-09-03 | 2002-02-25 |
| BUCKLEY, Michael David | Director | 2004-06-15 | 2004-08-02 |
| DE CACQUERAY, Pierre | Director | 2005-05-03 | 2026-04-01 |
| EMERSON, Christopher Mark | Director | 2017-03-16 | 2019-08-01 |
| FAIRBAIRN, Colin Graham Campbell | Director | 2001-12-01 | 2004-06-15 |
| HELY HUTCHINSON, Timothy Mark | Director | 1998-08-11 | 2017-12-12 |
| LLOYD, John Eliot Fraser | Director | 1998-08-11 | 1999-09-03 |
| MORTIMORE, Jon William | Director | 1999-10-18 | 2001-11-30 |
| OPZOOMER, Mark William | Director | 1998-08-11 | 1999-09-03 |
| ROBINSON, Stephen Leonard | Director | 2004-08-02 | 2005-05-03 |
| WARNFORD DAVIS, Karelyn Mandy | Director | 1998-08-11 | 1999-09-03 |
| WESTON, Christopher John | Director | 1998-08-11 | 1999-09-03 |
| MAWLAW CORPORATE SERVICES LIMITED | Corporate Director | 1998-04-06 | 1998-08-11 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Louis Hachette Group Sa | Corporate entity | Shares 50–75% | 2024-12-16 | Active |
| Vivendi Se | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100% | 2023-12-01 | Ceased 2024-12-16 |
| Hachette Uk Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100% | 2016-04-06 | Active |
| Lagardere Sa | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100% | 2016-04-06 | Active |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 116 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-09-16 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2026-04-02 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2026-04-01 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2026-04-01 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2026-04-01 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2025-10-14 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2025-10-14 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-10-14 | PSC02 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2025-08-07 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-10-15 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-10-15 | PSC02 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-10-15 | PSC02 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2024-07-26 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-10-16 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-08-04 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type small | |
| 2022-10-14 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2022-09-01 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2021-10-06 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2021-07-24 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2020-10-07 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 8
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 2
- 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.