JOHN DEWAR AND SONS LIMITED

1. JOHN DEWAR AND SONS LIMITED 1998-07-16 → present
2. WILLIAM LAWSON DISTILLERS LIMITED 1958-10-24 → 1998-07-16

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

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.

Accounting basis

FRS 102

Reporting scope

Standalone (parent only)

Auditor

PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP

Audit opinion

Unqualified (clean)

Going concern

Affirmed

“These financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis, as the directors believe the Company will continue to be able to meet its liabilities as they fall due within twelve months from the date of approval of these financial statements, based on the statement of financial position. In reaching a conclusion that the going concern basis of preparation was appropriate, the Directors have reviewed cash flow forecasts for the Company, considered the Company's dependency on the group treasury function and obtained a letter of support from Bacardi Limited as the ultimate parent company confirming that Bacardi Limited will continue to financially support the Company for a period of at least twelve months from the date of approval of the financial statements. In forming their conclusion, the directors have reviewed the consolidated cash flow forecasts for Bacardi Limited and considered Bacardi Limited's intent and ability to provide its continued financial support to the Company. The Group has debt due for repayment within the going concern period, and whilst the Group Directors' are confident that this will be refinanced there are sufficient levers available to the Group to manage liquidity throughout the going concern period and meet these obligations as they fall due, should the refinancing not complete.”

Significant events

• “During the post-pandemic recovery, global shipping disruption became a supply risk, with unprecedented demand for shipping containers. However, shipping rates have been declining recently primarily due to lower energy costs, higher inventories and lower demand. The Company is shielded from much of the pricing changes due to the nature of the Bacardi distribution network, however container availability, coupled with driver shortages in the UK may represent a supply risk in the future.”
• “In February 2022, Russia launched an invasion in Ukraine (the "Russia-Ukraine war"). The short and long-term implications of the Russia-Ukraine war continue to be difficult to predict. As a result of the war, the United States, the European Union, the United Kingdom, and other governments, implemented various sanctions against Russia Belarus, and connected parties, which the Company fully complies with.”
• “On April 5, 2025, the United States government imposed a baseline tariff of 10% on imports from all countries and announced its intention to implement additional country-specific "reciprocal" tariffs. On April 9, 2025, the introduction of these additional reciprocal tariffs was postponed by 90 days to July 9, 2025. In May 2025, the United Kingdom and the United States enacted a trade agreement imposing a 10% tariff on exports from the United Kingdom to the United States.”
• “On 24th April 2025, the Company issued 2.5 million ordinary shares of £1 each, fully paid, for cash at a subscription price of £100 per share. The total proceeds from the issue amounted to £250 million of which £2.5 million has been credited to share capital and £247.5 million has been credited to the share premium account.”
• “In June 2023, the UK High Court ruled in Virgin Media Limited v NTL Pension Trustees II Limited that amendments to the rules of a contracted-out defined benefit pension scheme are void if they lack the required actuarial confirmation under section 37 of the Pension Schemes Act 1993. The UK Court of Appeal upheld this decision on 25 July 2024. In response, the UK Government announced on 5 June 2025 its intention to introduce legislation permitting pension schemes to retrospectively obtain actuarial confirmation for past amendments, which would effectively address issues arising from this judgment.”

Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers

Filings

3

last 12 months

Capital events

1

last 24 months

Officers appointed

0

last 12 months

Officers resigned

0

last 12 months

Direct counts from the register. No score, no rating — see the Filing timeline for the underlying events.

• Turnover

  0%

  £227,090,000 → £227,133,000

• Cash

  +34.4%

  £841,000 → £1,130,000

• Net assets

  +2.1%

  £401,825,000 → £410,239,000

• Employees

  -6.9%

  605 → 563

• Operating profit

  +0.4%

  £39,510,000 → £39,657,000

• Profit before tax

  -23.4%

  £18,032,000 → £13,820,000

• Wages

  +1.9%

  £28,638,000 → £29,189,000

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