COSTA LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-09-30 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement due
2027-01-12 (in 8mo)
Last made up 2025-12-29
Watchouts
None on the register
Cash
£136M
-44.3% vs 2023
Net assets
£264M
-4.5% vs 2023
Employees
17,957
+0.8% vs 2023
Profit before tax
£65M
+775.3% vs 2023
Name history
Renamed 1 time since incorporation
- COSTA LIMITED 1997-09-12 → present
- C. B. COSTA BROS. COFFEE CO. LIMITED 1976-07-28 → 1997-09-12
Net assets
2-year trend · vs Consumer Staples median
Accounts
2-year trend · latest reflected 2024-12-31
| Metric | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Turnover | £1,222,856,000 | £1,231,795,000 | |
| Operating profit | -£5,810,000 | -£13,490,000 | |
| Profit before tax | -£9,632,000 | £65,046,000 | |
| Net profit | -£13,847,000 | £67,027,000 | |
| Cash | £243,669,000 | £135,652,000 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £627,913,000 | £633,287,000 | |
| Net assets | £276,518,000 | £263,990,000 | |
| Equity | £276,518,000 | £263,990,000 | |
| Average employees | 17,809 | 17,957 | |
| Wages | £342,173,000 | £361,284,000 |
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
Ratios
Computed from the line items above — sparklines read oldest → newest
| Ratio | Trend | 2023-12-31 | 2024-12-31 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Operating margin | -0.5% | -1.1% | |
| Net margin | -1.1% | 5.4% | |
| Return on capital employed | -0.9% | -2.1% | |
| Current ratio | 0.72x | 0.54x | |
| Interest cover | -0.48x | -0.95x |
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.
Audit & accounting basis
- Accounting basis
- FRS 101
- Reporting scope
- Standalone (parent only)
- Auditor
- Ernst & Young
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The financial statements have been prepared on a going concern basis as, having reviewed the current position and cash flow projections of the Company, the Directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future at the time of approving the financial statements. The Company has received a letter of support from its ultimate parent company, The Coca-Cola Company, that commits to making support available if it is required at a point in time covering a period of twelve months from the date of approval of the financial statements. Accordingly, the Directors continue to adopt the going concern basis in preparing the financial statements.”
Group structure
- COSTA LIMITED · parent
- Coffeeheaven International Limited 100%
- Costa Catering Management (Shanghai) Co. Ltd 100%
- Coffee Corporate Services Limited 100%
- Costa Coffee India Private Limited 99.9%
- Costa Express Holdings Limited 99.9%
- Costa Express Malaysia Sdn Bhd. 99.9%
- Costa France S.A.S. 100%
- Costa International Limited 100%
- Costa Singapore Private Limited 100%
- Costa Express GmbH 100%
- Cuppa-Cino Trading Limited 100%
- Costa Trading (Shanghai) Co., Ltd 100%
- Costa Europe Services sp Z.O.O. 100%
- Costa Express Canada Limited 100%
- Costa Coffee Bulgaria EOOD 100%
- Costa Express Limited 100%
- Coffee Heaven Holdings Limited 100%
- Costa China Holdings Limited 100%
- Costa Coffee MENA DMCC Limited 100%
- Costa Beijing Limited 100%
- Costa Coffee (Shanghai) Co Limited 100%
- Costa Coffee (Beijing) Co Limited 100%
- SIA Coffee Nation 0%
- CHI Hungary Kft 100%
- PSU2 Kft 100%
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
5 active · 42 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| WERNER, Suzanne | Secretary | 2025-07-10 | — | — |
| BEIGER, Todd Paul | Director | 2025-07-23 | Mar 1971 | American |
| CAPON, Benjamin William James | Director | 2025-07-23 | Jul 1979 | British |
| ORRIN, Nicholas Clive | Director | 2023-04-06 | Jul 1966 | British |
| SCHAILLEE, Philippe Dirk M. | Director | 2023-04-11 | Oct 1970 | Belgian |
Show 42 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| BUXTON SMITH, Maria Rita | Secretary | 1997-05-27 | 2002-09-25 |
| COSTA, Yolanda | Secretary | — | 1995-10-01 |
| FAIRHURST, Russell William | Secretary | 2004-01-30 | 2021-05-14 |
| FENTON, Nicola Jane | Secretary | 1995-10-09 | 1997-05-27 |
| LOWRY, Daren Clive | Secretary | 2004-01-30 | 2018-11-27 |
| SAVJANI, Sunita | Secretary | 2021-04-23 | 2024-11-29 |
| THORPE, Elizabeth Anne | Secretary | 2002-09-25 | 2004-01-30 |
| D & H B SECRETARIAL SERVICES LIMITED | Corporate Secretary | 1995-10-01 | 1995-10-09 |
| BENNETT, Jo Mary | Director | 2014-02-13 | 2016-10-13 |
| BENTLEY, Clive | Director | 2009-01-26 | 2017-01-31 |
| CARLIN, Jane Louise | Director | 2023-02-10 | 2024-10-09 |
| CLEWLEY, Robert Richard | Director | 1995-10-09 | 1997-02-24 |
| COOK, Adrian Ernest | Director | 2022-01-06 | 2023-10-20 |
| CORNELLA, Robert Leo | Director | 2021-03-18 | 2022-04-30 |
| COSTA, Sergio Giorgio | Director | — | 1995-10-09 |
| COSTA, Yolanda | Director | — | 1995-10-01 |
| COTTA, Jason Anthony | Director | 2013-03-18 | 2019-06-30 |
| CROOKALL, Jonathan Mark | Director | 2020-03-11 | 2025-10-10 |
| DERKACH, John | Director | 2006-06-13 | 2012-07-19 |
| DOWELL, Michael Charles Weston | Director | 1996-12-01 | 2001-05-04 |
| FAIRHURST, Russell William | Director | 2001-04-02 | 2001-04-18 |
| FOWLER, James Dominic | Director | 2003-10-28 | 2004-09-20 |
| HARDY, Helen | Director | 2010-03-08 | 2014-02-13 |
| HIGHFIELD, Sarah Louise | Director | 2015-04-16 | 2020-08-31 |
| JOHNSON, Adrian James | Director | 2008-06-27 | 2013-01-25 |
| JOHNSON, Michael Andrew | Director | 1995-10-09 | 1999-02-18 |
| LAKE, Neil | Director | 2019-06-18 | 2023-01-31 |
| MANSIGANI, Mohan | Director | 2000-08-10 | 2002-02-01 |
| MARSHALL, Andrew John | Director | 2010-03-08 | 2015-06-15 |
| MCDONALD, Gillian Clare | Director | 2019-12-02 | 2022-07-31 |
| MCGOWAN, Murray Henry | Director | 2015-04-16 | 2017-04-30 |
| MOWAT, Gordon Peter | Director | 2020-06-29 | 2024-02-29 |
| PAUL, Dominic James | Director | 2016-06-20 | 2019-11-29 |
| PHILLIPS, Mark Randall | Director | 2002-01-01 | 2006-06-30 |
| PRICE, Matthew John | Director | 2009-01-26 | 2014-03-18 |
| ROGERS, Christopher Charles Bevan | Director | 2012-07-06 | 2016-06-20 |
| SELJEFLOT, Katherine Joanna | Director | 2016-10-13 | 2020-03-11 |
| SIMPSON, Richard Barry | Director | 1995-10-09 | 2000-08-10 |
| SLATER, Kenneth James | Director | 2010-03-08 | 2015-11-19 |
| TYE, Michael Edward | Director | 2001-07-01 | 2003-10-28 |
| WOODHOUSE, Loraine | Director | 2004-09-20 | 2008-06-27 |
| WRIGHT, Nicholas David | Director | 2001-07-30 | 2001-11-30 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| The Coca-Cola Company | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2019-01-03 | Active |
| Whitbread Group Plc | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2019-01-03 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 246 total filings
Material constitutional events — rename, articles re-file, resolution
- 2026-02-05 RESOLUTIONS Resolution
- 2026-01-26 MA Memorandum articles
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-05 | SH10 | capital | Capital variation of rights attached to shares | |
| 2026-02-05 | SH08 | capital | Capital name of class of shares | |
| 2026-02-05 | RESOLUTIONS | resolution | Resolution | |
| 2026-01-26 | MA | incorporation | Memorandum articles | |
| 2026-01-15 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2025-12-30 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-10-14 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-07-25 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-07-24 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2025-07-21 | RP04AP03 | officers | Second filing of secretary appointment with name | |
| 2025-07-01 | AP03 | officers | Appoint person secretary company with name date | |
| 2025-01-17 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-11-29 | TM02 | officers | Termination secretary company with name termination date | |
| 2024-10-17 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-10-10 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-03-13 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-01-05 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-11-10 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2023-10-12 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-05-05 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 11
- Capital events
- 2
- Officers appointed
- 3
- Officers resigned
- 1
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.
Year-on-year
FY2023 → FY2024 · period ending 2024-12-31 vs 2023-12-31
-
Turnover
+0.7%
£1,222,856,000 £1,231,795,000
-
Cash
-44.3%
£243,669,000 £135,652,000
-
Net assets
-4.5%
£276,518,000 £263,990,000
-
Employees
+0.8%
17,809 17,957
-
Operating profit
-132.2%
-£5,810,000 -£13,490,000
-
Profit before tax
+775.3%
-£9,632,000 £65,046,000
-
Wages
+5.6%
£342,173,000 £361,284,000
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