JAMES FINLAY LIMITED
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Next accounts due
2026-09-30 (in 4mo)
Last filed for 2024-12-31
Confirmation statement due
2027-03-14 (in 10mo)
Last made up 2026-02-28
Watchouts
Cash
£19M
+24.4% vs 2023
Net assets
£292M
+2.3% vs 2023
Employees
70
+6.1% vs 2023
Profit before tax
£10M
-34.7% vs 2023
Watchouts
Facts from the Companies House register and the latest accounts — not a rating
-
3 officer resignations in last 12 months
Multiple officers have left the board recently — see the People section for who.
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 | £269,830 | £325,426 | |
| Operating profit | -£3,519,644 | -£7,510,007 | |
| Profit before tax | £15,586,360 | £10,174,944 | |
| Net profit | £15,023,721 | £8,622,683 | |
| Cash | £15,501,112 | £19,282,431 | |
| Total assets less current liabilities | £324,590,067 | £316,830,986 | |
| Net assets | £285,380,282 | £291,945,145 | |
| Equity | £285,380,282 | £291,945,145 | |
| Average employees | 66 | 70 | |
| Wages | £8,510,749 | £8,308,377 |
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 | -1304.4% | -2307.7% | |
| Net margin | 5567.8% | 2649.7% | |
| Return on capital employed | -1.1% | -2.4% | |
| Gearing (liabilities / total assets) | 14.8% | 10.2% | |
| Current ratio | 23.15x | 27.94x | |
| Interest cover | -1.34x | -3.48x |
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
- Grant Thornton UK LLP
- Audit opinion
- Unqualified (clean)
- Going concern
- Affirmed
“The directors have a reasonable expectation that the Company will be able to continue in operation for the foreseeable future and have therefore adopted the going concern basis of accounting in preparing these financial statements. The ultimate parent company John Swire & Sons Limited have indicated its intention to continue to make available funds as are needed by the Company, and that it does not intend to seek repayment of amounts due at the balance sheet date.”
Group structure
- JAMES FINLAY LIMITED · parent
- Finlay Extracts & Ingredients UK Limited 100%
- Finlay Tea Solutions UK Limited 100%
- James Finlay International Holdings Limited 100%
- James Finlay Corporation Limited 100%
- James Finlay International (UK) Limited 100%
- Finlay Beverages Limited 100%
- Finlay Tea Extracts (Kenya) Limited 100%
- James Finlay Mombasa Limited 100%
- James Finlay (Blantyre) Limited 100%
- Finlay Extracts & Ingredients Holland B.V. 100%
- James Finlay Plantation Holdings (Lanka) Limited 100%
- Finlay Airline Agencies (Pvt) Limited 100%
- Finlay Instant Teas (Pvt) Limited 100%
- Finlay Plantation Management (Pvt) Limited 100%
- Finlays Colombo Limited 99.82%
- Finlay Properties (Pvt) Limited 99.82%
- Finlay Teas (Pvt) Limited 99.82%
- Finlays Tea Estates Lanka (Pvt) Ltd 100%
- James Finlay Tea Trading Lanka (Pvt) Ltd 100%
- Finlay Tea Solutions Colombo (Pvt) limited 99.82%
- James Finlay (ME) DMCC 100%
- Finlay Extracts & Ingredients USA Inc 100%
- James Finlay International Inc 100%
- Finlays Leaf Supply USA, Inc. 100%
- Finlay Coffee Limited 100%
- Finlay Hull Limited 100%
- Argente SA 100%
- Case Fuentes SACIFI 100%
- Damin International Holdings Limited 49.51%
- James Finlay (Guizhou) Tea Co, Ltd 100%
- Finlay Tea Solutions (Hong Kong) Limited 100%
Significant events
- “Profit on sale of James Finlay Kenya realised in 2023.”
- “Company received further consideration of $22,257,000 relating to the sale of James Finlay Kenya in 2023 and the funds have been used to repay $18,000,000 loan to John Swire & Sons Limited which was held in non-current liability.”
- “James Finlay (Guizhou) Tea Co, Ltd was sold on 23 July 2024.”
Auditor, going-concern and subsidiary information is drawn from the narrative of the latest annual accounts. About these numbers
People
6 active · 49 resigned
| Name | Role | Appointed | Born | Nationality |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MORRIS, David Charles | Secretary | 2018-10-03 | — | — |
| DE GENTILE-WILLIAMS, Philippe Anthony Wynne | Director | 2016-09-01 | May 1964 | British |
| MASON, Jennifer Aspen | Director | 2024-08-21 | Jun 1969 | American,British |
| PELLING, Sean Colin | Director | 2024-08-21 | Sep 1974 | British |
| RUTHERFORD, Julian Michael | Director | 2013-02-01 | Mar 1971 | British |
| WOODROW, James Hugh, Mr. | Director | 2022-09-05 | May 1967 | British |
Show 49 resigned officers
| Name | Role | Appointed | Resigned |
|---|---|---|---|
| DIBBEN, Ann Marie | Secretary | 2016-08-23 | 2018-07-13 |
| GILMOUR, Duncan James | Secretary | 1996-12-01 | 2016-06-30 |
| MCCRACKEN, Robert White | Secretary | — | 1996-11-30 |
| MORRIS, David Charles | Secretary | 2016-07-01 | 2016-08-23 |
| AFXENTIOU, Andreas Costa | Director | — | 1995-06-28 |
| BLACKBURN, Timothy Joseph | Director | 2007-01-01 | 2009-08-10 |
| CAMPBELL, Colin Moffat, Sir | Director | — | 1992-06-25 |
| CAPPER, Richard Gerald | Director | — | 1995-11-24 |
| CHAMBERS, Guy Rufus | Director | 2015-09-14 | 2022-06-03 |
| CUBBON, Martin | Director | 2018-07-02 | 2024-04-10 |
| CUBBON, Martin | Director | 2018-06-29 | 2018-06-29 |
| DAVIES, Julian | Director | 2014-12-09 | 2019-02-01 |
| DAVIES, Neville Vincent | Director | 2008-04-04 | 2011-07-01 |
| EYTON, William Byran, Dr | Director | 1996-04-01 | 2002-12-31 |
| FERGUSON, Michael Stuart | Director | 1999-01-01 | 2006-06-30 |
| FORSYTH, David William | Director | 1992-01-01 | 1995-08-31 |
| FORTMANN, Kathy | Director | 2019-12-03 | 2021-09-15 |
| FRASER, Robert | Director | 1990-02-01 | 1992-12-10 |
| GILMOUR, Duncan James | Director | 2005-04-01 | 2014-12-09 |
| HENSON, Paul Robert | Director | 2007-01-22 | 2013-02-01 |
| HILL, Simon George | Director | 2001-01-15 | 2001-09-30 |
| HOGG, Rupert Bruce Grantham Trower | Director | 2002-01-01 | 2008-09-22 |
| HUDSON, Martin John | Director | 2008-01-01 | 2015-11-23 |
| HUGHES-HALLETT, James Edward | Director | 2012-04-20 | 2018-07-02 |
| HUGHES-HALLETT, James Wyndham John | Director | 2005-09-01 | 2013-12-13 |
| INGLEBY, John Mungo | Director | — | 1994-10-14 |
| JOHANSENS, Peter Andre | Director | 2000-09-29 | 2008-12-31 |
| JOHNSTON, David James, Dr | Director | 2015-07-09 | 2019-07-31 |
| KUEHNE, Christiane | Director | 2015-12-17 | 2026-03-10 |
| LAMOND, William | Director | — | 1991-07-26 |
| LARGE, Simon Richard St John | Director | 2004-07-05 | 2009-08-14 |
| LOCKETT, Patrick Gordon | Director | 1995-09-01 | 2006-12-31 |
| MATHISON, Ronald James | Director | 2008-09-22 | 2015-09-14 |
| MCCALLUM, Andrew Graham Stewart | Director | — | 1991-07-26 |
| MUIR, Richard James Kay | Director | — | 2001-03-31 |
| MURRAY, John | Director | — | 1991-07-26 |
| RANKIN, Alick Michael, Sir | Director | 1994-05-12 | 1999-08-03 |
| REES, Peter Wynford Innes, Lord | Director | — | 1992-06-25 |
| SCOTT, Edward John Rankin | Director | 1991-08-01 | 2002-01-29 |
| STEPHENS, Stuart Robert | Director | — | 1991-07-26 |
| STONE-WIGG, Robert Lindsay | Director | 1990-09-01 | 1997-03-31 |
| STRATHDEE, Stuart | Director | 2000-03-01 | 2025-12-02 |
| SWIRE, Glen Douglas William | Director | 1992-06-26 | 1998-12-31 |
| SWIRE, John Anthony, Sir | Director | — | 1992-06-25 |
| SWIRE, Merlin Bingham | Director | 2008-10-17 | 2017-03-01 |
| TODHUNTER, Michael John Benjamin | Director | 2000-05-26 | 2009-04-03 |
| WEAVER, Christopher Giles Herron | Director | 1996-04-29 | 2015-07-09 |
| WEMYSS, Isabella Alethea | Director | 2002-10-22 | 2015-07-13 |
| WOOLF, Benjamin | Director | 2023-04-13 | 2025-07-11 |
Ownership
Persons with significant control
| Name | Kind | Nature of control | Notified | Status |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| John Swire & Sons Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100%, Appoints directors | 2022-12-20 | Active |
| Finlay Group Limited | Corporate entity | Shares 75–100%, Voting 75–100% | 2016-04-06 | Ceased 2022-12-20 |
Filing timeline
Last 20 of 741 total filings
| Date | Type | Category | Description | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-03-18 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2026-03-09 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2025-12-16 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2025-12-05 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-10-01 | AD01 | address | Change registered office address company with date old address new address | |
| 2025-07-24 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2025-07-11 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2025-03-10 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2024-09-02 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-09-02 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2024-06-13 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2024-04-10 | TM01 | officers | Termination director company with name termination date | |
| 2024-03-01 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with no updates | |
| 2023-07-04 | AA | accounts | Accounts with accounts type full | |
| 2023-04-21 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date | |
| 2023-03-02 | CS01 | confirmation-statement | Confirmation statement with updates | |
| 2023-01-12 | PSC02 | persons-with-significant-control | Notification of a person with significant control | |
| 2023-01-12 | PSC07 | persons-with-significant-control | Cessation of a person with significant control | |
| 2022-11-28 | CH01 | officers | Change person director company with change date | |
| 2022-09-20 | AP01 | officers | Appoint person director company with name date |
Public-record activity
Raw counts from Companies House — last 12–24 months
- Filings
- 7
- Capital events
- 0
- Officers appointed
- 0
- Officers resigned
- 3
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
+20.6%
£269,830 £325,426
-
Cash
+24.4%
£15,501,112 £19,282,431
-
Net assets
+2.3%
£285,380,282 £291,945,145
-
Employees
+6.1%
66 70
-
Operating profit
-113.4%
-£3,519,644 -£7,510,007
-
Profit before tax
-34.7%
£15,586,360 £10,174,944
-
Wages
-2.4%
£8,510,749 £8,308,377
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