THORNTONS LIMITED

Active
Company number 00174706Private limited companyIncorporated 1921

Key figures

£34,867,000+10.5%
Net assets 2024/25
+10.5%
Average annual growth 2023/24–2024/25
010 m20 m30 m40 m2023/242024/25

† THORNTONS LIMITED filed these accounts on paper, so Companies House publishes them only as a scanned image. The figures for the years marked † were read automatically from the scan and kept only where the statements add up (for example net assets equal total equity), but a reading error is still possible — check the original accounts at Companies House.

Ratios

2024/25

Sector comparison

SIC 10821

Where the company stands among the 708 active companies whose first SIC code is 10821 (Manufacture of cocoa and chocolate confectionery).

Turnover£90,352,000
Higher than 79% · median £15,818,709 among 34 that publish turnover
Net assets£34,867,000
Higher than 98% · median £5,213
Total assets£99,940,000
Higher than 97% · median £41,744
Cash£421,000
Higher than 82% · median £27,928
Employees552
Higher than 99% · median 2
Company age105.5 years
Older than 99% · median 6.1 years
Largest in this sector by net assets
  1. NESTLE UK LTD.£1.6bn
  2. MONDELEZ UK CONFECTIONERY PRODUCTION LIMITED£365.9m
  3. MAGNA SPECIALIST CONFECTIONERS LIMITED£60m
  4. ZETAR LIMITED£52.4m
  5. CADBURY UK LIMITED£51.8m
  6. ZERTUS UK HOLDING LIMITED£41.4m
  7. THORNTONS LIMITED£34.9m
  8. FERRERO UK LIMITED£30.8m
  9. O.P. CHOCOLATE LIMITED£27.9m
  10. BRITANNIA SUPERFINE LIMITED£27m

Positions are approximate. Figures come from each company's latest accounts; money and employee figures are compared only with companies that filed accounts in pounds for a period ending in the last two and a half years and are not dormant, so those groups are smaller than 708. The line on each bar marks the median.

Summary: THORNTONS LIMITED

What kind of company is it?

THORNTONS LIMITED is a private limited company registered with Companies House under company number 00174706. It was incorporated on 13 May 1921. Its status is active. The registered office is in Greenford (UB6). Its nature of business (SIC 2007) is manufacture of cocoa and chocolate confectionery (10821).

How is the company doing financially?

The latest accounts in the database are for 2024/25 (period ending 31 Aug 2025); the company files full accounts. Turnover was £90,352,000. Profit for the year was £2,719,000. Net assets were £34,867,000, up 10.5% on the previous year. Cash at bank and in hand was £421,000. Total assets were £99,940,000 and total liabilities £68,218,000. The company had an average of 552 employees. Figures are available for 2 financial years (2023/24–2024/25).

How does it compare with similar companies?

Compared with 708 active companies whose first SIC code is 10821: By turnover it ranks higher than 79% of the 34 that publish turnover (median £15,818,709). By net assets it ranks higher than 98% of them (median £5,213). By total assets it ranks higher than 97% of them (median £41,744). By cash it ranks higher than 82% of them (median £27,928). By number of employees it ranks higher than 99% of them (median 2). It is older than 99% of them (median age 6.1 years).

What do public registers and reports show?

HMRC lists it as an importer of goods, mainly dairy, eggs and honey, fats and oils, cocoa and chocolate. HMRC lists it as an exporter of goods, mainly cocoa and chocolate, vegetable and fruit preparations, wood. In its latest payment practices report it took an average of 74 days to pay suppliers, and 20% of invoices were not paid within agreed terms. Its gender pay gap report for 2025/26 shows median hourly pay for women 6.3% lower than for men.

Who runs and controls the company?

One person with significant control is registered.

When are its next filings due?

The next accounts are due by 31 May 2027. The next confirmation statement is due by 2 Dec 2026.

Filed accounts2023/24–2024/25
2023/24 †2024/25 †
Turnover85,695,00090,352,000
Profit for the year1,363,0002,719,000
Cash at bank and in hand775,000421,000
Total assets100,348,00099,940,000
Total liabilities71,191,00068,218,000
Net assets / total equity31,552,00034,867,000
Average number of employees625552

A dash (—) means no accounts were filed for that year or the item is not in the accounts; 0 is a zero stated in the accounts. Small companies usually file only a balance sheet, so the profit and loss account is often missing.

Statutory reporting

Payment practices1 Mar 2026 – 31 Aug 2026
Average time taken to pay invoices
74 days
Invoices not paid within agreed terms
20%
Standard payment terms
15–90 days
Member of a payment code
No
  • Within 30 days 11%
  • 31 to 60 days 40%
  • After 60 days 49%
Earlier periods (7)
Period ending
Days to pay
Within 30 days
Late
28 Feb 2026
79
9%
25%
31 Aug 2025
67
9%
21%
28 Feb 2025
65
11%
18%
31 Aug 2024
61
14%
19%
29 Feb 2024
62
13%
26%
31 Aug 2023
69
22%
52%
28 Feb 2023
41
42%
41%

View the latest report on GOV.UK

Gender pay gap2025/26
Median hourly pay
women 6.3% lower
Mean hourly pay
women 9.9% lower
Employer size
250 to 499 employees
Lower pay quarter47% womenLower middle40% womenUpper middle41% womenUpper pay quarter26% women
Earlier years (8)
Year
Median hourly pay
Mean hourly pay
2024/25
no gap
women 8.6% lower
2023/24
no gap
women 4.6% lower
2022/23
women 10.3% lower
women 11.5% lower
2021/22
women 1.6% lower
women 2.2% lower
2020/21
women 12.8% lower
women 18.4% lower
2019/20
women 19.5% lower
women 18.2% lower
2018/19
women 20.3% lower
women 19.8% lower
2017/18
women 21.9% lower
women 22.1% lower

A positive gap means women's average hourly pay is lower than men's across the whole employer; it is not a comparison of pay for the same work. View on the Gender pay gap service

Figures the company reported itself to the government's Check payment practices service, Gender pay gap service and Modern slavery statement registry (Open Government Licence v3.0). Only large companies and employers with 250 or more staff have to report, so most companies have nothing here.

Registers and licences

International trade‡

Listed by HMRC as an importer of goods in 12 of the last 12 months on record, most recently August 2026. Main goods: dairy, eggs and honey, fats and oils, cocoa and chocolate, vegetable and fruit preparations and sugar and confectionery.

Listed by HMRC as an exporter of goods in 11 of the last 12 months on record, most recently August 2026. Main goods: cocoa and chocolate, vegetable and fruit preparations, wood, cereal and bakery products and machinery.

From HMRC's monthly lists of importers and exporters. Traders can ask to be left off the lists, so absence does not mean a company does not trade.

Sources: Charity Commission for England and Wales, Care Quality Commission, Home Office and HM Revenue & Customs, under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Entries marked ‡ come from lists that do not state a company number and were linked by an exact match on the registered name.

History

8 events
  1. Financial year 2024/25 endedAccounts: turnover £90.4m, net assets £34.9m, 552 employees
  2. Financial year 2023/24 endedAccounts: turnover £85.7m, net assets £31.6m, 625 employees
  3. Ferrero International S.A. registered as a person with significant control
  4. Ferrero International S.A. ceased to be a person with significant control
  5. Ferholding Uk Ltd ceased to be a person with significant control
  6. Mr Giovanni Ferrero registered as a person with significant control
  7. Ferholding Uk Ltd registered as a person with significant control
  8. Company incorporatedPrivate limited company

Dates as recorded at Companies House: incorporation, name changes, officer appointments and resignations, current and former persons with significant control, and the end of each financial year with figures in the database.