COSTA LIMITED

Active
Company number 01270695Private limited companyIncorporated 1976

Key figures

£245,490,000-7.0%
Net assets 2025
-7.0%
Average annual change 2024–2025
0100 m200 m300 m20242025

† COSTA 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

2025

Sector comparison

SIC 10832

Where the company stands among the 1,586 active companies whose first SIC code is 10832 (Production of coffee and coffee substitutes).

Turnover£1,292,204,000
Higher than 97% · median £61,462 among 41 that publish turnover
Net assets£245,490,000
Higher than 99% · median £1,843
Cash£111,498,000
Higher than 99% · median £12,393
Company age50.3 years
Older than 99% · median 3.0 years
Largest in this sector by net assets
  1. COSTA LIMITED£245.5m
  2. MATTHEW ALGIE & COMPANY LIMITED£51.3m
  3. LAVAZZA PROFESSIONAL UK LIMITED£38.7m
  4. LINCOLN & YORK LIMITED£15.3m
  5. BLANK STREET UK LIMITED£13.6m
  6. MASTEROAST COFFEE CO. LIMITED£12.3m
  7. CAFEA UK LIMITED£12.3m
  8. NESPRESSO UK LTD£11.7m
  9. CLIFTON COFFEE COMPANY LIMITED£3.8m
  10. AIMERS COFFEE AND TEA LTD£3.7m

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 1,586. The line on each bar marks the median.

Summary: COSTA LIMITED

What kind of company is it?

COSTA LIMITED is a private limited company registered with Companies House under company number 01270695. It was incorporated on 28 Jul 1976. Its status is active. The registered office is in High wycombe (HP10). Its nature of business (SIC 2007) is production of coffee and coffee substitutes (10832), licensed restaurants (56101).

How is the company doing financially?

The latest accounts in the database are for 2025 (period ending 31 Dec 2025); the company files full accounts. Turnover was £1,292,204,000. Profit for the year was £62,112,000. Net assets were £245,490,000, down 7% on the previous year. Cash at bank and in hand was £111,498,000. Figures are available for 2 financial years (2024–2025).

How does it compare with similar companies?

Compared with 1,586 active companies whose first SIC code is 10832: By turnover it ranks higher than 97% of the 41 that publish turnover (median £61,462). By net assets it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £1,843). By cash it ranks higher than 99% of them (median £12,393). It is older than 99% of them (median age 3.0 years).

Does it supply the public sector?

The company is named as a supplier in 6 public contract award notices from 5 public sector buyers since 2022. Contracts awarded to it alone have a combined published value of £560.8k. Its most frequent buyer is Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust (2 contracts). 2 of the awards are shared with other suppliers, typically framework agreements.

What do public registers and reports show?

It appears on the Home Office register of licensed sponsors (Skilled Worker). HMRC lists it as an importer of goods, mainly optical, medical and measuring instruments, electrical equipment, machinery. HMRC lists it as an exporter of goods, mainly coffee, tea and spices, cocoa and chocolate, miscellaneous food preparations. In its latest payment practices report it took an average of 98 days to pay suppliers, and 2% of invoices were not paid within agreed terms. Its gender pay gap report for 2025/26 shows median hourly pay for women 4% lower than for men. It has modern slavery statements on the government registry for 3 years.

Who runs and controls the company?

One person with significant control is registered. 3 of 6 registered charges are outstanding.

When are its next filings due?

The next accounts are due by 30 Sep 2027. The next confirmation statement is due by 12 Jan 2027.

Filed accounts2024–2025
2024 †2025 †
Turnover1,231,795,0001,292,204,000
Profit for the year—62,112,000
Cash at bank and in hand135,652,000111,498,000
Total assets1,168,653,000—
Total liabilities904,663,000992,221,000
Net assets / total equity263,990,000245,490,000

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.

Public contracts

6 contracts

COSTA LIMITED is named as a supplier in 6 public contract award notices from 5 public sector buyers since 2022. The 4 contracts awarded to it alone with a published value add up to £560.8k. 2 awards are shared with other suppliers and not counted in that total.

Contracts per year
Main buyers5
Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust
2 contracts · £50k
UNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON ENTERPRISE LIMITED
1 contract · £500k
Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management
1 contract · £10.8k
Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust on behalf of NHS Commercial Solutions
1 contract
THE UNIVERSITY CATERERS ORGANISATION LIMITED
1 contract
Contracts
  1. Costa Coffee Machine Lease Agreement‡Northumbria Healthcare Facilities Management · £10,764 · runs until Sep 2029
  2. Food & Drink ConceptsTHE UNIVERSITY CATERERS ORGANISATION LIMITED · shared by 2 suppliers, up to £40,000,000 in total · runs until Aug 2028
  3. Waiver - BCHC - Costa Ltd - Consumables‡Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust · £25,000
  4. Costa Coffee Consumables - Costa Ltd‡Birmingham Community Healthcare NHS Foundation Trust · £25,000
  5. Framework Agreement for Food, Beverage & Retail Income Arrangements and Associated Services‡Surrey and Borders Partnership NHS Foundation Trust on behalf of NHS Commercial Solutions · shared by 5 suppliers, up to £500,000,000 in total
Show 1 more
  1. Branded Catering FranchiseUNIVERSITY OF WOLVERHAMPTON ENTERPRISE LIMITED · £500,000 · runs until Aug 2032

From contract award notices on Contracts Finder (since 2016) and Find a Tender (since 2021), published by the Cabinet Office under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Values are as published by the buyer and usually cover the whole contract term; the total leaves out awards shared between several suppliers, where the published figure is a ceiling for all of them, placeholder values and single figures of £1 billion or more. Notices marked ‡ do not state a company number and were linked by an exact match on the registered name. Contracts below the publication thresholds and those of devolved buyers that publish elsewhere are not included.

Statutory reporting

Payment practices1 Jan 2026 – 30 Jun 2026
Average time taken to pay invoices
98 days
Invoices not paid within agreed terms
2%
Standard payment terms
60–120 days
Member of a payment code
No
  • Within 30 days 9%
  • 31 to 60 days 6%
  • After 60 days 85%
Earlier periods (7)
Period ending
Days to pay
Within 30 days
Late
31 Dec 2025
93
11%
3%
30 Jun 2025
80
12%
2%
31 Dec 2024
76
11%
2%
30 Jun 2024
55
15%
3%
31 Dec 2023
57
10%
3%
30 Jun 2023
56
10%
4%
31 Dec 2022
55
10%
3%

View the latest report on GOV.UK

Gender pay gap2025/26
Median hourly pay
women 4% lower
Mean hourly pay
women 12.8% lower
Median bonus pay
women 7.7% lower
Employer size
5000 to 19,999 employees
Lower pay quarter73.4% womenLower middle71.6% womenUpper middle69.5% womenUpper pay quarter60.7% women
Earlier years (8)
Year
Median hourly pay
Mean hourly pay
2024/25
no gap
women 18.5% lower
2023/24
women 4.3% lower
women 18.1% lower
2022/23
women 3.2% lower
women 21.5% lower
2021/22
women 9.4% lower
women 26.2% lower
2020/21
no gap
women 12.5% lower
2019/20
women 1.7% lower
women 11.5% lower
2018/19
no gap
women 7.6% lower
2017/18
no gap
women 7.4% 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

Modern slavery statements3
2022
Statement · summary on GOV.UK
2021
Statement · summary on GOV.UK
2020
Statement · summary on GOV.UK

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

Sponsor licence‡
Licence type and rating
Worker (A rating)
Route
Skilled Worker

On the Home Office register of licensed sponsors, which lists organisations licensed to sponsor workers from overseas.

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: optical, medical and measuring instruments, electrical equipment, machinery, miscellaneous food preparations and soaps and waxes.

Listed by HMRC as an exporter of goods in 12 of the last 12 months on record, most recently August 2026. Main goods: coffee, tea and spices, cocoa and chocolate, miscellaneous food preparations, plastics and paper and paperboard.

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

6 events
  1. Financial year 2025 endedAccounts: turnover £1.3bn, net assets £245.5m
  2. Financial year 2024 endedAccounts: turnover £1.2bn, net assets £264m
  3. The Coca-Cola Company registered as a person with significant control
  4. Whitbread Group Plc ceased to be a person with significant control
  5. Whitbread Group Plc registered as a person with significant control
  6. 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.