Charles Wells Limited
Registered name: CHARLES WELLS LIMITED
Charles Wells Limited made £66.2m revenue and £442k profit in the year to 28 Sep 2025.
Charles Wells Limited’s revenue grew 1% to £66.2m in the year to 28 Sep 2025, with £442k profit and 827 employees. The company is classified under “manufacture of beer” and is based in Bedford; we hold 4 years of its filed accounts.
- Status
- Active
- Location
- Bedford, South East
- Age
- 116 yrs · since 1910
- Type
- Private Limited Company
Key figures
Badges are automated estimates derived from the filed figures — not statements of fact about the company.
Financial history
| Year to | 29 Sep 2023 | 28 Sep 2024 | 29 Sep 2024 | 28 Sep 2025 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Disclosure | Full P&L | Full P&L | Full P&L | Full P&L |
| Profit & loss | ||||
| Revenue (turnover) | £62.3m | £65.8m | £65.8m | £66.2m |
| Operating profit | £2.9m | £3.2m | £3.2m | £3.2m |
| Profit before tax | £1.3m | £1.2m | £1.2m | £1.8m |
| Profit after tax | £985k | £371k | £371k | £442k |
| Profit (best available) | £985k | £371k | £371k | £442k |
| Employees (average) | 855 | 874 | 874 | 827 |
| Ratios | ||||
| Profit margin | 1.6% | 0.6% | 0.6% | 0.7% |
| Revenue per employee | £72.9k | £75.3k | £75.3k | £80k |
| Profit per employee | £1.2k | £424 | £424 | £534 |
| Growth (year on year) | ||||
| Revenue growth | — | ▲5.6% | — | ▲0.6% |
| Profit growth | — | ▼62.3% | — | ▲19.1% |
| Headcount growth | — | ▲2.2% | — | ▼5.4% |
| Balance sheet — indirect signals, not revenue | ||||
| Net assets | — | — | — | — |
| Source | Accounts · bulk data Apr 2025 | Accounts · bulk data May 2026 | Accounts · bulk data Apr 2025 | Accounts · bulk data May 2026 |
How the business works
- Profit margin
- 0.7%
- Profit ÷ revenue.
- Gross margin
- —
- Gross profit ÷ revenue. High for software and services.
- Revenue per employee
- £80k
- Revenue ÷ average employees.
- Profit per employee
- £534
- Profit ÷ average employees.
- Cash conversion
- —
- Cash generated from operations ÷ operating profit. Needs a cash-flow statement.
- Fixed assets ÷ revenue
- —
- Capital intensity. Low = capital-light, cheaper to start.
- Deferred income ÷ revenue
- —
- Customers paying upfront (subscriptions, deposits). Approximate when combined with accruals.
- Debtors ÷ revenue
- —
- Money owed by customers. Low = customers pay quickly.
Balance-sheet signals
Year-on-year changes in filed balance-sheet items. They can hint at momentum (or investment) but are not revenue or profit and must not be read as such.
- Net assets
- —
- Now —
- Cash at bank
- —
- Now —
- Headcount
- ▼5%
- Now 827
- Deferred income
- —
- Now —
- Fixed assets
- —
- Now —
Group structure
Subsidiaries (9)
- Apostrophe Pubs LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Bedford Brewery Company LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Charles Wells Brewery LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Charles Wells Pension Trustees LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Havelock Wines LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Jarvis Solutions Company LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Matross LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Stevenson's (Beers & Wines) LimitedFigures not disclosed
- Wells & Co (Bedford) LimitedFigures not disclosed
From the Persons with Significant Control register (corporate controllers only).
Similar profitable businesses
- Joseph Holt Group LimitedManchester · Manufacture of beer
- Revenue
- £78.3m
- Profit
- £2.8m
- Staff
- 418
- Damm 1876 LtdSouthwark · Manufacture of beer
- Revenue
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- Profit
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- Frederic Robinson Group LimitedStockport · Manufacture of beer
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- £103m
- Profit
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- Daniel Thwaites Public Limited CompanyBlackburn · Manufacture of beer
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- £127m
- Profit
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- Staff
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- Hall & Woodhouse LimitedDorset · Manufacture of beer
- Revenue
- £131m
- Profit
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- McMullen & Sons, LimitedHerts · Manufacture of beer
- Revenue
- £134m
- Profit
- £15.3m
- Staff
- 2,173
Sources
Latest figures from accounts for the year to 28 Sep 2025 (profit £442k), from the Companies House accounts bulk data published May 2026. Spotted an error? Request a correction.
Contains public sector information from Companies House licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0. Data from Companies House, © Crown copyright. View the licence.