The directors present the strategic report for the year ended 31 January 2025.

During the year to 31 January 2025 the company turnover increased from £6,219,202 to £6,464,864 with an increase in gross profit from £1,359,327 to £1,570,667 as shown on page 7.

Note 16, on page 19, details the borrowings undertaken by the Company to fund improvements and the additional Coronavirus Business Interruption Loan obtained during the pandemic. The company continues to make all repayments in line with the agreements and all loans are due to be repaid by or during 2026.

On page 8 of the financial statements, the Statement of Financial Position, shows an increase in the net asset position to £4,512,855 from £4,315,066

It is the Director’s opinion that the Company traded well during what continues to be uncertain economic conditions.

Challenges from the rise in inflation have persisted, pushing up costs for many goods and services. In the hospitality side of the business in particular, the rising costs of ingredients, energy and labour as well as recruiting staff, have added pressure.

Competition within the retail industry remains fierce and margins continue to be challenged across the retail sector. Increased online competition also puts pressure on the margins achieved by the Company. However, the Director’s believe the overall retail experience offered at Brodie, including the Restaurant, puts them in a unique position. The improvements made to the retail experience, at Brodie, continue to attract new and returning customers.

Through close contact with suppliers, together with tight operational control and a continued on-line presence, the directors are confident that these risks to the business can be successfully managed and is demonstrated through the improved gross profit achieved during the year.

Over the year, the company invested in new technology and improved online presence and sales.

The company continues to receive the support of its bank and the directors are confident that the business has sufficient resources in place to overcome any challenges faced during this period of economic uncertainty.

The company recognises the importance of its environmental responsibilities and takes all reasonable steps to minimise its impact on the environment.

On behalf of the board

The directors present their annual report and financial statements for the year ended 31 January 2025.

The principal activity of the company continued to be that of catering and the retailing of food, gifts and clothing.

During the year under review there have been no significant changes to the company's principal activities and the directors are not aware, at the date of this report, of any likely major changes to the company's activities in the next year.

The results for the year are set out on page 7.

Ordinary dividends were paid amounting to £29,500 (2024 - £23,000). The directors do not recommend payment of a further dividend.

The directors who held office during the year and up to the date of signature of the financial statements were as follows:

The company has chosen in accordance with Companies Act 2006, s.414C(11) to set out in the Company's Strategic Report information required by Large and Medium-sized Companies and Groups (Accounts and Reports) Regulations 2008, Sch. 7 to be contained in the Directors' Report. It has done so in respect of future developments.

The auditor, Johnston Carmichael LLP, is deemed to be reappointed under section 487(2) of the Companies Act 2006.

So far as each person who was a director at the date of approving this report is aware, there is no relevant audit information of which the company’s auditor is unaware. Additionally, the directors individually have taken all the necessary steps that they ought to have taken as directors in order to make themselves aware of all relevant audit information and to establish that the company’s auditor is aware of that information.

The directors are responsible for preparing the strategic report, directors' report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the directors to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the directors have elected to prepare the financial statements in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice (United Kingdom Accounting Standards and applicable law). Under company law the directors must not approve the financial statements unless they are satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and the profit or loss of the company for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, the directors are required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

• make judgements and accounting estimates that are reasonable and prudent;

• prepare the financial statements on the going concern basis unless it is inappropriate to presume that the company will continue in business.

The directors are responsible for keeping adequate accounting records that are sufficient to show and explain the company’s transactions and disclose with reasonable accuracy at any time the financial position of the company and enable them to ensure that the financial statements comply with the Companies Act 2006. They are also responsible for safeguarding the assets of the company and hence for taking reasonable steps for the prevention and detection of fraud and other irregularities.

We have audited the financial statements of Brodie Countryfare Limited (the 'company') for the year ended 31 January 2025 which comprise the statement of comprehensive income, statement of financial position, statement of changes in equity, statement of cash flows and notes to the financial statements, including significant accounting policies. The financial reporting framework that has been applied in their preparation is applicable law and United Kingdom Accounting Standards, including Financial Reporting Standard 102 The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland (United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice).

In our opinion the financial statements:

• Give a true and fair view of the state of the company's affairs as at 31 January 2025 and of its profit for the year then ended;

• Have been properly prepared in accordance with United Kingdom Generally Accepted Accounting Practice; and

• Have been prepared in accordance with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

Basis for opinion

We conducted our audit in accordance with International Standards on Auditing (UK) (ISAs (UK)) and applicable law. Our responsibilities under those standards are further described in the Auditor responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements section of our report. We are independent of the company in accordance with the ethical requirements that are relevant to our audit of the financial statements in the UK, including the FRC’s Ethical Standard, and we have fulfilled our other ethical responsibilities in accordance with these requirements. We believe that the audit evidence we have obtained is sufficient and appropriate to provide a basis for our opinion.

Conclusions relating to going concern

In auditing the financial statements, we have concluded that the directors' use of the going concern basis of accounting in the preparation of the financial statements is appropriate.

Based on the work we have performed, we have not identified any material uncertainties relating to events or conditions that, individually or collectively, may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern for a period of at least twelve months from when the financial statements are authorised for issue.

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the directors with respect to going concern are described in the relevant sections of this report.

Other information

The other information comprises the information included in the annual report and financial statements, other than the financial statements and our auditor’s report thereon. The directors are responsible for the other information contained within the annual report and financial statements. Our opinion on the financial statements does not cover the other information and, except to the extent otherwise explicitly stated in our report, we do not express any form of assurance conclusion thereon. Our responsibility is to read the other information and, in doing so, consider whether the other information is materially inconsistent with the financial statements or our knowledge obtained in the audit, or otherwise appears to be materially misstated. If we identify such material inconsistencies or apparent material misstatements, we are required to determine whether this gives rise to a material misstatement in the financial statements themselves. If, based on the work we have performed, we conclude that there is a material misstatement of this other information, we are required to report that fact.

We have nothing to report in this regard.

Opinions on other matters prescribed by the Companies Act 2006

In our opinion, based on the work undertaken in the course of the audit:

• The information given in the strategic report and the directors' report for the financial year for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• The strategic report and the directors' report have been prepared in accordance with applicable legal requirements.

In the light of the knowledge and understanding of the company and its environment obtained in the course of the audit, we have not identified material misstatements in the strategic report and the directors' report.

We have nothing to report in respect of the following matters in relation to which the Companies Act 2006 requires us to report to you if, in our opinion:

• Adequate accounting records have not been kept, or returns adequate for our audit have not been received from branches not visited by us; or

• The financial statements are not in agreement with the accounting records and returns; or

• Certain disclosures of directors' remuneration specified by law are not made; or

• We have not received all the information and explanations we require for our audit.

As explained more fully in the directors' responsibilities statement set out on page 3, the directors are responsible for the preparation of the financial statements and for being satisfied that they give a true and fair view, and for such internal control as the directors determine is necessary to enable the preparation of financial statements that are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error. In preparing the financial statements, the directors are responsible for assessing the company’s ability to continue as a going concern, disclosing, as applicable, matters related to going concern and using the going concern basis of accounting unless the directors either intend to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or have no realistic alternative but to do so.

Our objectives are to obtain reasonable assurance about whether the financial statements as a whole are free from material misstatement, whether due to fraud or error, and to issue an auditor's report that includes our opinion. Reasonable assurance is a high level of assurance but is not a guarantee that an audit conducted in accordance with ISAs (UK) will always detect a material misstatement when it exists. Misstatements can arise from fraud or error and are considered material if, individually or in the aggregate, they could reasonably be expected to influence the economic decisions of users taken on the basis of these financial statements.

A further description of our responsibilities for the audit of the financial statements is located on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: http://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor’s report.

Irregularities, including fraud, are instances of non-compliance with laws and regulations. We design procedures in line with our responsibilities, outlined above, to detect material misstatements in respect of irregularities, including fraud. The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.

We assessed whether the engagement team collectively had the appropriate competence and capabilities to identify or recognise non-compliance with laws and regulations by considering their experience, past performance and support available.

All engagement team members were briefed on relevant identified laws and regulations and potential fraud risks at the planning stage of the audit. Engagement team members were reminded to remain alert to any indications of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations throughout the audit.

We obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that are applicable to the company and the sector in which it operates, focusing on those provisions that had a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The most relevant frameworks we identified include:

• UK Generally Accepted Accounting Practice;

• Companies Act 2006;

• Corporation Tax Act 2010;

• Healthy and Safety at Work Act 1974; and

• Food Hygiene Regulations.

We gained an understanding of how the company is complying with these laws and regulations by making enquiries of management and those charged with governance. We corroborated these enquiries through our review of external inspections and relevant correspondence with regulatory bodies.

We assessed the susceptibility of the financial statements to material misstatement, including how fraud might occur, by meeting with management and those charged with governance to understand where it was considered there was susceptibility to fraud. This evaluation also considered how management and those charged with governance were remunerated and whether this provided an incentive for fraudulent activity. We considered the overall control environment and how management and those charged with governance oversee the implementation and operation of controls. In areas of the financial statements where the risks were considered to be higher, we performed procedures to address each identified risk. We identified a heightened fraud risk in relation to:

• Management override of controls

• Revenue recognition

In addition to the above, the following procedures were performed to provide reasonable assurance that the financial statements were free of material fraud or error:    

• Performing audit procedures over the risk of management override of controls, including testing of journal entries and other adjustments for appropriateness, evaluating the business rationale of significant transactions outside the normal course of business and assessing judgements made by management in their calculation of accounting estimates for potential management bias;

• Performing audit procedures over the risk of revenue recognition, including testing of the completeness of revenue;

• Reviewing the level of and reasoning behind the company's procurement of legal and professional services;

• Performing audit procedures over the risk of stock provisions, including testing the completeness of the stock provision and relevant adjustments;

• Completion of appropriate checklists and use of our experience to assess the Company’s compliance with the Companies Act 2006; and

• Agreement of the financial statement disclosures to supporting documentation.

Our audit procedures were designed to respond to the risk of material misstatements in the financial statements, recognising that the risk of not detecting a material misstatement due to fraud is higher than the risk of not detecting one resulting from error, as fraud may involve intentional concealment, forgery, collusion, omission or misrepresentation. There are inherent limitations in the audit procedures performed and the further removed non-compliance with laws and regulations is from the events and transactions reflected in the financial statements, the less likely we would become aware of it.

Use of our report

This report is made solely to the company's members, as a body, in accordance with Chapter 3 of Part 16 of the Companies Act 2006. Our audit work has been undertaken so that we might state to the company's members those matters we are required to state to them in an auditor's report and for no other purpose. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than the company and the company's members, as a body, for our audit work, for this report, or for the opinions we have formed.

The income statement has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.

Brodie Countryfare Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in Scotland. The registered office is Johnstone House, 52-54 Rose Street, ABERDEEN, AB10 1HA. The trading address is Brodie, by FORRES, IV36 2TD.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with FRS 102 “The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland” (“FRS 102”) and the requirements of the Companies Act 2006.

The financial statements are prepared in sterling, which is the functional currency of the company. Monetary amounts in these financial statements are rounded to the nearest £.

The financial statements have been prepared on the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

Atruet the time of approving the financial statements, the directors have a reasonable expectation that the company has adequate resources to continue in operational existence for at least the next 12 months. In arriving at this assessment the directors have considered the expected cash flows of the company and are comfortable that there are adequate resources available. Thus the directors continue to adopt the going concern basis of accounting in preparing the financial statements.

Revenue from the sale of goods is recognised when the significant risks and rewards of ownership of the goods have passed to the buyer (usually on dispatch of the goods), the amount of revenue can be measured reliably, it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the entity and the costs incurred or to be incurred in respect of the transaction can be measured reliably.

Property, plant and equipment are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost of assets less their residual values, other than freehold land, over their useful lives on the following bases:

Land is not depreciated.

At each reporting end date, the company reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible assets to determine whether there is any indication that those assets have suffered an impairment loss. If any such indication exists, the recoverable amount of the asset is estimated in order to determine the extent of the impairment loss (if any).

Inventories are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price. Cost comprises the purchase price of finished goods.

Cash and cash equivalents are basic financial assets and include cash in hand.

The company has elected to apply the provisions of Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instruments Issues’ of FRS 102 to all of its financial instruments.

Financial instruments are recognised in the company's statement of financial position when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Basic financial assets, which include trade and other receivables and cash and bank balances, are measured at transaction price including transaction costs and are subsequently carried at amortised cost using the effective interest method unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the transaction is measured at the present value of the future receipts at a market rate of interest.

Financial assets are assessed for indicators of impairment at each reporting end date.

Financial assets are impaired where there is objective evidence that, as a result of one or more events that occurred after the initial recognition of the financial asset, the estimated future cash flows have been affected.

Financial assets are derecognised only when the contractual rights to the cash flows from the asset expire or are settled, or when the company transfers the financial asset and substantially all the risks and rewards of ownership to another entity, or if some significant risks and rewards of ownership are retained but control of the asset has transferred to another party that is able to sell the asset in its entirety to an unrelated third party.

Basic financial liabilities, including trade and other payables and bank loans that are classified as debt, are recognised at transaction price.

Trade payables are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Accounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less.

Financial liabilities are derecognised when the company’s contractual obligations expire or are discharged or cancelled.

Equity instruments issued by the company are recorded at the proceeds received, net of direct issue costs. Dividends payable on equity instruments are recognised as liabilities once they are no longer at the discretion of the company.

The tax expense represents the sum of the tax currently payable and deferred tax.

The tax currently payable is based on taxable profit for the year. Taxable profit differs from net profit as reported in the profit and loss because it excludes items of income or expense that are taxable or deductible in other years and it further excludes items that are never taxable or deductible. The company’s liability for current tax is calculated using tax rates that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the reporting end date.

Deferred tax liabilities are generally recognised for all timing differences and deferred tax assets are recognised to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits. Such assets and liabilities are not recognised if the timing difference arises from goodwill or from the initial recognition of other assets and liabilities in a transaction that affects neither the tax profit nor the accounting profit.

The carrying amount of deferred tax assets is reviewed at each reporting end date and reduced to the extent that it is no longer probable that sufficient taxable profits will be available to allow all or part of the asset to be recovered. Deferred tax is calculated at the tax rates that are expected to apply in the period when the liability is settled or the asset is realised. Deferred tax is charged or credited in the profit or loss, except when it relates to items charged or credited directly to equity, in which case the deferred tax is also dealt with in equity. Deferred tax assets and liabilities are offset when the company has a legally enforceable right to offset current tax assets and liabilities and the deferred tax assets and liabilities relate to taxes levied by the same tax authority.

The costs of short-term employee benefits are recognised as a liability and an expense, unless those costs are required to be recognised as part of the cost of stock or non-current assets.

The cost of any unused holiday entitlement is recognised in the period in which the employee’s services are received.

Payments to defined contribution retirement benefit schemes are charged as an expense as they fall due.

Government grants are recognised at the fair value of the asset received or receivable when there is reasonable assurance that the grant conditions will be met and the grants will be received.

Government grants are recognised in accordance with the accruals model. Government grants relating to turnover, are recognised as income over the periods when the related costs are incurred. Grants relating to an asset are recognised in income systematically over the asset's expected useful life. If part of such a grant is deferred it is recognised as deferred income rather than being deducted from the asset's carrying amount.

In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the directors are required to make judgements, estimates and assumptions about the carrying amount of assets and liabilities that are not readily apparent from other sources. The estimates and associated assumptions are based on historical experience and other factors that are considered to be relevant. Actual results may differ from these estimates.

The estimates and underlying assumptions are reviewed on an ongoing basis. Revisions to accounting estimates are recognised in the period in which the estimate is revised where the revision affects only that period, or in the period of the revision and future periods where the revision affects both current and future periods.

The estimates and assumptions which have a significant risk of causing a material adjustment to the carrying amount of assets and liabilities are as follows.

Stock is valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value of £1,536,572 (2024 - £1,522,439). This includes any provision for slow moving or obsolete stock. Calculation of such provisions requires judgements to be made, which include forecast consumer demand, the promotional, competitive and economic environment and inventory loss trends.

Government grants in the current and prior year relate to £1,000 amortisation of grants.

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company during the year was:

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

Retirement benefits are accruing to 1 (2024 - 1) director under a defined contribution scheme.

The actual charge for the year can be reconciled to the expected charge for the year based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:

A change in the UK Corporation tax rate to 25% took effect from 1 April 2023. This change has had a consequential effect on the company's tax charge with the standard rate of tax in the current year reflective of 25% and the prior year a marginal tax rate arising from the company's period straddling the 19% and 25% tax rates.

Deferred tax has been calculated using the rate effective in the period it is expected to reverse.

The carrying value of land which is not depreciated comprises:

The inventories held include a provision of £100,075 in the current year and £59,085 in 2024.

The directors consider that the carrying amounts approximate to their fair values.

One bank loan is repayable by June 2025 in monthly instalments of £13,636 (inclusive of interest). Interest is chargeable at 2.3% over the Bank of England base rate. This bank loan is secured by a first ranking standard security over the heritable property and a floating charge over all other assets of the company.

A Coronavirus Business Interruption loan is repayable by May 2026 in monthly instalments of £8,333. Interest is charged at 3.99% over the Bank of England base rate on the balance.

The following are the major deferred tax liabilities and assets recognised by the company and movements thereon:

Deferred income is included in the financial statements as follows:

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme for all qualifying employees. The assets of the scheme are held separately from those of the company in an independently administered fund.

Ordinary shares carry full voting rights but no rights to fixed income or repayment of capital. Distributions are at the discretion of the company.

Retained earnings represents accumulated profits less distributions.

At the reporting end date the company had outstanding commitments for future minimum lease payments under non-cancellable operating leases, which fall due as follows:

In March 2025, the company purchased a property in Brodie for total consideration of £300,000. The financial effects of the purchase will be reflected in the next reporting period.

The following amounts were outstanding at the reporting end date:

Amounts due to related parties are interest free with no fixed terms of repayment.

Dividends totalling £29,500 (2024 - £23,000) were paid in the year in respect of shares held by the company's directors.

The company is controlled by the director, K P Duncan who holds 60% of the issued share capital.