The director presents his strategic report for the period ended 4th May 2025.

ECC Tradeco Limited (trading as East Coast Concepts) owns and operates two of the industry’s leading, most vibrant and cutting-edge hospitality brands - four Victors and two Neighbourhood. We believe in creating and sharing exceptional experiences. Victors offers a true sense of escapism where guests enjoy a slice of everyday luxury with a modern Asian inspired menu and show stopping cocktails served under their iconic wisteria trees. Beautiful, vibrant, upscale yet informal, there are 4 Victors Restaurants across the country in Alderley Edge, Hale, Newcastle, and Oxford. Neighbourhood offers unparalleled live experiences where guests dine, drink and dance with a globally inspired menu, trendsetting cocktails and some of the hottest live entertainment in the UK. New York inspired grit meets glam delivering a hedonistic sensory experience in Leeds and Liverpool. The Company’s strategy is to grow shareholder value by building a business that can deliver growth and sustainable long-term cash flows. The Board believes that the strength of the ECC brand, and the Company’s Solid financial footing, means it is well placed to deliver on this key strategic aim.

Site level EBITDA fell to £1.6m from £1.9m in the prior year, due to ongoing operational challenges in the hospitality sector, many of which were out of the Company’s control. Well publicised cost inflation across food and drink, another substantial increase to national living wage (NLW), and a change in the legislation around tronc and tipping all contributed.

Despite these challenges a relentless focus on our customers ensured we consistently achieved a very strong net promoter score (NPS). This is testament to the hard work put in by the entire ECC team to deliver a positive customer experience.

The key risks remain primarily around being able to deliver premium hospitality in the form of food and drink to its guests. Food safety, health and safety and staff retention are always risks within a business and speak for themselves, but ultimately the popularity of the brands is key focus given customer numbers can quickly decline. Staying innovative, evolving the product, and delivering the best possible experience to our guests is key.

The company has worked relentlessly to mitigate these risks with suppliers, with staff engagement and with sales initiatives to drive footfall.

Credit Risk:

There is very little credit risk given most guests pay by credit/debit card or cash.

Liquidity Risk:

The company monitors cash as part of its day-to-day control procedures.

Other financial risk

The executive team regularly monitor and discuss other risks and uncertainties including restaurant performance, competition, economic conditions and rising costs.

The Company monitors and relies on several key performance indicators when assessing performance. The main financial indicators are sales performance vs budget and prior year, the number of customers visiting the restaurants and bars, margin variances, labour cost and site EBITDA (earnings before interest, tax, depreciation, and amortisation).

On behalf of the board

The director presents his annual report and financial statements for the Period ended 4 May 2025.

The principal activity of the company continued to be that of hospitality services.

The results for the Period are set out on page 8.

No ordinary dividends were paid. The director does not recommend payment of a final dividend.

The director who held office during the Period and up to the date of signature of the financial statements was as follows:

The Company has indemnified its director against liability in respect of proceedings brought by third parties, subject to the conditions set out in S232 of the Companies Act 2006. Such qualifying third-party indemnity provision was in place during the period and is in force at the date of approving the financial statements.

The Company considers applications, including from disabled individuals, for any available roles based on merit and suitability for the specific role. The company aims to provide a workplace that offers equal opportunities for all employees in terms of training, career development and promotion. Employees that become disabled while employed with the Company will be offered alternative employment, if available, should their disability prevent them fulfilling their current job role. There is an auto enrolment pension scheme in place to ensure that pensions benefits accrue to those employees that have not opted out

The company's policy is to consult and discuss with employees, through unions, staff councils and at meetings, matters likely to affect employees' interests.

Information about matters of concern to employees is given through information bulletins and reports which seek to achieve a common awareness on the part of all employees of the financial and economic factors affecting the company's performance.

Subsequent to the reporting date the group borrowings have been restructured, please see note 20 of the financial statements.

In accordance with the company's articles, a resolution proposing that Xeinadin Audit Limited be reappointed as auditor of the company will be put at a General Meeting.

The director is responsible for preparing the annual report and the financial statements in accordance with applicable law and regulations.

Company law requires the director to prepare financial statements for each financial year. Under that law the director has 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 director must not approve the financial statements unless he is satisfied that they give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company and of the profit or loss of the company for that period.

In preparing these financial statements, the director is required to:

• select suitable accounting policies and then apply them consistently;

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

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

The director is 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. He is 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.

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.

This report has been prepared in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies entitled to the medium-sized companies exemption.

We have audited the financial statements of ECC Tradeco Limited (the 'company') for the Period ended 4 May 2025 which comprise the statement of comprehensive income, the balance sheet, the statement of changes in equity 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 4 May 2025 and of its loss for the Period 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's 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.

Material uncertainty related to going concern

We draw attention to note 1.3 in the financial statements, which indicates the company is experiencing cash flow constraints and is reliant on additional funding to meet its obligations as they fall due. As stated in note 1.3, these events or conditions, along with other matters identified, indicate that a material uncertainty exists that may cast significant doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern. Our opinion is not modified in respect of this matter.

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

Our responsibilities and the responsibilities of the director 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 other than the financial statements and our auditor's report thereon. The director is responsible for the other information contained within the annual report. 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 course of 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 our audit:

• the information given in the strategic report and the director's report for the financial Period for which the financial statements are prepared is consistent with the financial statements; and

• the strategic report and the director's 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 or the director's 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 director's 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 director's responsibilities statement, the director is 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 director determines 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 director is 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 director either intends to liquidate the company or to cease operations, or has 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.

The extent to which our procedures are capable of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is detailed below.

Identifying and assessing potential risks related to irregularities

In identifying and assessing risks of material misstatement in respect of irregularities including fraud and non-compliance with laws and regulations we have considered the following:

• The nature of the industry and sector, control environment and business performance including the company's remuneration policies, bonus levels and performance targets;

• Results of the enquiries of management about their own identification and assessment of the risks of

• Any matters we have identified having obtained and reviewed the company's documentation of their policies and procedures relating to:

• identifying, evaluating and complying with laws and regulations and whether they were aware of any instances of noncompliance;

• detecting and responding to the risks of fraud and whether they have knowledge of any actual, suspected or alleged fraud;

• the internal controls established to mitigate risks of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations;

• the matters discussed among the audit engagement team regarding how and where fraud might occur in the financial statements and any potential indicators of fraud.

As a result of these procedures, we considered the opportunities and incentives that may exist within the organisation for fraud and identified the greatest potential for fraud in the following areas: timing of recognition of income, management override, valuation of accruals and fixed asset existence. In common with all audits under ISAs (UK), we are also required to perform specific procedures to respond to the risk of management override.

We also obtained an understanding of the legal and regulatory frameworks that the company operates in, focusing on provisions of those laws and regulations that had a direct effect on the determination of material amounts and disclosures in the financial statements. The key laws and regulations we considered in this context included UK Companies Act, employment law, health and safety, pensions legislation and tax legislation.

In addition, we considered provisions of other laws and regulations that do not have a direct effect on the financial statements but compliance with which may be fundamental to the company's ability to operate or to avoid a material penalty.

Audit response to risks identified

Our procedures to respond to risks identified included the following:

• reviewing the financial statement disclosures and testing to supporting documentation to assess compliance with provisions of relevant laws and regulations described as having a direct effect on the financial statements;

• enquiring of management concerning actual and potential litigation and claims;

• performing analytical procedures to identify any unusual or unexpected relationships that may indicate risks of material misstatement due to fraud;

• reading minutes of meetings of those charged with governance and reviewing correspondence with HMRC; and

• in addressing the risk of fraud through management override of controls, testing the appropriateness of journal entries and other adjustments; assessing whether the judgements made in making accounting estimates are indicative of a potential bias; and evaluating the business rationale of any significant transactions that are unusual or outside the normal course of business.

We also communicated relevant identified laws and regulations and potential fraud risks to all engagement team members remained alert to any indications of fraud or non-compliance with laws and regulations throughout the audit.

No instances of material non-compliance were identified. However, the likelihood of detecting irregularities, including fraud, is limited by the inherent difficulty in detecting irregularities, the effectiveness of the entity's controls, and the nature, timing and extent of the audit procedures performed. Irregularities that result from fraud might be inherently more difficult to detect than irregularities that result from error. As explained above, there is an unavoidable risk that material misstatements may not be detected, even though the audit has been planned and performed in accordance with ISAs (UK).

A further description of our responsibilities is available on the Financial Reporting Council’s website at: https://www.frc.org.uk/auditorsresponsibilities. This description forms part of our auditor's report.

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 profit and loss account has been prepared on the basis that all operations are continuing operations.

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with the provisions relating to medium-sized companies.

ECC Tradeco Limited is a private company limited by shares incorporated in England and Wales. The registered office is Plaza Group, 32 Broughton Street, Manchester, M8 8NN.

The principal places of business are as follows:

• Victors Hale, 169-171 Ashley Road, Altrincham, WA15 9SD

• Victors Alderley Edge, 46 London Road, Alderley Edge, SK9 7DZ

• Victors Oxford, 307 The Westgate, Oxford, OX1 1PG

• Victors Newcastle, 106 Quayside, Newcastle Upon Tyne, NE1 3DX

• Neighbourhood Leeds, 5 Greek Street, Leeds, LS1 5RW

• Neighbourhood Liverpool, 62 Castle Street, Liverpool, L2 7LQ

The financial statements are prepared to the first Sunday in May and therefore include the results for the 53 weeks ended 4 May 2025.

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 under the historical cost convention. The principal accounting policies adopted are set out below.

This company is a qualifying entity for the purposes of FRS 102, being a member of a group where the parent of that group prepares publicly available consolidated financial statements, including this company, which are intended to give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit or loss of the group. The company has therefore taken advantage of exemptions from the following disclosure requirements:

• Section 7 ‘Statement of Cash Flows’: Presentation of a statement of cash flow and related notes and disclosures;

• Section 11 ‘Basic Financial Instruments’ and Section 12 ‘Other Financial Instrument Issues: Interest income/expense and net gains/losses for financial instruments not measured at fair value; basis of determining fair values; details of collateral, loan defaults or breaches, details of hedges, hedging fair value changes recognised in profit or loss and in other comprehensive income;

• Section 26 ‘Share based Payment’: Share-based payment expense charged to profit or loss, reconciliation of opening and closing number and weighted average exercise price of share options, how the fair value of options granted was measured, measurement and carrying amount of liabilities for cash-settled share-based payments, explanation of modifications to arrangements;

• Section 33 ‘Related Party Disclosures’: Compensation for key management personnel.

The financial statements of the company are consolidated in the financial statements of ECC (Topco) Limited. These consolidated financial statements are available from its registered office, Plaza Group, 32 Broughton Street, Manchester, United Kingdom, M8 8NN.

The company has taken advantage of the exemption under section 400 of the Companies Act 2006 not to prepare consolidated accounts. The financial statements present information about the company as an individual entity and not about its group.

ECC Tradeco Limited is a wholly owned subsidiary of ECC (Topco) Limited and the results of ECC Tradeco Limited are included in the consolidated financial statements of ECC (Topco) Limited which are available from Plaza Group, 32 Broughton Street, Manchester, United Kingdom, M8 8NN.

These financial statements are prepared on the going concern basis. The director has a reasonable expectation that the company will continue in operational existence for the foreseeable future. However, the director is aware of certain material uncertainties which may cause doubt on the company's ability to continue as a going concern.

The Company incurred a net loss of £337,108 during the period ended 4 May 2025 and as of that date the Company's current liabilities exceeded its total assets by £1,408,903.

The director has prepared cash flow forecasts for a period of at least 12 months from the date of approval of these financial statements. These forecasts indicate that the Company will operate within constrained cash resources during this period and will require continued financial support in order to meet its liabilities as they fall due. The director has considered the assumptions underlying the forecasts, including expected trading performance and the availability of funding. The Company has access to certain funding arrangements and the director believes that ongoing support will be made available as required.

The forecasts are subject to a degree of uncertainty, particularly in relation to the timing of cash flows. Accordingly, these conditions indicate the existence of a material uncertainty concerning the Company’s ability to continue as a going concern.

Turnover represents amounts recognised by the company in respect of goods and services supplied, exclusive of Value Added Tax and trade discounts. Turnover principally consists of income received relating to food and beverage sales in restaurants including potential service charges for customers, which are recognised at the point of which the goods or services are provided.

Intangible assets acquired separately from a business are recognised at cost and are subsequently measured at cost less accumulated amortisation and accumulated impairment losses.

Amortisation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

Tangible fixed assets are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost or valuation, net of depreciation and any impairment losses.

Depreciation is recognised so as to write off the cost or valuation of assets less their residual values over their useful lives on the following bases:

The gain or loss arising on the disposal of an asset is determined as the difference between the sale proceeds and the carrying value of the asset, and is credited or charged to profit or loss.

Interests in subsidiaries are initially measured at cost and subsequently measured at cost less any accumulated impairment losses. The investments are assessed for impairment at each reporting date and any impairment losses or reversals of impairment losses are recognised immediately in profit or loss.

A subsidiary is an entity controlled by the company. Control is the power to govern the financial and operating policies of the entity so as to obtain benefits from its activities.

At each reporting period end date, the company reviews the carrying amounts of its tangible and intangible 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). Where it is not possible to estimate the recoverable amount of an individual asset, the company estimates the recoverable amount of the cash-generating unit to which the asset belongs.

Recoverable amount is the higher of fair value less costs to sell and value in use. In assessing value in use, the estimated future cash flows are discounted to their present value using a pre-tax discount rate that reflects current market assessments of the time value of money and the risks specific to the asset for which the estimates of future cash flows have not been adjusted.

If the recoverable amount of an asset (or cash-generating unit) is estimated to be less than its carrying amount, the carrying amount of the asset (or cash-generating unit) is reduced to its recoverable amount. An impairment loss is recognised immediately in profit or loss, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation decrease.

Recognised impairment losses are reversed if, and only if, the reasons for the impairment loss have ceased to apply. Where an impairment loss subsequently reverses, the carrying amount of the asset (or cash-generating unit) is increased to the revised estimate of its recoverable amount, but so that the increased carrying amount does not exceed the carrying amount that would have been determined had no impairment loss been recognised for the asset (or cash-generating unit) in prior years. A reversal of an impairment loss is recognised immediately in profit or loss, unless the relevant asset is carried at a revalued amount, in which case the reversal of the impairment loss is treated as a revaluation increase.

Stocks are stated at the lower of cost and estimated selling price less costs to complete and sell and is based on the average costing method.

Cash and cash equivalents are represented by cash at bank and 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 balance sheet when the company becomes party to the contractual provisions of the instrument.

Financial assets and liabilities are offset, with the net amounts presented in the financial statements, when there is a legally enforceable right to set off the recognised amounts and there is an intention to settle on a net basis or to realise the asset and settle the liability simultaneously.

Basic financial assets, which include debtors and cash and bank balances, are initially 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 discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial assets classified as receivable within one year are not amortised.

Financial assets, other than those held at fair value through profit and loss, 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. If an asset is impaired, the impairment loss is the difference between the carrying amount and the present value of the estimated cash flows discounted at the asset’s original effective interest rate. The impairment loss is recognised in profit or loss.

If there is a decrease in the impairment loss arising from an event occurring after the impairment was recognised, the impairment is reversed. The reversal is such that the current carrying amount does not exceed what the carrying amount would have been, had the impairment not previously been recognised. The impairment reversal is recognised in profit or loss.

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.

Financial liabilities and equity instruments are classified according to the substance of the contractual arrangements entered into. An equity instrument is any contract that evidences a residual interest in the assets of the company after deducting all of its liabilities.

Basic financial liabilities, including creditors, bank loans, loans from fellow group companies and preference shares that are classified as debt, are initially recognised at transaction price unless the arrangement constitutes a financing transaction, where the debt instrument is measured at the present value of the future payments discounted at a market rate of interest. Financial liabilities classified as payable within one year are not amortised.

Debt instruments are subsequently carried at amortised cost, using the effective interest rate method.

Trade creditors are obligations to pay for goods or services that have been acquired in the ordinary course of business from suppliers. Amounts payable are classified as current liabilities if payment is due within one year or less. If not, they are presented as non-current liabilities. Trade creditors are recognised initially at transaction price and subsequently measured at amortised cost using the effective interest method.

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 transaction 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 account 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 and loss account, 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 fixed assets.

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

Termination benefits are recognised immediately as an expense when the company is demonstrably committed to terminate the employment of an employee or to provide termination benefits.

The company operates a defined contribution pension scheme. Contributions payable to the company's pension scheme are charged to profit or loss in the period to which they relate.

The contributions are recognised as an expense in profit or loss when they fall due. Amounts not paid are shown in accruals as a liability in the Balance Sheet. The assets of the plan are held separately from the Company in independently administered funds

Rentals payable under operating leases, including any lease incentives received, are charged to profit or loss on a straight line basis over the term of the relevant lease except where another more systematic basis is more representative of the time pattern in which economic benefits from the leases asset are consumed.

In the application of the company’s accounting policies, the director is 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.

In making decisions regarding the depreciation of fixed assets, management must estimate the useful life of said assets to the business. A change in estimate would result in a change in the depreciation charged to the SOCI in each year.

The above exceptional costs recognised in the period can be broken down as follows:

• Irrecoverable related party bad debt    - £164,556 (2024: £249,972)

• Redundancy fees     - £66,600 (2024: £90,198)

• Other exceptional costs - £38,113 (2024: £15,991)

• Irrecoverable project expenditure - £Nil (2024: £452,992)

Irrecoverable related party bad debt has arisen from the company providing services to various restaurant ventures. These ventures have failed and the companies have gone into liquidation and are unable to repay the loan so the director has decided to write these debts off.

Redundancy fees relate to a reduction in head count arising from a board-approved role elimination within the central team.

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

Their aggregate remuneration comprised:

The actual (credit)/charge for the Period can be reconciled to the expected credit for the Period based on the profit or loss and the standard rate of tax as follows:

Details of the company's subsidiaries at 4 May 2025 are as follows:

The principal places of business for the above subsidiaries can be found in note 1 of these financial statements.

The financial year end of all of the subsidiaries is on 30th April 2025.

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

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.

HSBC Bank Plc had a cross company guarantee and has a fixed and floating charge over all the assets of the business.

Subsequent to the reporting date the group borrowings have been restructured. The charge referred to in note 20 has been removed and an equivalent charge given to the new lender.

During the period, management fees, salary and other overhead recharges totalling £75,000 (2024: £75,000) were incurred from companies under common control. There was £30,000 (2024: £59,564) outstanding at the reporting date.

During the period, salary and other overhead recharges of £346,029 (2024: £259,176) were charged to companies under common control. There was £Nil (2024: £81,726) owed at the reporting date after bad debt provisions of £149,556 (2024: £249,972).

A connected party of the director holds loan notes of £400,000 in the company.

The parent company of the largest and smallest group that includes the company and for which group financial statements are prepared is ECC (TOPCO) Limited. Copies of ECC (TOPCO) Limited financial statements can be obtained from the registered office at Plaza Group, 32 Broughton Street, Manchester, M8 8NN.

The ultimate controlling parties are Mr N Handa and Mrs A Handa by virtue of their shareholding in ECC (TOPCO) Limited.