REGISTERED NUMBER: 03383099 (England and Wales)

Lower Hope Fruit Limited

Unaudited Financial Statements

for the Period

1 March 2025 to 31 December 2025

Page

Company Information

1

Chartered Accountants' Report

2

Balance Sheet

3

Notes to the Financial Statements

5

DIRECTORS:

SA Richards

RG Woolf

PM Dines

KE Frost

DE Stout

JJ Waltham

SECRETARIES:

RG Woolf

Lower Hope Investments Limited

REGISTERED OFFICE:

Lower Hope

Ullingswick

Hereford

Herefordshire

HR1 3JF

REGISTERED NUMBER:

03383099 (England and Wales)

ACCOUNTANTS:

The Hutchinson Partnership Limited

trading as The Hutchinson Partnership

Chartered Accountants

The Bull Pen

Grove Farm

Portway, Burghill

Hereford

HR4 8NF

BANKERS:

HSBC Bank plc

35 High Street

Hereford

Herefordshire

HR1 2AQ

SOLICITORS:

Hegarty Solicitors LLP

48 Broadway

Peterborough

PE1 1YW

The following reproduces the text of the report prepared for the directors in respect of the company's annual unaudited financial statements. In accordance with the Companies Act 2006, the company is only required to file a Balance Sheet. Readers are cautioned that the Statement of Income and Retained Earnings and certain other primary statements and the Report of the Directors are not required to be filed with the Registrar of Companies.

In order to assist you to fulfil your duties under the Companies Act 2006, we have prepared for your approval the financial statements of Lower Hope Fruit Limited for the period ended 31 December 2025 which comprise the Statement of Income and Retained Earnings, Balance Sheet and the related notes from the company's accounting records and from information and explanations you have given us.

As a practising member firm of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), we are subject to its ethical and other professional requirements which are detailed within the ICAEW's regulations and guidance at http://www.icaew.com/en/membership/regulations-standards-and-guidance.

This report is made solely to the Board of Directors of Lower Hope Fruit Limited, as a body, in accordance with our terms of engagement. Our work has been undertaken solely to prepare for your approval the financial statements of Lower Hope Fruit Limited and state those matters that we have agreed to state to the Board of Directors of Lower Hope Fruit Limited, as a body, in this report in accordance with ICAEW Technical Release 07/16AAF. To the fullest extent permitted by law, we do not accept or assume responsibility to anyone other than Lower Hope Fruit Limited and its Board of Directors, as a body, for our work or for this report.

It is your duty to ensure that Lower Hope Fruit Limited has kept adequate accounting records and to prepare statutory financial statements that give a true and fair view of the assets, liabilities, financial position and profit of Lower Hope Fruit Limited. You consider that Lower Hope Fruit Limited is exempt from the statutory audit requirement for the period.

We have not been instructed to carry out an audit or a review of the financial statements of Lower Hope Fruit Limited. For this reason, we have not verified the accuracy or completeness of the accounting records or information and explanations you have given to us and we do not, therefore, express any opinion on the statutory financial statements.

The Hutchinson Partnership Limited

trading as The Hutchinson Partnership

Chartered Accountants

The Bull Pen

Grove Farm

Portway, Burghill

Hereford

HR4 8NF

8 July 2026

FIXED ASSETS

Tangible assets

4

2,103,862

2,165,895

CURRENT ASSETS

Stocks

5

237,241

257,194

Debtors

6

552,001

527,358

Cash at bank and in hand

467,737

3,429

1,256,979

787,981

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due within one year

7

357,982

440,589

NET CURRENT ASSETS

898,997

347,392

TOTAL ASSETS LESS CURRENT LIABILITIES

3,002,859

2,513,287

CREDITORS

Amounts falling due after more than one year

8

104,111

78,063

NET ASSETS

2,898,748

2,435,224

CAPITAL AND RESERVES

Allotted, issued and fully paid share capital

250,000

250,000

Retained earnings

2,648,748

2,185,224

SHAREHOLDERS' FUNDS

2,898,748

2,435,224

The company is entitled to exemption from audit under Section 477 of the Companies Act 2006 for the period ended 31 December 2025.

The members have not required the company to obtain an audit of its financial statements for the period ended 31 December 2025 in accordance with Section 476 of the Companies Act 2006.

The directors acknowledge their responsibilities for:

(a)	ensuring that the company keeps accounting records which comply with Sections 386 and 387 of the Companies Act 2006 and

(b)

preparing financial statements which give a true and fair view of the state of affairs of the company as at the end of each financial year and of its profit or loss for each financial year in accordance with the requirements of Sections 394 and 395 and which otherwise comply with the requirements of the Companies Act 2006 relating to financial statements, so far as applicable to the company.

The financial statements have been prepared and delivered in accordance with the provisions applicable to companies subject to the small companies regime.

In accordance with Section 444 of the Companies Act 2006, the Statement of Income and Retained Earnings has not been delivered.

The financial statements were approved by the Board of Directors and authorised for issue on 25 June 2026 and were signed on its behalf by:

SA Richards - Director

1.	STATUTORY INFORMATION

Lower Hope Fruit Limited is a private company, limited by shares , registered in England and Wales. The company's registered number and registered office address can be found on the Company Information page.

2.	ACCOUNTING POLICIES

Basis of preparing the financial statements

These financial statements have been prepared in accordance with Financial Reporting Standard 102 "The Financial Reporting Standard applicable in the UK and Republic of Ireland" including the provisions of Section 1A "Small Entities" and the Companies Act 2006. The financial statements have been prepared under the historical cost convention.

The company has reviewed its fruit enterprises with a view to focusing on long-term profitability. With management, maintenance and investment the fruit plantations have the potential to produce a sufficient quantity of fruit to generate a profit, subject to the impact of weather and market conditions.Which has been demonstrated in this years positive result. The company plans to continue meeting its working capital requirements through a combination of overdraft facilities and loans from other entities controlled by the

shareholders.

The directors have considered the financial requirements of the company and consider that it will be able to operate within its agreed financial facilities for the next 12 months. The directors therefore consider it appropriate to prepare accounts on the going concern basis.

Turnover

Turnover represents fruit sales, wreath sales, rental income and contract and pack house income stated net of discounts, rebates, value added tax and other sales taxes.

The company recognises revenue when the significant risks and rewards of ownership have passed to the buyer, when the amount of revenue can be measured reliably, when it is probable that the economic benefits associated with the transaction will flow to the entity and when the costs incurred or to be incurred in respect of the transaction can be measured reliably. Revenue from services is recognised in the accounting periods in which the services are rendered.

The following criteria must be met before revenue is recognised:

Fruit sales are recognised when the fruit is collected from the farm, with the exception of apples that are sold on consignments and recognised when the agent sells the goods.

Wreath sales are recognised when they are collected from the farm.

Rental income is recognised when the tenant has occupied the property or has had access to it during the rental period.

Contracting and pack house income is recognised in the period the work has been carried out.

Tangible fixed assets

Depreciation is provided at the following annual rates in order to write off each asset over its estimated useful life.

Land and buildings

-

15% on reducing balance, 10% on reducing balance, 5% on reducing balance and at varying rates on cost

Plant and machinery etc

-

33% on reducing balance, 15% on reducing balance and at varying rates on cost

Freehold land is not depreciated.

Stocks

Stocks and work in progress are valued at the lower of cost and net realisable value, after making due allowance for obsolete and slow moving items.

Cost is calculated using the first-in, first-out method and includes all purchase, transport, and handling costs in bringing stocks to their present location and condition.

The company has the following biological assets which are valued as follows:

Growing crop - valued at the cost of inputs and cultivations up to the period end.

Apple and cherry orchards - valued at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is charged on a straight line basis over the estimated useful life of 10 years.

Raspberry plantations - valued at cost less accumulated depreciation. Depreciation is charged on a straight line basis over the estimated useful life of 5 years. New technology means that new, potted, raspberry canes are written off in the year of purchase.

Taxation

Taxation for the period comprises current and deferred tax. Tax is recognised in the Statement of Income and Retained Earnings, except to the extent that it relates to items recognised in other comprehensive income or directly in equity.

Current or deferred taxation assets and liabilities are not discounted.

Current tax is recognised at the amount of tax payable using the tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the balance sheet date.

Deferred tax

Deferred tax is recognised in respect of all timing differences that have originated but not reversed at the balance sheet date.

Timing differences arise from the inclusion of income and expenses in tax assessments in periods different from those in which they are recognised in financial statements. Deferred tax is measured using tax rates and laws that have been enacted or substantively enacted by the period end and that are expected to apply to the reversal of the timing difference.

Unrelieved tax losses and other deferred tax assets are recognised only to the extent that it is probable that they will be recovered against the reversal of deferred tax liabilities or other future taxable profits.

Foreign currencies

Assets and liabilities in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rates of exchange ruling at the balance sheet date. Transactions in foreign currencies are translated into sterling at the rate of exchange ruling at the date of transaction. Exchange differences are taken into account in arriving at the operating result.

Hire purchase and leasing commitments

Assets obtained under hire purchase contracts or finance leases are capitalised in the balance sheet. Those held under hire purchase contracts are depreciated over their useful lives. Those held under finance leases are depreciated over their useful lives or the lease term, whichever is the shorter.

The interest elements of these obligations is charged to the profit or loss over the relevant period. The capital element of the future payments is treated as a liability.

Rentals paid under operating leases are charged to the profit or loss on a straight line basis over the period of the lease.

Pension costs and other post-retirement 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.

Capital grants

Capital grants received are capitalised and amortised to the profit and loss account over a period consistent with the depreciation policy of the fixed asset to which they relate.

3.

EMPLOYEES

The average number of employees during the period was 85 (2025 - 69 ) .

4.	TANGIBLE FIXED ASSETS

Tractors

Freehold

Plant and

and

property

machinery

vehicles

Totals

£

£

£

£

COST

At 1 March 2025

2,170,404

5,216,377

410,934

7,797,715

Additions

76,423

135,878

7,000

219,301

Disposals

-

-

(8,000

)

(8,000

)

At 31 December 2025

2,246,827

5,352,255

409,934

8,009,016

DEPRECIATION

At 1 March 2025

1,106,670

4,222,885

302,265

5,631,820

Charge for period

36,738

207,848

35,095

279,681

Eliminated on disposal

-

-

(6,347

)

(6,347

)

At 31 December 2025

1,143,408

4,430,733

331,013

5,905,154

NET BOOK VALUE

At 31 December 2025

1,103,419

921,522

78,921

2,103,862

At 28 February 2025

1,063,734

993,492

108,669

2,165,895

Included in cost of land and buildings is freehold land of £ 667,831 (2025 - £ 667,831 ) which is not depreciated.

5.

STOCKS

2025

2025

£

£

Valuation - general

-

7,260

Raw materials valuation

118,378

107,679

Growing crop valuation

118,863

142,255

237,241

257,194

6.

DEBTORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2025

2025

£

£

Trade debtors

73,992

18,878

Prepayments and accrued income

257,570

222,808

Intercompany loan

-

88,065

VAT

19,144

24,174

Deferred tax asset

201,295

173,433

552,001

527,358

7.

CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE WITHIN ONE YEAR

2025

2025

£

£

Bank loans and overdrafts

-

343,913

Trade creditors

261,796

29,504

Social security and other taxes

12,771

1,710

Other creditors

4,451

8,054

Accruals and deferred income

78,964

57,408

357,982

440,589

Accruals and deferred income includes deferred capital grants of £26,812 (February 2025 - £20,689).

8.

CREDITORS: AMOUNTS FALLING DUE AFTER MORE THAN ONE YEAR

2025

2025

£

£

Accruals and deferred income

104,111

78,063

Accruals and deferred income includes deferred capital grants of £104,111 (February 2025 - £78,063).

9.	SECURED DEBTS

The following secured debts are included within creditors:

2025

2025

£

£

Bank overdraft

-

343,913

The bank overdraft is secured by a debenture dated 28 May 1998 which has a fixed and floating charge over the undertaking and all the property and assets. In addition to this, there is a legal mortgage dated 31 January 2017 in favour of HSBC over the freehold property at Sidnall Farm, Ullingswick, Hereford.

10.	DEFERRED TAX

£

Balance at 1 March 2025

(173,433

)

Provided during period

(27,862

)

Balance at 31 December 2025

(201,295

)

11.	OTHER FINANCIAL COMMITMENTS

At the year end the company had future operating lease commitments of £5,618.

At the year end the company was committed to purchases totalling £215,544.

12.	RELATED PARTY DISCLOSURES

Included in other creditors is a loan due to an LLP under common control of £2,271 (February 2025 - £Nil). This is interest free and repayable on demand.

Included in other debtors is a loan due from an LLP under common control of £Nil (February 2025 - £88,065). Interest has been charged on the loan at 2.25% until 5 April 2025 and at 3.75% thereafter. This loan is unsecured and repayable on demand.