C.BREWER & SONS LIMITED
Company number 00203852 · Monitor this company
Executive summary
C. Brewer & Sons Limited is a century-old, family-owned builders' and decorators' merchant whose core trading body is healthy — sales grew 9%, productivity improved, suppliers are paid in 19 days, and the group absorbed nine acquisitions — but it carries a chronic condition in the form of a substantial defined benefit pension deficit, likely £20–30m against £13.8m of equity, which drove a 44% fall in net assets in 2014 and causes significant balance-sheet volatility. The overall grade of B- reflects a fundamentally sound business with a manageable but unresolved ailment, compounded by a £5m provision for past pension underpayments pointing to administrative weaknesses. Continued active filing through FY2025 is encouraging, but obtaining current accounts to assess the pension position today is the single most important next step.
Shareholders' funds
£13,826
Balance sheet as at 2014-12-31
What it does
The principal activity of the Company and its subsidiaries (the 'group') continues to be the business of wholesale and retail decorators' and builders' merchants.
The company's own description, from its latest filed accounts.
Overview
- Company type
- Private Limited Company
- Incorporated
- 1925-02-16
- Registered office
- 123/127 Ashford Road, Eastbourne, Sussex, BN21 3TR
- Postcode
- BN21 3TR
- Capital
- 269,950 GBP
- Accounts category
- Group
- Charges
- 9 outstanding
Accounts
- Last made up to
- 2025-12-31
- Next due by
- 2027-09-30
- Financial year end
- 31 December
Confirmation statement
- Last statement dated
- 2026-07-10
- Next due by
- 2027-07-24
Nature of business (SIC)
- 47520 Retail sale of hardware, paints and glass in specialised stores
Officers 9 current · 21 resigned
Group structure 24 subsidiaries
Showing 12 of 24.
From persons-with-significant-control filings on the public register.
Public contracts won 6
£1,390,600,000 total awarded value where published.
Showing the 5 most recent of 6.
Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0 (Contracts Finder).
Modern slavery statement
Registered a modern slavery statement for 2025 (period to 2024-12-31) — 6 years on the registry.
Read the statement summary on the government modern slavery statement registry. Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v3.0.
Data protection registration
Registered with the ICO as a data protection fee payer — Z6910245 (Tier 3), registered since 2002.
Information Commissioner's Office register of fee payers, licensed under the Open Government Licence.
Gender pay gap
0.6%
Women's median hourly pay below men's, 2025/26 · in the top quarter for parity
Contact details
Among its peers
2nd oldest
of 30 similar companies in BN, trading since 1925
Competitors Brighton
This company ranks 10 among retail sale of hardware, paints and glass in specialised stores in Brighton.
Property in England & Wales 232 titles
- Freehold
- 37
- Leasehold
- 195
- Most recent registration
- 2026-06-05
- Price paid, where recorded
- £8,623,069
- Where
- Greater London (33), Surrey (16), Kent (16)
| Title number | County | Tenure | Registered | Price paid |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| AGL17372 | Greater London | Leasehold | 2026-06-05 | £409,049 |
| CYM612129 | Gwynedd | Freehold | 2026-02-12 | £162,500 |
| CU351271 | Westmorland And Furness | Leasehold | 2026-01-28 | — |
| NN410084 | West Northamptonshire | Leasehold | 2025-11-12 | — |
| SK419498 | Suffolk | Leasehold | 2025-11-03 | — |
| HD636363 | Hertfordshire | Leasehold | 2025-10-21 | — |
| DU403450 | Darlington | Leasehold | 2025-10-15 | — |
| LL438742 | Lincolnshire | Leasehold | 2025-10-10 | — |
| CB497804 | Cambridgeshire | Leasehold | 2025-10-09 | — |
| LAN303449 | Lancashire | Leasehold | 2025-10-07 | — |
| WR217907 | Worcestershire | Leasehold | 2025-09-23 | — |
| SK424762 | Suffolk | Leasehold | 2025-09-08 | — |
| YY177762 | West Yorkshire | Leasehold | 2025-07-25 | — |
| CB495660 | Cambridgeshire | Leasehold | 2025-06-27 | £25,820 |
| AGL647252 | Greater London | Leasehold | 2025-05-23 | — |
| MAN471202 | Greater Manchester | Leasehold | 2025-05-20 | — |
| HP894942 | Southampton | Leasehold | 2025-05-09 | — |
| AA81426 | Essex | Leasehold | 2025-03-28 | — |
| ESX128062 | Brighton And Hove | Leasehold | 2025-02-07 | — |
| ESX85128 | Brighton And Hove | Leasehold | 2025-02-07 | £840,000 |
Showing 20 of 232.
For addresses and the authoritative register entry, use HM Land Registry's official search (£3 per title).
Information produced by HM Land Registry. © Crown copyright 2026. Dataset as at 2026-08.