The ultimate controlling party is the BTC Group Holdings Limited through two other intermediate controlling parties BTC Hospitality Investments Limited and BTC Foods Limited.

Btc Group Holdings Uk Limited
Correspondence address: 63 Brook Street, London, England, England, W1K 4HS
Governing Law: Companies Act 2006
Legal Form: Private Limited Company
Registration Number: 09475816
Nature of control
Ownership of shares – 75% or more
Ownership of voting rights – 75% or more
Right to appoint and remove directors

• Abdulaziz Mohamed Khalid Al-Rabban
Correspondence address: Btc, 63 Brook Street, London, England And Wales, United Kingdom, W1K 4HS
Date of birth: February 1962
Nationality: Qatari
Country of residence: Qatar
Occupation: Owner of BTC Group Holdings UK
Nature of control
Ownership of shares – More than 50% but less than 75%
Ownership of voting rights – More than 50% but less than 75%
Right to appoint and remove directors

• Mehdi Ghalaie
Correspondence address: Btc, 63 Brook Street, London, England And Wales, United Kingdom, W1K 4HS
Date of birth: November 1986
Nationality: British
Country of residence: England
Occupation: MD of BTC Group Holdings UK

• COPNER, Christopher Charles James
Correspondence address: Unit K, Ashville Trading Estate, The Runnings, Cheltenham, Glos, England, GL51 9PT
Role: Director
Date of birth: September 1956
Nationality: British
Country of residence: England
Occupation: Director

• MALIK, Ijaz Ahmed Khan
Correspondence address: 12 Devereaux Court, Lower Ground, London, United Kingdom, WC2R 3JJ
Role: Director
Date of birth: August 1967
Nationality: British
Country of residence: United Kingdom
Occupation: Financial Director

• MANUEL, Penelope Jane
Correspondence address: Unit K, Ashville Trading Estate, The Runnings, Cheltenham, Glos, England, GL51 9PT
Role: Director
Date of birth: February 1963
Nationality: British
Country of residence: England
Occupation: MD in Soho Coffee Co.

• WOODRUFF, Andrew Timothy Lage
Correspondence address: Soho Coffee Shops Limited, Unit K, Ashville Trading Estate, The Runnings, The Runnings, Cheltenham, Gloucestershire, England, GL51 9PT
Role: Director
Date of birth: September 1981
Nationality: British
Country of residence: United Kingdom
Occupation: Finance & Investment Director at BTC UK

As aforementioned the ultimate controlling party is Btc Group Holdings Uk Limited. For this reason, its own shareholding structure is in more interest to be cited below:

• Statement of Capital (Share Capital)
Class of Shares: ORDINARY
Currency: GBP
Number Allotted: 1502400
Aggregate nominal value: 1502400
Prescribed Particulars:
The shares have attached to them full voting, divided and capital distribution (including on winding up) rights; They do not confer any rights of redemption.

• Statement of Capital (Total)
Currency: GBP
Total Number of shares: 1502400
Total Aggregate nominal value: 1502400

• Full Details of Shareholders

Shareholding 1: 1502400 ORDINARY shares held as at the date of this confirmation statement (06/03/2017, but no further updates have been published ever since)
Name: Business Trading Company (Qatari LLC) (more than 50% owned by Abdulaziz Mohamed Khalid Al-Rabban)

BTC’s and Soho Coffee Company’s Strategies

Growth through Acquisition and Franchising: SOHO first met BTC in October 2014 to discuss franchise opportunities in the Middle East. BTC quickly recognised the opportunity to invest in SOHO and set out to acquire the majority stake in the business. When the transaction completed in July 2015, marked BTC’s first investment in the UK market.

Soho being Growth Focused: Soho Coffee directors recognised their company needed investment in order to meet its growth targets and expand to new markets.

BTC’s investment in product innovation: Continuous investment in brand design and product innovation continues to ensure BTC Group’s success across the different market sectors

BTC trades strongly in shopping malls, travel and leisure and has recently entered into the healthcare market.

Portfolio Growth through investing: Now BTC has a portfolio of 40 stores, with customers enjoying our handmade food and Fairtrade coffee in locations from London to Las Palmas.

BTC’s and Soho Coffee Company’s Ambitions

• Both focused on geographical expansion and portfolio growth
• BTC aims to increase their investments yield and infiltrate into new markets such as healthcare

Soho assists any individual is willing to buy coffee, bread and sugar confectionery products

Customer Reviews on Tripadvisor:

Overall Rating: 3.5/5

Reviewed October 12, 2020 (4/5)

“Early opening a bonus

Visited one Sunday morning because they opened at 10 o clock.my wife had the pancakes while I opted for the full English. The food was lovely and service was quick. Good value will be going again”

Reviewed October 8, 2020 (3/5)

“Face masks for staff?

Not happy that your staff are wearing face masks UNDER THEIR NOSE. Surely they have been trained about COVID and know that they need to wear them concerning both their nose AND their mouth?”

Reviewed November 24, 2019 (1/5)

“No food!!

I popped in on Friday and ordered breakfast roll and drink. Service at the counter was very good. Told slight delay on food. Was still waiting an hour later! Asked assistant after 25 minutes but she never came back with a reply (or food). After an hour I went back to counter to ask for a refund. Full of apologies, but that didn’t help and I went away hungry and fed up.”

Maintaining the local, community feel to their stores, as their staff knows their regular customers by name.

The average monthly number of persons (including directors) employed by the company till 26^th January 2020 was 329 (2019:315)

Employee Reviews on Indeed

Overall Rating: 3.1/5 (51 Reviews)

Analytical Rating:

• Work-life Balance: 3/5
• Pay & Benefits: 2.6/5
• Job security & advancement: 3/5
• Management: 2.9/5
• Culture: 3.2/5

Kitchen Assistant (Former Employee) – Swind – 7 May 2020 (1/5)

“Dirty place, freezing, lack of equipment and tools

The management always putting pressure(they push people working very fast so in this way you have less hours) is not involved with”

Supervisor (Former Employee) – Cheltenham, Gloucestershire – 1 March 2020

“Used to be a nice place

When I first started at Soho in 2016, I would’ve recommended anyone to work there but it seems to be the longer you’re there, the more you realise that it isn’t worth the stress on the minimum rate of pay.”

• Part of a large Investment Group with a significant market share in multiple market sectors and geographical regions
• Well-known Brand
• High quality products
• Already in the phase of growth
• Able to receive liquidity injections directly by their controlling party

Founded in 1999 in the spa town of Cheltenham, SOHO Coffee Co. prides itself on being the first artisan coffee chain in the UK. Since July 2015, they are receiving BTC’s support marking its first investment in the UK market.

Annual Report File

Locations (33)

Headquarters

Unit K Ashville Trading Estate, The Runnings, Cheltenham, Glos, GL51 9PT

Social Media

Facebook

Twitter

Instagram

LinkedIn

Articles

“Coffee firm’s turnover bubbles past £10 million”,

–Punchline, Gloucester, July 2019

“Qatari investors acquire London’s Bow Street Magistrate’s Court”

Arabian Business Industries, Nov.2016

Competitors List (alphabetical order)
Criterion: Industry subcategory, Company Size and Product

Coffee #1 Ltd
Employee Count: 796:2019 (till May)

Costa Limited (owned by Coca-Cola)
Employee Count: 16,647:2019

Italian Coffee Holdings Ltd
Employee Count: 1,001-5,000 (based on their LinkedIn profile, section “About”)

Starbucks Coffee Company (UK) Limited
Employee Count: 4,920:2019