Hive & Design Ltd Faces Winding-Up Petition
A winding-up petition was presented against retail company Hive & Design Ltd on 26 October 2026, according to records filed at the Central Registry of Winding-up Petitions under case reference CR-2026-008278. Presentation of a petition represents an early statutory step under the Insolvency Act 1986 and is not a judicial determination of insolvency. The matter awaits court consideration, and the petition may be withdrawn, dismissed, or settled prior to any formal winding-up order being made.
Creditors, lenders, and commercial counterparties tracking high-risk court actions can review the daily register on the today's cause list or inspect the company profile on Corp Intel.
Petition details
The court filing contains the following verified particulars:
- Case number: CR-2026-008278
- Filed date: 26 October 2026
- Case type: Companies - Petition - Winding Up Petition
- Court source: Central Registry of Winding-up Petitions (CE-File public search)
- Petitioning creditor: [Shown in the creditor report →](#offers-creditor)
- Petition debt: [Check the creditor report →](#offers-creditor)
- Hearing details: [Shown in the creditor report →](#offers-creditor)
Company snapshot
Public filings at Companies House show that Hive & Design Ltd is an active private limited company incorporated on 20 September 2016.
- Company number: 10385657
- Registered office: Sundew House, 4 Brickfields, Aldeburgh, United Kingdom, IP15 5PF
- Principal activity (SIC): 47599 (Retail sale of furniture, lighting equipment and other household articles n.e.c., in specialised stores)
- Financial statements: [Shown in the creditor report →](#offers-creditor)
Directors and ownership
The public register at Companies House records the current and past governance structure for Hive & Design Ltd as follows.
Current officers
- Janine Margaret Manning: Director, appointed 9 February 2018. British nationality, resident in the United Kingdom, born December 1964.
- Elinor Catherine Imogen Pitt: Director, appointed 20 September 2016. British nationality, resident in the United Kingdom, born November 1986.
Past officers
- Gracia Sarah Amico: Director, appointed 4 October 2019, resigned 10 July 2023. British nationality, resident in England, born September 1966.
- William Hugh Rothwell Verrill: Director, appointed 5 May 2017, resigned 21 April 2021. British nationality, resident in the United Kingdom, born August 1986.
Persons with significant control
- Miss Elinor Catherine Imogen Pitt: Notified 20 September 2016. Holds between 25% and 50% of shares and between 25% and 50% of voting rights.
- Mr William Hugh Rothwell Verrill: Notified 5 May 2017, ceased 7 February 2019. Held between 25% and 50% of shares and between 25% and 50% of voting rights prior to cessation.
Public register facts are stated as filed. The register does not associate named individuals with the petition.
Recent filings and Gazette activity
According to The Gazette, no statutory notices relating to the petition have been advertised in the published source at this stage. Advertisements are regulated by the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016 and typically appear after service of the petition, provided the court has not restrained publication.
What this means for suppliers, creditors and counterparties
The presentation of a winding-up petition under section 124 of the Insolvency Act 1986 activates legal risks under commercial contracts. The primary statutory mechanism is section 127 of the Insolvency Act 1986. Under section 127, any disposition of company property, transfer of shares, or alteration in status made after the date of presentation is void if a winding-up order is subsequently made, unless validated by the court.
| Operational Area | Legal / Commercial Risk | Mitigating Action |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Payments Received | Risk of clawback under Insolvency Act 1986 s.127 if an order is made | Demand security, seek a validation order, or require cash upfront |
| Trade Credit | Unsecured debt ranking pari passu behind preferential claims | Pause unsecured trade terms and implement pro-forma billing |
| Supply of Goods | Risk of title passage without full payment | Assert Retention of Title (RoT) clauses and audit current inventory |
| Banking Facilities | Freezing of accounts once banks receive notice of presentation | Verify alternative settlement routes and payment clearance |
For credit managers, discovering a filed petition necessitates an immediate risk re-evaluation. A standard investigative process follows three operational steps:
1. Conduct an immediate ledger audit to determine total unbilled exposure, open purchase orders, and goods currently in transit.
2. Review underlying contracts for Retention of Title provisions and clauses governing material adverse change or insolvency events.
3. Run a formal winding up search across group entities or critical trading partners to identify systemic cross-default liabilities.
Scenario: Managing supply chain exposure
Consider an independent supplier holding £40,000 in open invoices with a commercial counterparty facing a petition. If the supplier continues delivering goods on net-30 terms without checking the court register, any payments made by the counterparty post-petition risk section 127 avoidance upon a winding-up order. The supplier's defensible course of action involves switching to payment before delivery, confirming whether a validation order has been sought, and inspecting company assets under valid Retention of Title clauses before inventory is intermingled.
For conveyancers, lawyers and lenders
Before completing high-value asset disposals, corporate refinancing, or commercial property transfers, conducting a timely winding up search at the Central Registry is an essential risk mitigation step. Missing a petition lodged on CE-File can expose a transaction to void disposition risks under section 127, jeopardising lender security and title validity. When transactions involve external counterparties, legal teams should [Get a Winding Up Search Certificate →](#offers-certificate) to evidence formal due diligence.
Traditional checks versus modern intelligence
Historically, credit teams and legal practitioners identified winding-up petitions by manually cross-referencing Companies House filings, monitoring the daily Royal Courts of Justice cause list, reviewing London Gazette notices, or phoning the Central Registry directly. This manual model creates operational blind spots because Gazette notices often appear days after filing, while Companies House records reflect insolvency only after an order is granted.
Corp Intel continuously aggregates filings across the Central Registry, Companies House, and statutory publications into a unified interface. Rather than relying on intermittent manual checks, commercial teams can use free company monitoring to obtain immediate alerts when court actions or regulatory filings are lodged against counterparties.
How to investigate further
Professionals reviewing Hive & Design Ltd should examine the company's verified corporate filing history at Companies House, monitor statutory notifications in The Gazette, and inspect the active profile on Corp Intel. For other counterparties, running a winding up petition search verifies whether unadvertised court applications are pending.
FAQ
Does the presentation of a petition mean the company is entering liquidation?
No. The presentation of a winding-up petition is an application made to the court by a petitioner. The matter must be heard by a judge, and companies regularly defend, pay, or compromise petitions before any winding-up order is made.
What restrictions affect a company after a petition is presented?
Under section 127 of the Insolvency Act 1986, dispositions of company property made after the presentation date are void if a winding-up order is ultimately granted, unless sanctioned by a validation order. In practice, clearing banks often freeze company accounts upon learning of a petition to prevent personal liability.
When is a winding-up petition advertised in The Gazette?
Under Rule 7.10 of the Insolvency (England and Wales) Rules 2016, the petitioner must not advertise the petition until at least seven business days after service on the company, and no later than seven business days before the scheduled hearing, unless the court orders otherwise.
How long does it take from petition filing to a court hearing?
The period between filing a petition at the Central Registry and the court hearing typically spans between six and ten weeks, depending on court listing capacity, regional venue, and whether expedited applications or injunctive hearings are introduced.
Disclaimer
This report summarises a petition recorded at the Central Registry of Winding-up Petitions. Presentation of a petition is not a determination of insolvency; the outcome is a matter for the court. Companies believing they are named incorrectly should email contact@corp-intel.co.uk.