Cook Trading
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| Type | Private |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retailer |
| Founded | 1997 |
| Headquarters | Sittingbourne |
| Key people | Edward Perry, founder and joint CEO Rosie Brown, joint CEO Dale Penfold, founder |
| Products | Food |
| Website | www |
Cook (stylized as COOK, officially Cook Trading Ltd) is a Sittingbourne, England–based manufacturer and retailer of frozen ready meals, founded in 1997 by Edward Perry and Dale Penfold.
History
[edit]Cook was founded in 1997 by Edward Perry and Dale Penfold as a frozen meals shop in Farnham.[1][2]
In March 2005, Cook opened a new kitchen facility in Sittingbourne.[3] In 2006, Cook's official website was launched, enabling home delivery across the UK.[citation needed] Cook was a founding member of B Corp UK in 2013.[4][failed verification]
The company opened its 100th shop at Poynton, Cheshire in March 2024.[5]
References
[edit]- ↑ "COOK". Feel-Good Brands™. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
- ↑ Cook Trading Ltd (2014). "The COOK Story: In The Beginning..." CookFood.net. Sittingbourne, UK: Author. Archived from the original on 1 March 2014.
- ↑ "Cook comes of age with new kitchen facility". The Grocer (Online ed.). Crawley, UK: William Reed Publishing. 21 January 2005. ISSN 0017-4351. OCLC 51729982. Retrieved 2023-01-07.
- ↑ Cook Trading Ltd. "Becoming a B Corporation... : COOK becomes a Bcorp". CookFood.net. Sittingbourne, UK: Author. Archived from the original on 9 May 2014. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
- ↑ Briggs, Fiona (21 March 2024). "COOK picks Poynton, Cheshire, for 100th store". RetailTimes.co.uk. Leeds, UK: Author. Archived from the original on 21 March 2024.
Further reading
[edit]- London, Lela. "How The COOK Siblings Make $111 Million A Year On Frozen Food." Forbes, 8 October 2022. https://www.forbes.com/sites/lelalondon/2022/10/08/how-the-cook-siblings-make-111-million-a-year-on-frozen-food/
- Blundel, R., Lockett, N., Wang, C., and Mawson, S. Exploring Entrepreneurship, 4th ed. SAGE Publications Ltd, March 2026. ISBN 978-1-03-623988-6. p. 75.
- "Gourmet ready meal firm Cook to boost capacity by 80%." Food Manufacture, 14 April 2021. https://www.foodmanufacture.co.uk/Article/2021/04/14/Frozen-food-firm-Cook-to-boost-capacity-by-80/
- "Winners 2019." The Grocer Gold Awards. https://thegrocergoldawards.co.uk/live/en/page/winners-2019
- "Grocer Gold Awards 2019: Independent Retail Chain of the Year." The Grocer. https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/grocer-gold-award-winners-2019-announced/593763.article
- "Grocer Gold Awards 2021: Independent Retail Chain of the Year." The Grocer. https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/news/grocer-gold-awards-2021-independent-retail-chain-of-the-year/660456.article
- "Grocer Gold Awards 2024: Cook is Specialist Wholesaler of the Year." The Grocer, September 2024. https://www.thegrocer.co.uk/events/grocer-gold-awards-2024-cook-is-specialist-wholesaler-of-the-year/692870.article
- The London Gazette, supplement S1, issue 63674 (2022). Queen's Awards for Enterprise – Promoting Opportunity (Through Social Mobility). https://www.thegazette.co.uk/London/issue/63674/supplement/S1
- "Queen's Award for Enterprise Presentation to COOK." Kent Lieutenancy, January 2023. https://kent-lieutenancy.org.uk/honours-and-awards-ceremonies/queens-award-for-enterprise-presentation-to-cook/
- "Sittingbourne's COOK Trading named No.1 food and drink firm in the Best Companies to Work For list." KentOnline, 14 June 2021. https://www.kentonline.co.uk/kent-business/county-news/firm-comes-top-in-best-companies-to-work-for-list-248867/
- "COOK crowned Retailer of the Year at the People in Retail Awards 2024." The Retail Bulletin, 30 September 2024. https://www.theretailbulletin.com/food-and-drink/cook-crowned-retailer-of-the-year-at-the-people-in-retail-awards-2024-30-09-2024/
- "Best Meal Delivery Services." BBC Good Food. https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/review/best-meal-delivery-services (Updated 2026.)
- Zambartas, Daniel. "Turnover soars past £115m at frozen meal provider." Insider Media, 18 December 2024. https://www.insidermedia.com/news/south-east/turnover-soars-past-119m-at-frozen-meal-provider
- "COOK create Living Wage Kitchens." Living Wage Foundation. https://www.livingwage.org.uk/news/cook-create-living-wage-kitchens
- "COOK." One Feeds Two. https://www.onefeedstwo.org/one-feeds-two-cook
- Cook gives employees 'dignity and purpose': EMPLOYER OF THE YEAR. (2020). Grocer, , 50. ProQuest 2460226768
- Badger, James. (2023). Cook feels £2m hit following cyberattack at christmas. Grocer, , 8. ProQuest 2761474532
- Bedington, Ee. (2001). For those who don't. Grocer, 224(7530), 42. ProQuest 203380457
- Cambridge, Lyndsey. (2020). Cook eyes retail parks in new opening plans. Grocer, , 8. ProQuest 2438168792
- Cambridge, Lyndsey. (2020). Cook reports boost in xmas 'turkeys for two'. Grocer, , 10. ProQuest 2462592993
- Jones, Stephen. (2024). Cook and felix project partner up on surplus. Grocer, , 6. ProQuest 3113000443
- Jones, Stephen. (2025). How retailers are giving prisoners a second chance picture credit: Richard pohle: An iceland in HMP oakwood is helping to prepare prisoners for retail jobs on the outside. it's part of a growing effort to employ offenders in the food sector. Grocer, , 30. ProQuest 3207107318
- McAllister, Sean. (2004). Sexy stuff going places. Grocer, 227(7642), 36. ProQuest 203424087