Talk:Cook Trading
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Proposed edits — COI disclosure (paid editor)
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Wikipedia Talk Page — Proposed Edit Request: Cook Trading[edit]Conflict of Interest Disclosure[edit]In accordance with Wikipedia’s conflict of interest guidelines (WP:COI) and the paid editing disclosure policy (WP:PAID), I am disclosing that I represent a communications agency working on behalf of Cook Trading Ltd and have a financial interest in this article. In line with best practice, I am not making direct edits to the article. Instead, I am proposing specific, sourced changes here on the Talk page and requesting that a neutral editor review and implement any improvements they consider appropriate. All proposed content below is based on independent, reliable, secondary sources and written in a neutral encyclopedic tone. I welcome scrutiny and am happy to discuss any of the proposed citations. Why These Changes Are Needed[edit]The article currently carries two maintenance tags:
The proposed changes directly address both by adding substantial independent sourcing across multiple reliable publications, and by meaningfully expanding factual coverage. The sources include The Grocer (multiple articles), Food Manufacture, KentOnline (IPSO-regulated), the official London Gazette, the Kent Lieutenancy, Forbes, The Retail Bulletin, BBC Good Food, and a 2026 academic textbook published by SAGE. Proposed Revised Article Text[edit](For neutral editor review and implementation at the editor’s discretion) Lead / Introduction[edit]Cook (stylised as COOK; officially Cook Trading Ltd) is a manufacturer and retailer of frozen ready meals, founded in 1997, based in Sittingbourne in Kent, England. The company operates over 100 shops across the United Kingdom, works with over 1000 independent retailers, runs a home delivery service, and has three production kitchens in Kent and a puddings kitchen in Somerset. COOK has been a multiple winner of The Grocer Gold Awards, was a founding member of B Corp UK in 2013, and in 2022 received the Queen’s Award for Enterprise for their RAW Talent programme, offering jobs to people with barriers to employment. History[edit]COOK was founded in 1997 by Edward Perry and Dale Penfold. Perry, who had spent four years as a travelling salesman for a bakery business, saw commercial potential in the concept of hand-prepared frozen meals after observing his mother’s habit of batch cooking for the family freezer. With chef friend Dale Penfold enlisted as co-founder, Perry secured a loan to open the first shop in Farnham, Surrey.[1] The company was built on a vertically integrated model making food and selling it through its own shops rather than through supermarkets.[1] In March 2005, COOK opened a new kitchen facility in Sittingbourne, Kent, to support growing demand.[2] COOK was a founding member of B Corp UK in 2013, one of the first businesses in the United Kingdom to receive B Corporation certification.[3][4] After Penfold’s retirement in 2017, Perry began leading the company alongside his sister Rosie Brown as co-Chief Executives.[1] In 2021, COOK began a major capacity expansion at a new Sittingbourne site, investing in spiral freezing technology intended to increase production capacity by 80% and support a plan to double sales within five years. In the financial year to 31 March 2020, the company had recorded revenues of £72.8 million, up from £64 million the prior year, with operating profit nearly doubling from £2.8 million to £4.4 million over the same period.[5] In March 2024, the company opened its 100th shop in Poynton, Cheshire, at a time when sales had grown 16% to £109 million, achieved without selling through any of the major supermarkets. In addition to its shops, the company operates branded freezers in more than 1,000 independent retailers, farm shops and convenience stores.[6] Awards and Recognition[edit]The Grocer Gold Awards[edit]COOK has been a recurring winner at The Grocer Gold Awards, the leading annual awards ceremony for the UK grocery sector. COOK won the Independent Retail Chain of the Year award in both 2005[2] and 2019.[7] The 2019 win was attributed to the company’s “Community Retail” strategy, which involved fostering connections with local communities. Research indicated that stores actively engaged with their local community outperformed the rest of the company’s estate by 5%. Key initiatives included a “Community Kitchen” offering 30% discounts to local groups, and a “Care Card” for customers experiencing difficult periods.[8] In 2021, COOK was named as a leading finalist for the Independent Retail Chain of the Year award in recognition of its response to the Covid-19 pandemic, during which the company overhauled its model to prioritise local delivery. Online sales grew from £1 million to £9 million, representing 60% of the business at that time.[9] In 2024, COOK won the Specialist Wholesaler of the Year award. The Grocer noted that 2024 was COOK’s most successful to date in terms of driving new business, with the company signing 130 new concession accounts, achieving 13.9% growth in gross wholesale turnover, and reaching a milestone of 1,000 concessions in other retailers’ stores.[10] Queen’s Award for Enterprise[edit]In 2022, COOK was awarded the Queen’s Award for Enterprise in the category of Promoting Opportunity (Through Social Mobility), in recognition of its RAW Talent programme. RAW Talent (RAW stands for “Ready And Working”) supports people into employment who face significant barriers, including those with criminal convictions, a history of homelessness, mental ill health, addiction, neurodiversity, or refugee status.[11][12] The award was formally presented by the Lord-Lieutenant of Kent. Of the 232 companies receiving Queen’s Awards for Enterprise in 2022 across all categories, only nine were recognised in the Promoting Opportunity category, described by the Kent Lieutenancy as “one of the toughest categories to win.”[12] Employer Recognition[edit]COOK has appeared on the Best Companies list of Best Companies to Work For for nine consecutive years. In 2021, for the first time, it was named the number one Food & Drink Company to Work For in the UK by Best Companies, ranking above Hotel Chocolat and Naked Wines. The company holds a three-star world-class employer rating.[13] Retail Awards[edit]COOK was named Responsible Retailer of the Year at the Retail Week Awards in March 2024.[6] COOK was named Retailer of the Year at the People in Retail Awards 2024.[14] COOK has been named the best overall meal delivery service by BBC Good Food.[15] Financial Performance[edit]In the financial year to 31 March 2020, COOK recorded revenues of £72.8 million, up from £64 million the prior year. Operating profit nearly doubled over the same period, rising from £2.8 million to £4.4 million.[5] By December 2024, the company reported turnover exceeding £115 million.[16] Social Purpose and Charitable Activity[edit]COOK has been certified by the Living Wage Foundation as a Living Wage employer.[17] Since 2014, Cook has been the founding national partner of One Feeds Two, a registered charity that provides a school meal to a child in the developing world for every item sold from COOK’s children’s meals range. By 2024, the partnership had donated a cumulative total of four million meals.[18] COOK produces an annual Purpose Progress Report detailing both financial and societal performance indicators, including an Action Plan to “Nourish People and Planet”.[4] Academic Coverage[edit]COOK has been featured as a case study in Exploring Entrepreneurship (4th edition, SAGE Publications, 2026), an academic entrepreneurship textbook authored by professors at the Open University, University of Strathclyde, and Brunel University London. The book notes its founding UK B Corp status, sales of £120 million, net profit of £8.5 million, four operating kitchens, over 100 shops, and more than 1,000 independent stockists.[4] Full Reference List (Proposed)[edit]
Notes on Source Quality[edit]
Submitted by a communications agency representative acting on behalf of Cook Trading Ltd. Full COI and paid editing disclosure made per WP:COI and WP:PAID. March 2026. Craiggilhooly1 (talk) 16:35, 19 March 2026 (UTC) | |