A NEW food franchise that has cooked up a storm in business circles
posted on 06-Jul-2010
A NEW food franchise that has cooked up a storm in business circles has been recognised for its outstanding brand building and business ethos.
Cook, a family-owned maker of handmade frozen meals, was presented with the Express Newspapers Brandbuilder award at last month’s (June) British Franchise Association HSBC Franchisor of the Year Awards 2010.
The company, which started out as a sole shop in 1997, opened its first franchise last year. It now has 12 franchises up and running, with a target of 20 by the end of next year.
Founder and managing director Edward Perry said: “We set out with the aim of making food that was not just convenient, but tasted as if it was made at home, using exactly same ingredients and techniques you would in the kitchen. Today, none of that has changed; we just do it on a bigger scale.”
The move into franchising last year enabled Cook to open stores and increase sales at a rate that it would otherwise have found impossible, he explained, adding: “As a fiercely independent business, there is a natural fit for us to work with other like-minded business owners who recognise the unique strengths of the Cook brand and share our values.”
The company recently announced record revenues and profit in the year to the end of March, with sales of £19 million, up 11.5 per cent on the previous year.
Winning the Express Newspapers Brandbuilder award is seen as a huge accolade for a dynamic young business in its first year of franchising.
Head of franchising Matthew Bourne said: “Sticking to a strong foundation and our values and attracting some amazing franchisees has been imperative for our success. Receiving this award is tremendous recognition of this, serving as a reminder to us to stick to what we believe in and what we want the brand to say to our customers.”
Ben Nealon, classified advertising manager, Express Newspapers, added: “The perception of a brand has become increasingly important as the economy has wavered therefore it was a pleasure to see so many franchisors working hard to maintain and grow awareness to aid its franchisees as much as possible. Cook showed how the business has grown in difficult times and how it is looking to a successful future through solid strategic brand solutions.”
