Frozen food specialist Cook has signed an exclusive franchise agreement with the Channel Islands Co-op, The Grocer can reveal.
Cook said the agreement would allow it to grow its brand throughout the Channel Islands by utilising the Co-op’s brand recognition, distribution network and local knowledge.
The deal will see the current Cook shop in St Peter Port be run by the CI Co-op, while maintaining its existing team.
In addition, the CI Co-op has also won the rights to open further Cook shops, concessions and e-commerce formats, allowing customers to purchase an extensive range of meals online.
“We have been working with the team at Cook for three years and we are extremely excited to cement the relationship that we have built up over that time with an exclusive franchise across the Islands,” said Co-op chief retail officer Mark Crean.
“Cook’s commitment to quality coupled with our aligned values make them the perfect partner for us and we are looking forward to growing the Cook business locally and working with the Cook team far into the future.”
Cook chief sales officer Chris Portwood said: “We’re thrilled to be partnering with the Channel Island Co-op. They are aligned to our values and are as ambitious as us when it comes to growing the Cook business across the Islands.
“Their network, brand strength and local knowledge will help facilitate a much bigger business than Cook would have been able to achieve alone.”
The news follows a successful year of trading for the high-end ready meal provider.
On 22 December 2022, the company experienced its busiest-ever day on the high street, with sales totalling £785,000.
Cook is also planning on opening six new stores in 2023, it looks to drive growth.
It follows disappointing results the previous year, as a cyber-attack in December 2021 wiped an estimated £2m from EBITDA.
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