Ready meals maker Cook experiences surge in online customer numbers

Frozen ready meals maker Cook has seen online customer numbers soar during the pandemic, the retailer showed as it posted record annual sales.

The Kent-based firm, which was founded in 1997 and today has close to 90 shops, said digital shopper numbers have now reached around 405,000.

That is up from 346,000 as at the year ended March 2021 and 220,000 at the start of that financial year.

Digital growth, coupled with trade in stores, helped turnover in the 12 months to rise 15.9% to £83.2 million. Pret-tax profit improved to £4.1 million from £3.8 million.

Cook, which sells dishes such as cottage pie and chicken casserole, also experienced good customer demand during the Christmas period just gone.

The company said it was “incredibly busy”, especially in shops, and it added that it sold out of many festive dishes.

The firm has started construction of its fourth production kitchen in Sittingbourne which it aims to have open before the end of the year.