How COOK Became a £150 Million Food Retailer with James Rutter

James Rutter is the Chief Strategy Officer at COOK, home of award-winning frozen meals and puddings. Founded in 1997, and a BCorp since 2013! COOK now sell via their bespoke website, 111 shops across the UK, and via wholesale. And in the last 15 years they’ve grown from £30million to being on track for £150million in annual sales this year, of which about 1/5 are online. 

 

In this episode, James reveals the three pillars that power COOK’s incredible growth — and how you can apply them to your business. 

 

Hit PLAY to hear: 

• 💡 Why culture is the ultimate competitive advantage in eCommerce 
• 📝 James’ 7 Laws of Strategy (and why your strategy must fit on ONE page) 
• 🛠️ How to make every team member feel like an “insider” 
• 👥 Cook’s bold hiring program that brings in talent others overlook — and why it works 
• 📈 The simple rhythm Cook uses to keep strategy, budgeting, and execution aligned 
• 🔥 How to turn internal culture into external brand energy that customers love 

 

Key timestamps to dive straight in: 

[03:57] "Vertically Integrated Retail Food Chain" 

[08:18] "Empowering People in Business" 

[12:54] "Balancing Recruitment with Social Impact" 

[15:55] Simplifying Strategy for Clarity 

[18:57] Painful Choices Ensure Strategic Clarity 

[21:21] Annual Strategic Planning Process 

[24:14] Cultivating Authentic Brand Connection 

[26:50] Confronting Brutal Facts 

[29:27] Listen to James’ Top Tips! 

 

Full episode notes here: https://ecmp.info/564

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