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