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--- Download our ebook... https://ecmp.info/ebook 500 Tips to Increase Your Profits Get all the links and resources we mention and join our email list at https://ecmp.info Love the show? Chloe would love your feedback - leave a review here: https://ecmp.info/review or reply to the episode QandA on Spotify. Interested in being a Sponsor? go here: https://ecmp.info/sponsorAdvertising Inquiries: https://redcircle.com/brandsPrivacy & Opt-Out: https://redcircle.com/privacy