Cocorico

What Cocorico does

Cocorico is a Romanian chicken brand owned and operated by AAylex One, the country's largest poultry exporter and producer of antibiotic-free, non-GMO, plant-fed chicken and value-added specialties. Founded as Avicola Buzău in 1982 and rebranded to Cocorico in 2000, the business is now headquartered in Bucharest with manufacturing operations in Buzău (feed plant, specialty factories, broiler farms), Călărași (clean-label factory), and Săhăteni (feed plant) in Romania. The product portfolio spans three categories: raw chicken (whole birds, cuts), ready-to-cook specialties (Cocorici sausages, portions range designed to reduce waste), and ready-to-eat specialties (CocoPastrami, CocoBaked burgers and meatballs, Artisan by Cocorico street food, Golden Cocorico, and the Cocorico Festive Collection).

AAylex One operates a fully vertically and horizontally integrated production chain covering feed milling, hatchery, broiler farming, slaughterhouse, specialty processing, and distribution — supported by advanced microclimate monitoring (temperature, humidity, ventilation, hygiene), air-refrigeration for 15-day shelf life, the first biogas unit in Southeast Europe's poultry industry, and 996.75 kwp of solar capacity. The business holds 15+ certifications including ISO 9001, ISO 34700 (first Romanian brand certified by TUV Austria for animal welfare), BRC, IFS Food, FSSC 22000, HALAL, and HALAL RACS.

Revenue mechanics are diversified across three primary channels: domestic retail (Auchan, Mega Image, online platforms Glovo/Freshful/Sezamo/Bringo, plus 40+ Cocorico-branded shops), HoReCa/food service (with Chef Dragoș Bercea as Brand Ambassador), and international export to 10+ European countries (UK, France, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Kosovo, Macedonia) — with 30–40% of revenue generated abroad. GTM is sales-led and event-driven via SIAL Paris, Anuga Cologne, Alimentaria Barcelona, IFE London, and Agriteq Doha, often under the Romanian National Pavilion. Disclosed turnover reached EUR 226 million, growing from EUR 24M historically. Headquarters at 71–73 Nicolae Caramfil Boulevard, Bucharest; key contact [email protected] / +40 212 413 966.

Name

Cocorico

Legal name

AAylex One

Website

https://cocorico.ro

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Cocorico is a Romanian poultry brand owned by AAylex One, producing antibiotic-free, non-GMO fresh chicken, ready-to-cook, and ready-to-eat specialties through a vertically integrated farm-to-fork system, supplying domestic retail, HoReCa, and export markets across 10+ European countries.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Fresh Poultry and Chicken Specialties

NAICS

Poultry Processing (311615), Perishable Prepared Food Manufacturing (311991)

SIC

Poultry Slaughtering And Processing (2015), Sausages & Other Prepared Meat Products (2013)

akta.pro primary industry

Broiler Processing (Whole Bird, Parts, Further Processing) (AFANACAI)

Keywords

• Fresh poultry products
• Chicken meat production
• Processed chicken specialties
• Vertically integrated poultry
• Halal certified chicken

Headquarters

HQ city

Bucharest

HQ country

Romania

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Fresh Raw Chicken: Sale of fresh, raw chicken products — whole birds and cuts — sold through own-brand retail outlets (over 40 Cocorico shops), hypermarkets, supermarkets, meat shops, and gastro stores in Romania and 10+ European countries. Core product line with shelf life up to 15 days.
2. Ready-to-Cook Specialties: Value-added processed chicken products including portion packs, sausages, and prepared cuts sold under sub-brands such as Cocorici, ready-to-cook formats. Sold through retail channels and food service. Innovative 'Portions' product line designed to reduce food waste.
3. Ready-to-Eat Specialties: Premium processed chicken products including CocoPastrami, CocoBaked (burgers, meatballs), Artisan by Cocorico street food, and Cocorico Festive Collection. Clean-label products with no nitrites, preservatives, or additives. Sold at retail and through food service/temporary street food events.
4. International Export: Export sales to over ten countries including Great Britain, France, Hungary, Italy, Spain, Greece, Bulgaria, Czech Republic, Slovakia, Kosovo, and Macedonia. Represents 30–40% of total company revenue. Supported by dedicated European export team.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cocorico produces and sells a full portfolio of chicken products spanning fresh raw chicken (whole birds and cuts), ready-to-cook chicken specialties, and ready-to-eat chicken specialties under sub-brands such as Cocorici, CocoPastrami, CocoBaked, Artisan by Cocorico, Golden Cocorico, and the Cocorico Festive Collection. All products are positioned as 100% natural, antibiotic-free, hormone-free, additive-free, non-GMO, clean-label poultry sourced from a vertically integrated farm-to-fork system covering feed production, hatching, broiler farming, slaughterhouse, and specialty processing. Distribution is via 40+ own-brand retail shops, major Romanian retail chains, online delivery platforms, HoReCa, and export to more than 10 European countries.

Product overview

Cocorico is a Romanian poultry brand owned by AAylex One, offering a comprehensive portfolio of chicken products across three main categories: Raw Chicken (fresh poultry), Ready to Cook Chicken Specialties (pre-prepared items requiring cooking), and Ready to Eat Chicken Specialties (fully prepared products). The Ready to Eat line includes branded sub-products such as Cocorici (sausages), CocoPastrami (smoked chicken pastrami), CocoBaked (oven-baked products), Artisan by Cocorico (street food concept), Golden Cocorico (premium line), and the Cocorico Festive Collection. All products share the same foundation of 100% natural, ethically raised Cocorico chicken, with clean label credentials (no nitrites, preservatives, additives, or artificial aromas).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CocoPastrami: Ready-to-eat chicken pastrami specialty product
• CocoBaked
• Cocorici
• Golden Cocorico
• Artisan by Cocorico
• Cocorico Festive Collection

Products and services

• Raw Chicken Fresh poultry products including whole chickens and various cuts, raised ethically and sustainably with 100% natural feed, non-GMO, antibiotic-free, and hormone-free, sold via Cocorico retail shops, hypermarkets, supermarkets, meat shops, gastro stores, online grocery platforms, and exported to over 10 European countries.
• Ready to Cook Chicken Specialties Pre-prepared chicken products that require cooking before consumption, including portion packs and various cuts and preparations made from fresh Cocorico chicken with 100% natural ingredients. Includes the innovative Portions range designed to reduce food waste.
• Ready to Eat Chicken Specialties Fully prepared chicken products ready for immediate consumption, including sausages, pastrami, baked products (burgers, meatballs), and artisanal offerings such as Artisan by Cocorico street food and the Cocorico Festive Collection. Clean-label, no nitrites, no preservatives, no additives, no allergens.
• Cocorici Chicken sausages made from 100% fresh Cocorico meat, ethically raised, packaged using a NO TOUCH system where the consumer is the first to touch the product upon opening the pack to maximize hygiene.
• CocoPastrami Chicken pastrami made from Cocorico chicken, clean-label with no nitrites, selected as an innovative product by the SIAL Paris Innovation Committee in 2022.
• CocoBaked Baked chicken products including burgers and meatballs made from all-natural Cocorico chicken with 100% clean labels, no nitrites, preservatives, or additives.
• Artisan by Cocorico Street food concept featuring premium Cocorico chicken specialties including skewers, sausages and burgers, served from food trucks and live culinary stations at festivals, fairs, and events.
• Golden Cocorico Premium ready-to-eat chicken specialty product line under the Cocorico brand, positioned as the upper tier of the clean-label chicken specialties portfolio.
• Cocorico Festive Collection Specialty chicken products designed for festive occasions and celebrations, offering seasonal ready-to-eat items under the Cocorico brand.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 40 years of trusted poultry production in Romania
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Banvit Foods Romania (BRF SA Group)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 17 May 2021AAylex Group (owner of Cocorico) completed the acquisition of Banvit Foods Romania in May 2021 for EUR 20.3 million. Banvit is a leading producer of feed, day-old chicks, and hatching eggs, and is part of BRF SA — the third largest poultry producer in the world. This acquisition strengthened AAylex's vertical integration in feed production and chick supply.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• BRF SA: Brazilian multinational and third-largest poultry producer globally; seller of Banvit Foods Romania to AAylex/Cocorico in 2021. BRF operates a fully integrated poultry value chain similar to Cocorico/AAylex One and is the most direct global comparable given the explicit transaction relationship.
• Tyson Foods: US-headquartered global poultry and protein giant. Not a direct competitor in Romania, but the benchmark for vertically integrated poultry at scale; relevant for understanding the ceiling on margins and capital intensity in the sector Cocorico operates in.
• Pilgrim's Pride: Pure-play poultry multinational majority-owned by JBS, with European operations (Pilgrim's UK, Moy Park). Directly comparable to Cocorico as a large-scale integrated poultry competitor in European retail and food service channels.

Direct peers

• PHW Group (Wiesenhof): Germany's largest poultry marketer with Wiesenhof as flagship brand. Vertically integrated feed-to-fork poultry producer with strong private-label and branded presence in European retail — directly comparable to Cocorico's integrated business model and brand-led retail strategy.
• 2 Sisters Food Group: One of the UK's largest food manufacturers with a major poultry division (Hook 2 Sisters, Moorland). Comparable to Cocorico as a vertically integrated European poultry supplier serving retail and food service customers with branded and private-label products.
• Plukon Food Group: Dutch-based European poultry processor serving retail private-label and foodservice across multiple countries. Directly comparable to Cocorico in scale (mid-sized European integrated player), customer base (retailers + food service), and value-added poultry product focus.
• LDC Group (Loué, Le Gaulois): Major French poultry integrator with leading French brands (Loué, Le Gaulois, Maître Coq) and significant international footprint. Comparable to Cocorico in vertically integrated poultry, premium branded positioning, and European export-led growth strategy.
• Cranswick: UK premium pork and poultry producer with strong branded position in UK retail. Comparable to Cocorico in premium product positioning, animal welfare emphasis, and serving large European retailers with differentiated specialty SKUs.
• Inalca (Cremonini Group): Italian integrated meat and food group with significant European food service (HoReCa) presence. Comparable to Cocorico in supplying European HoReCa channels and offering branded processed poultry to retail and catering customers.

Emerging players

• Bell & Evans: US premium poultry producer specializing in 100% all-natural, antibiotic-free, air-chilled chicken — directly mirroring Cocorico's clean-label, air-refrigeration, and welfare-focused value proposition. Useful as a smaller-scale premium positioning comparable.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cocorico.ro
• Instagraminstagram.com/wesaycocorico
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aaylex-one-cocorico

Compliance14 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds1 record

Investors2 records

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cocorico