What Cooksmill does

Cooksmill is a UK-based wholesale distributor and retailer of catering supplies and commercial kitchen equipment, founded circa 1995 and headquartered in Salford, Manchester. The company operates two physical superstores (Manchester/Salford and Bradford) and a 24/7 e-commerce platform, stocking over 25,000 catering products across thirteen core categories: crockery, cutlery, glassware, tableware, bar supplies, kitchen equipment, appliances, clothing, cleaning supplies, disposables, stationery, and beverages. Its product range combines own-brand lines (notably Cooksmill White Crockery) with stockist relationships for major hospitality brands including Vegware, Porcelite, Robot Coupe, Samsung, Utopia, Lincat, Victorinox, Global, Churchill and Inker.

The company serves a horizontal mix of buyers — hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes, schools and colleges at the professional end, alongside home chefs and individual consumers — all purchasing through the same wholesale channel. Pricing is unit-based with tiered volume discounts of up to approximately 20% on bulk orders, with free courier delivery on orders over £60 ex VAT across the UK. Cooksmill also offers competitive equipment leasing for larger catering equipment purchases, extending its commercial model beyond one-time product sales.

The business is privately held, family-operated, and small by employee count (1–10 per firmographics), with no disclosed venture or institutional funding. The Bradford superstore is registered under the related entity Dadibhais Bradford Ltd. The company does not develop proprietary technology; its core platform consists of the Magento-style e-commerce storefront (cooksmill.co.uk) and traditional physical retail operations. Its competitive position rests on multi-channel distribution, breadth of assortment, and nearly three decades of trade reputation in the UK hospitality supply market.

Name

Cooksmill

Legal name

Cooksmill

Website

https://cooksmill.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Cooksmill is a UK-based wholesale catering supplies and equipment distributor, operating two physical superstores (Manchester and Bradford) and a 24/7 e-commerce platform, serving hospitality businesses and individual consumers with over 25,000 products from major hospitality brands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Commercial Catering Supplies & Equipment

SIC

Wholesale-Professional & Commercial Equipment & Supplies (5040)

akta.pro primary industry

Restaurant & Commercial Kitchen Equipment Wholesale (AFAIALAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Commercial Cooking Equipment & Parts Wholesale (AFAIALAJ), Food Preparation Equipment & Smallwares Wholesale (AFAIALAK), Tabletop & Front-of-House Supplies Wholesale (AFAIALAF)

Keywords

• Catering supplies
• Kitchen equipment
• Restaurant supplies
• Commercial tableware
• Hospitality supplies

Headquarters

HQ city

Salford

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Hardware or Manufacturing

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Product Sales (B2C/B2B): Cooksmill generates revenue primarily through direct sales of catering equipment, kitchen supplies, tableware, crockery, cutlery, glassware, appliances, and related products to hospitality businesses and the public. Products are sold via physical superstores and online e-commerce platform with unit pricing and volume discounts.
2. Equipment Leasing: The company offers competitive leasing options for larger catering equipment purchases, providing financing solutions to hospitality businesses.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Cooksmill is a UK-based wholesale distributor and retailer of catering supplies and kitchen equipment, offering over 25,000 products across categories including crockery, cutlery, glassware, tableware, bar supplies, kitchen equipment, appliances, clothing, cleaning supplies, disposables, stationery, and beverages. The company operates two physical superstores in Manchester and Bradford alongside a 24/7 e-commerce platform serving both trade hospitality businesses and the general public at wholesale prices.

Product overview

Cooksmill is a UK-based wholesale catering supplies and equipment provider operating from Manchester and Bradford superstores. Their product portfolio spans 13 core categories organized as a one-stop-shop for the hospitality industry: Crockery (featuring own-brand Cooksmill White Crockery alongside Porcelite, Churchill, and other branded lines including Rustico Stoneware, Seasons, Aura, Academy Fusion, Inker Coffee Cups, and Evolve Beverage Service), Cutlery, Glassware, Tableware, Bar Supplies, Kitchen Equipment, Appliances, Clothing, Cleaning Supplies, Disposables, Stationery, and Beverages. The company offers over 25,000 catering products for professional caterers including hotels, restaurants, bars, cafes, schools, and colleges, with free courier delivery on orders over £60.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Crockery

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 25,000 catering products available for professional caterers
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• VegwarecoreOthersVegware is listed as one of the biggest brands in hospitality supplied by Cooksmill. Cooksmill stocks and distributes Vegware's eco-friendly catering disposables and packaging products.
• PorcelitecoreOthersPorcelite is a key brand partner, with Cooksmill being a major stockist of Porcelite's professional vitrified porcelain crockery ranges including Standard White, Seasons, and Banquet collections.
• Robot CoupecoreOthersRobot Coupe is listed as one of the major commercial equipment brands available from Cooksmill, providing food preparation equipment.
• SamsungcoreOthersSamsung is listed among the biggest hospitality equipment brands supplied by Cooksmill, covering refrigeration and appliance needs.
• UtopiacoreOthersUtopia is a key brand partner for tableware and catering equipment, with Cooksmill stocking extensive Utopia crockery ranges including Titan, Tribeca, and Creative Table collections.
• LincatcoreOthersLincat is listed as a major brand for commercial cooking equipment supplied through Cooksmill, including ovens, hobs, and cooking equipment.
• VictorinoxcoreOthersVictorinox is listed among popular professional chef's knife brands available from Cooksmill, known for Swiss-made kitchen knives.
• GlobalcoreOthersGlobal is listed among popular professional chef's knife brands stocked by Cooksmill, known for Japanese-style professional kitchen knives.
• DickcoreOthersDick is listed among professional chef's knife brands available from Cooksmill, offering German-made professional kitchen cutlery.
• TsukicoreOthersTsuki Japanese knives are listed among popular professional chef's knife brands available from Cooksmill.
• ChurchillcoreOthersChurchill is a key brand partner for professional crockery, with Cooksmill stocking Churchill Alchemy Fine China, Super Vitrified Crockery, and Art de Cuisine ranges.
• InkercoreOthersInker Coffee Cups is highlighted as a trusted brand for barista-grade porcelain cups, with Cooksmill stocking the complete range including Luna and saucer collections.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bunzl: Bunzl is a global distribution and outsourcing group supplying a wide range of products including catering supplies, disposables, and cleaning supplies to the foodservice and hospitality sectors. While far broader in scope than Cooksmill, it competes in adjacent catering supply categories.
• Brakes Group: Brakes is a major UK foodservice wholesaler distributing catering supplies, equipment, and food to hospitality operators at scale. It overlaps with Cooksmill in equipment and front-of-house supplies but operates primarily as a broad-line foodservice distributor rather than a specialist catering equipment retailer.

Direct peers

• Alliance Online: Alliance Online is a UK catering equipment and supplies distributor offering commercial kitchen equipment, tableware, and cleaning products to the hospitality trade. It competes directly with Cooksmill in serving restaurants, hotels, and catering businesses.
• First Choice Group: First Choice Group is a UK distributor of catering equipment, commercial kitchen supplies, and foodservice consumables. It serves a similar hospitality customer base as Cooksmill with comparable commercial equipment and supplies offerings.
• Nisbets: Nisbets is the UK's leading direct competitor to Cooksmill in catering equipment and supplies wholesale, offering a similarly broad catalog of commercial kitchen equipment, tableware, and consumables to hospitality businesses through e-commerce and physical showrooms.
• Lockhart Catering Equipment: Lockhart is a UK-based catering equipment supplier serving restaurants, pubs, hotels, and schools with commercial kitchen equipment, tableware, and supplies. It competes directly with Cooksmill for the same professional hospitality customer base.
• Kingfisher Catering Equipment: Kingfisher Catering Equipment is a UK supplier of commercial catering equipment and consumables to the hospitality trade. It competes directly with Cooksmill in offering kitchen equipment and supplies to restaurants, schools, and caterers.
• Everything Catering: Everything Catering is a UK-based catering equipment and supplies retailer offering commercial kitchen products, tableware, and consumables to the hospitality trade and public. It is a smaller-scale direct competitor with similar omnichannel positioning to Cooksmill.

Regional players

• Yes Chef: Yes Chef is a UK catering supplies retailer with a strong focus on chefs' knives, cookware, and kitchen equipment. While primarily a knife and cookware specialist rather than full-line catering distributor, it competes with Cooksmill in chef-facing premium product categories.

Emerging players

• Sous Chef UK: Sous Chef is a UK-based specialist retailer of professional kitchen equipment, cookware, and chef supplies targeting both trade and home cooks. It overlaps with Cooksmill's dual customer base but with a more curated, premium-product focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cooksmill
• Facebookfacebook.com/cooksmill-523035887739043
• Instagraminstagram.com/cooksmill
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cooksmill-catering-equipment-suppliers

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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 Cooksmill