Company of Cooks
Company of Cooks is the premium hospitality and catering brand of UK-based CH & Co Catering Group, operating as the exclusive in-house food, drink and events partner across 25+ prestigious UK venues including the Royal Opera House, Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens, Southbank Centre, and City of London Livery Halls.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1996
- HeadquartersUnited Kingdom
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Company of Cooks does
Company of Cooks is a UK-based premium hospitality and catering brand, operating as a trading name of CH & Co Catering Group Limited (registered in England and Wales, company number 09505062), itself part of the CH&CO Group. The company operates as an exclusive, in-house food, drink and events partner for 25+ prestigious UK venues spanning cultural institutions (Royal Opera House, Courtauld Gallery, Chelsea Physic Garden), royal and heritage visitor attractions (Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Hillsborough Castle, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Old Royal Naval College), City of London Livery Halls (Brewers' Hall, Goldsmiths' Hall, Ironmongers' Hall, Plaisterers' Hall, Coopers' Hall), membership venues (RSA House, Royal Aeronautical Society, Royal College of Physicians, BMA House, Prince Philip House, One Birdcage Walk), and destination hospitality concepts (Guinness Open Gate Brewery London with Diageo, Rows & Vine at Ridgeview Wine Estate, Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh). Each venue receives a bespoke food and drink offer shaped to its heritage and audience rather than a replicated concept.
The company's offer spans branded restaurants and cafés (e.g., Cicoria at the Royal Opera House with Angela Hartnett, The Orangery at Kensington Palace, The Botanical Brasserie at Kew, Seventy5th Balcony Bar at Southbank Centre, The Porter's Table at Guinness), high-volume visitor catering (cafés and kiosks at the Tower of London and Hampton Court Palace), formal Livery Hall event catering, and private events through a dedicated team and the sister brand eve. Supporting infrastructure includes in-house training programmes (Barista Academy, Apprenticeship Programmes), a flexible staffing solution (Craft Crew), and a social-impact coffee programme (Community Blend, roasted with Allpress, funding Well Grounded barista academies).
Revenue is generated through three primary streams: daily consumer-facing café, restaurant and bar operations inside partner venues; managed-services contracts as the exclusive hospitality provider at long-term venue partnerships; and professional-services catering for private events and corporate occasions. The go-to-market is enterprise field sales — long, negotiated B2B contracts with venue operators — supplemented by direct consumer walk-in traffic at venue outlets and event enquiries handled through the events team. Customer concentration sits with a small set of high-profile anchor venue owners, offset by the breadth of 25+ venue relationships and multi-decade partnership tenures. The company is privately held within the CH&CO Group, with no public listing, no external funding disclosed, and operations concentrated in England with a recent entry into Scotland (Dynamic Earth, Edinburgh).
Company of Cooks firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Company of Cooks
- Legal name
- CH & Co Catering Group Limited
- Website
- https://companyofcooks.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1996
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Company of Cooks is the premium hospitality and catering brand of UK-based CH & Co Catering Group, operating as the exclusive in-house food, drink and events partner across 25+ prestigious UK venues including the Royal Opera House, Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens, Southbank Centre, and City of London Livery Halls.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Company of Cooks industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Hospitality and Contract Catering Services
- NAICS
- Caterers (722320), Full-Service Restaurants (722511), Restaurants and Other Eating Places (72251)
- SIC
- Retail-Eating & Drinking Places (5810)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Venue & Banquet Hall Catering (THAFAIAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Wedding & Social Event Catering (THAHAKAE), Event Culinary Staffing & Back-of-House Services (Chefs, Servers, Bartenders) (THAHAKAN)
Keywords
Where Company of Cooks is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ country
- United Kingdom
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Company of Cooks business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Supply Chain, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Venue Catering & Hospitality Services: Company of Cooks operates as the in-house food and drink provider within partner venues (cultural institutions, heritage sites, event spaces, livery halls). Revenue is generated through daily café, restaurant, and bar operations serving venue visitors and members, with menus priced for consumer purchases.
- Private Events & Corporate Catering: Catering for private events including weddings, dinners, celebrations, conferences, and corporate occasions. Revenue earned through event catering contracts, menu packages, and hospitality management fees.
- Exclusive Venue Partnerships: Exclusive long-term agreements with venue operators (e.g., Royal Opera House, Guinness Open Gate Brewery London, Southbank Centre) where Company of Cooks is appointed as the sole food, drink, and events partner, delivering all hospitality across the venue.
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
Company of Cooks product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Company of Cooks is a premium hospitality and catering brand that operates as the in-house food, drink and events partner for prestigious UK venues including cultural institutions (Royal Opera House, Southbank Centre), heritage sites (Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Hillsborough Castle), visitor attractions (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Chelsea Physic Garden), and City of London Livery Halls (Goldsmiths' Hall, Brewers' Hall, Ironmongers' Hall). The company delivers venue-specific restaurant, café, bar and event catering offers across 25+ UK sites, alongside private events catering, social impact programmes and a dedicated hospitality training academy.
Product overview
Company of Cooks is a premium hospitality and catering company that operates a portfolio of branded restaurants, cafés, bars and events spaces across prestigious UK venues, including cultural institutions, heritage sites, and corporate venues. The company provides food and drink experiences across three main areas: (1) branded restaurant and café concepts such as Cicoria at Royal Opera House, Seventy5th Balcony Bar at Southbank Centre, The Botanical Brasserie at Kew Gardens, and Bench Café at Goldsmiths' Centre; (2) venue catering partnerships at historic locations including the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Hillsborough Castle, Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Chelsea Physic Garden, Courtauld Gallery, and multiple City of London Livery Halls; and (3) private events catering and staffing solutions including Craft Crew (temporary hospitality staffing), Barista Academy, and Apprenticeship Programmes. The company also partners with Diageo at Guinness Open Gate Brewery London and recently launched Rows & Vine at Ridgeview Wine Estate, expanding into destination dining experiences.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Cicoria: Italian-inspired restaurant at the Royal Opera House, created in partnership with Angela Hartnett.
- Seventy5th Balcony Bar
- The Orangery
- The Porter's Table
- Bench Café
- Rows & Vine
- eve
Quantifiable outcome
- Partnerships with Livery Halls spanning more than twenty years demonstrate long-term client retention and trust.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Company of Cooks
Customer profileNamed customers13 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Company of Cooks technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
Company of Cooks partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and flagship.
- Ridgeview Wine EstatecoreCompany of Cooks is the catering and hospitality partner for The Rows & Vine restaurant and events space at Ridgeview Wine Estate in Ditchling, East Sussex. Menus feature seasonal small plates, sharing boards, and Ridgeview wine pairings, with ongoing development across the restaurant and estate events programme.
- ALVA (Association of Leading Visitor Attractions)flagshipCompany of Cooks has been appointed the exclusive food, drink and events partner to ALVA, which represents some of the UK's most important and visited cultural and leisure destinations including museums, galleries, heritage sites, gardens and major visitor attractions. The partnership enables Company of Cooks to share expertise across ALVA's network while learning from the sector. ALVA Director Bernard Donoghue OBE endorsed the partnership.
- Dynamic EarthcoreCompany of Cooks was appointed as the food and drink partner at Dynamic Earth in Edinburgh, becoming the first hospitality partner for the science centre. Teams deliver food, drink, and hospitality across the visitor café and events programme, with menus reflecting Scottish produce and the site context.
- Diageo (Guinness Open Gate Brewery London)flagshipCompany of Cooks partnered with Diageo at Guinness Open Gate Brewery London, taking on the food and hospitality offer at a landmark new London destination rooted in brewing heritage. Led by Executive Chef Pip Lacey and pie specialist Calum Franklin, the partnership delivers bold British cooking, rooftop seafood, and freshly baked pies designed to pair with Guinness beers brewed on site.
- Well GroundedcoreWell Grounded is an award-winning social enterprise supporting the UK's unemployed with skills to access sustainable careers in coffee. Company of Cooks works closely with Well Grounded, providing barista training, industry qualifications, and ongoing coaching. Every cup of Community Blend coffee served across Company of Cooks venues raises funds for Well Grounded academies. This is a hands-on partnership creating social change and providing career opportunities in hospitality.
- AllpresscoreCommunity Blend coffee is roasted in partnership with Allpress, bringing together exceptional coffee with positive social impact through the Well Grounded partnership. Served across all Company of Cooks venues.
- Royal Aeronautical Society (No.4 Hamilton Place)coreCompany of Cooks secured the food and drink partnership for No.4 Hamilton Place, one of London's most distinctive event spaces and the home of the Royal Aeronautical Society. Teams deliver food, drink, and hospitality across the venue with menus built on craft and seasonality.
- Brewers' HallcoreLong-term partnership delivering food, drink, and events across Brewers' Hall, one of the City of London's landmark Livery venues. The relationship spans decades, with Company of Cooks teams responsible for formal dining, livery occasions, and modern corporate events.
- Goldsmiths' HallcoreLong-term partnership at Goldsmiths' Hall, one of the City of London's most prestigious Livery venues. Company of Cooks delivers hospitality for grand dinners, award ceremonies, and high-profile receptions.
- Ironmongers' HallcorePartnership at Ironmongers' Hall, a traditional City of London Livery venue. Company of Cooks provides catering for private dinners, receptions, and smaller formal events.
- Royal Opera HouseflagshipCompany of Cooks works in close partnership with the Royal Opera House delivering food and drink across the estate. Cicoria, the fifth-floor restaurant created in partnership with Angela Hartnett, is the flagship dining destination alongside a network of bars, cafés, and event spaces.
- Southbank CentreflagshipCompany of Cooks partners with Southbank Centre to deliver hospitality across the cultural venue, including Seventy5th Balcony Bar, Festival Bar & Kitchen, Ballroom Cafe, Roof Garden Bar & Kitchen, Hayward Gallery Café, and Members' Lounge.
- Royal Society of Arts (RSA)coreCompany of Cooks partners with the RSA to deliver hospitality across RSA House, including The Coffee House, Muse Bar, and all private and corporate events. Menus are designed around format and flow to support the building's programme of talks, meetings, and events.
- Historic Royal Palaces (Hampton Court Palace)coreCompany of Cooks delivers hospitality at Hampton Court Palace across Tiltyard Café, Privy Kitchen Café, and Wilderness Kiosk. The Privy Kitchen features historic-inspired pies drawing on the palace's story.
- Historic Royal Palaces (Tower of London)coreCompany of Cooks delivers hospitality across cafés, kiosks, and seasonal outlets throughout the Tower of London. Food reflects the character of the Tower, drawing on its history and setting.
- Royal Botanic Gardens, KewcoreCompany of Cooks operates hospitality across Kew Gardens including The Botanical Brasserie, Pavilion Bar and Grill, Family Kitchen, The Orangery, and Victoria Plaza Café. Menus focus on freshness, seasonality, and plant-based dishes.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Company of Cooks competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- CH&CO Group: Parent hospitality group of Company of Cooks and a leading UK independent catering group with overlapping premium venue and workplace catering offerings. Comparable as a broad incumbent in UK premium contract catering.
- Sodexo UK & Ireland: Global contract services major with a large UK venue, heritage and corporate catering division. Overlaps with Company of Cooks in cultural venues and corporate event catering, though operates across a far broader service portfolio.
- Elior UK: International contract caterer with UK presence in workplace, venue and cultural-sector catering. Comparable as a broad incumbent competitor for venue hospitality and event catering contracts.
- Compass Group UK & Ireland: World's largest contract caterer and ultimate parent group context; operates venue, heritage and cultural catering at scale across the UK. Overlaps in venue hospitality and runs the careers platform Company of Cooks uses for recruitment.
Direct peers
- Moving Venue: London-based premium event and venue caterer specialising in corporate, private and cultural-occasion catering. Comparable in the events layer of Company of Cooks' private events offering.
- Baxter Storey: UK's largest independent hospitality caterer, focused on workplace, venue and cultural-site catering. Directly comparable in business model (premium bespoke venue F&B), customer type (cultural institutions, corporate venues) and bespoke place-led concept design.
- Restaurant Associates (part of CH&CO/WSH Group): Premium UK venue and cultural-institution caterer with a similar customer base of museums, galleries, and heritage sites. Operates bespoke restaurant and café concepts within partner venues, making it a close functional peer in the venue hospitality space.
- WSH (Westbury Street Holdings): UK hospitality group operating premium venue catering brands including Restaurant Associates. Directly comparable in premium cultural-venue and heritage F&B partnership model.
Emerging players
- Fooditude: London-focused workplace and venue contract caterer with growing premium positioning. Comparable as an emerging player in the UK contract catering space, though smaller in scale and venue portfolio.
- Harrington Porter: Boutique UK hospitality consultancy and venue catering operator with premium positioning in London venues. Comparable as a smaller emerging player competing in the same premium cultural-venue catering niche.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Company of Cooks social profiles
Digital presenceCompany of Cooks financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Company of Cooks leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Company of Cooks funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Company of Cooks M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Company of Cooks
What does Company of Cooks do?
Company of Cooks is a premium hospitality and catering brand that operates as the in-house food, drink and events partner for prestigious UK venues including cultural institutions (Royal Opera House, Southbank Centre), heritage sites (Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kensington Palace, Hillsborough Castle), visitor attractions (Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, Chelsea Physic Garden), and City of London Livery Halls (Goldsmiths' Hall, Brewers' Hall, Ironmongers' Hall). The company delivers venue-specific restaurant, café, bar and event catering offers across 25+ UK sites, alongside private events catering, social impact programmes and a dedicated hospitality training academy.
Is Company of Cooks a public or private company?
Company of Cooks is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was Company of Cooks founded?
Company of Cooks was founded in 1996. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is Company of Cooks based?
Company of Cooks is headquartered in United Kingdom, in the Europe region.
How does Company of Cooks make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Venue Catering & Hospitality Services are the primary driver. The others are private Events & Corporate Catering and exclusive Venue Partnerships.
Who are Company of Cooks's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are CH&CO Group, Sodexo UK & Ireland, Elior UK and Compass Group UK & Ireland. Direct peers are Moving Venue, Baxter Storey, Restaurant Associates (part of CH&CO/WSH Group) and WSH (Westbury Street Holdings). Emerging players are Fooditude and Harrington Porter.
Does Company of Cooks have an API?
No public API is recorded for Company of Cooks.
What industry is Company of Cooks in?
Company of Cooks's product category is Hospitality and Contract Catering Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAFAIAC, Venue & Banquet Hall Catering, with a secondary code of THAHAKAE, Wedding & Social Event Catering. Its NAICS code is 722320 and its SIC code is 5810.