What Roake & Cook Limited does

Roake & Cook Limited is a chartered accountancy firm based in Canterbury, Kent, with a secondary office in Ashford, serving limited companies with turnovers between £250k and £5M across the UK. The firm delivers a full suite of accountancy services including accounts preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, tax planning, VAT compliance, management accounts, and business growth advisory, with particular specialisation in agriculture, food and drink, healthcare, ecommerce, and contractors/consultants. Founded by Helen Cook and Martin Cook, both holding backgrounds in Rural Land and Business Management and Agricultural Business and Management, the firm positions itself as a proactive, year-round advisor rather than a compliance-only practice.

The firm's technology stack is built around Xero as the primary cloud accounting platform, supplemented by Hubdoc for document management and Syft Analytics (integrated into Xero) for enhanced reporting, cash flow forecasting, and AI-powered insights. The firm holds Xero Gold Champion Partner status and is ICAEW Chartered, indicating advanced platform certification and regulatory compliance. Service delivery combines face-to-face consultation at the Canterbury and Ashford offices with remote digital delivery via cloud accounting platforms, secure document portals, and video conferencing, enabling it to serve clients beyond Kent.

The business operates on a bespoke, quote-based professional services fee model with annual billing cadence and no publicly disclosed pricing tiers. Its go-to-market emphasises educational content (blog, downloadable fact sheets), organic search, local social media presence, and free initial consultations to convert prospective clients. Customer acquisition is primarily referral-driven and relationship-based, targeting ambitious owner-managed businesses seeking proactive financial guidance rather than transactional compliance services.

Name

Roake & Cook Limited

Legal name

Roake & Cook Limited

Website

https://roakeandcook.co.uk

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Roake & Cook Limited is a Canterbury-based chartered accountancy firm serving UK limited companies with £250k–£5M turnover across agriculture, food and drink, healthcare, ecommerce, and contractor sectors, delivering bookkeeping, tax, payroll, and Xero cloud accounting services as a year-round advisory partner.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Canterbury

HQ country

United Kingdom

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Accountancy Services: Fees charged for comprehensive accountancy services including accounts preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, tax advice, business growth advisory, and Xero migration/support. Revenue is generated through service fees tailored to client needs and complexity.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Roake & Cook Limited is a chartered accountancy firm delivering accounts preparation, bookkeeping, payroll, business growth advisory, tax advice, and Xero migration/cloud accounting services to UK limited companies. Services are delivered via the Xero Gold Champion Partner stack and structured around year-round proactive advisory for clients in agriculture, food and drink, healthcare, ecommerce, and contractor sectors.

Product overview

Roake & Cook Limited is a chartered accountancy firm offering a comprehensive suite of accounting and advisory services built around cloud accounting technology. The core offering centers on six main services: Accounts Preparation, Bookkeeping, Payroll, Business Growth Support, Xero Migration & Cloud Accounting, and Tax Advice. These core services are delivered primarily through the Xero cloud accounting platform, supplemented by additional services including Management Accounts & Performance Reporting, VAT Services, and Business Restructuring & Sales advisory. The firm positions itself as a proactive, year-round accounting partner rather than a compliance-only service, with particular specialisation in agricultural, food & drink, healthcare, ecommerce, and contractor sectors. As Xero Gold Champion Partners, they leverage Xero's ecosystem including Syft Analytics for reporting and Hubdoc for document management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accounts Preparation Preparation of accurate, compliant annual accounts for limited companies and growing businesses, including statutory filings and company tax returns.
• Bookkeeping Stress-free, reliable bookkeeping keeping financial records clean, accurate, and up to date, including bank reconciliations and VAT return support.
• Payroll Accurate payroll processing ensuring employees are paid correctly and on time, including PAYE, National Insurance, and workplace pension administration.
• Business Growth Support Advisory services focused on cashflow, profitability, and planning for business expansion and long-term success.
• Xero Migration & Cloud Accounting Migration to the Xero cloud accounting platform with setup, configuration, training, and ongoing cloud accounting support.
• Tax Advice Straightforward tax guidance including corporation tax planning, personal tax planning, VAT advice, and strategies to reduce liabilities and plan effectively.
• Business Tax Accounts Annual accounts preparation, corporation tax returns and planning, and wider business tax advice for limited companies, sole traders, and partnerships.
• Xero Accounting Services Full-service Xero accounting support including setup, bank feeds, reconciliation, management information, cashflow reporting, and ongoing advisory.
• Management Accounts & Performance Reporting Monthly or quarterly reporting providing timely insight into profit, margins, and cashflow for ongoing business management.
• VAT Services VAT registration, return preparation, and Making Tax Digital (MTD) support for VAT compliance.
• Business Restructuring & Sales Support for business reorganisations, company formations, exit planning, and succession planning.
• Succession & Estate Planning Planning for generational transfers and long-term financial security.

Quantifiable outcome

• Clients describe the firm as professional, approachable, supportive and clear

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Syft AnalyticscoreTechnology or Integration · 1 August 2025Syft Analytics is integrated into Xero as 'Analytics powered by Syft', providing enhanced cash flow forecasting up to 180 days, AI-powered insights, interactive dashboards, custom KPI metrics, benchmarking, and scenario analysis capabilities for UK business clients.
• XerocoreTechnology or IntegrationXero Gold Champion Partner status; provides full-service Xero support including setup, migration, training, bank feeds, reconciliation, and ongoing cloud accounting management. As a certified Xero partner, the firm helps clients leverage Xero's features for real-time financial visibility.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Haines Watts: Long-established UK regional accountancy group serving SMEs and mid-market clients across multiple sectors; a broader incumbent offering the same core compliance and advisory services at greater scale.
• Xeinadin: Top-30 UK accountancy and advisory group formed via consolidation of regional firms; comparable SME client base but with materially greater scale, headcount, and service breadth.
• Moore Kingston Smith: UK mid-tier chartered accountancy firm with strong SME, creative, and Not-for-Profit specialisms; comparable advisory-led positioning but with significantly broader scale and resources.
• Azets: Large UK and Nordics accountancy and advisory group with extensive SME outsourcing services including bookkeeping, payroll, and tax; competes for the same SME client base with a much wider service portfolio.

Emerging players

• Pilot: Tech-enabled US bookkeeping and accounting service for small businesses using software-first delivery; comparable business model in leveraging cloud accounting plus automation for SME compliance, although US-focused rather than UK.

Direct peers

• Kreston Reeves: Top-100 UK chartered accountancy firm headquartered in Kent with broad SME and mid-market services including tax, payroll, and advisory; the most direct local competitor to Roake & Cook in the same geographic catchment.
• TaxAssist Accountants: UK franchise network of local chartered accountancy shops serving small businesses and sole traders; comparable client size band and localised SME service proposition.
• Beadle Starr: London-based chartered accountancy firm focused on SMEs, contractors, and small limited companies; comparable client profile and full-suite accounting, tax, and payroll offering.
• Crunch Accounting (Rogue): UK cloud-based accountancy service targeting limited companies and freelancers with online-led delivery and Xero integration; a comparable cloud-first SME-focused challenger model.
• Carpenter Box: South East England chartered accountancy firm with strong cloud accounting expertise and similar SME focus; comparable in size, service mix, and emphasis on modern tech-enabled delivery.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roake-cook-limited

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

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 Roake & Cook Limited