What’s cooking at Cook Trading, the Sittingbourne, Kent, UK-based producer, wholesaler and retailer of frozen high quality ready meals? Plenty more than usual, thanks to the expansion of its industrial kitchens and recent installation of a highly efficient Starfrost Helix spiral freezer that boosts capacity by 50%.
The company, founded by frozen cake salesman Edward Perry and banquet chef Dale Penfold in 1997, began operations with a credo that remains its guiding light today: “Cook using the same ingredients and techniques as you would at home, so everything looks and tastes homemade.”
Steadfast adherence to that philosophy has paid off nicely, as the company has enjoyed rising annual annual revenues year on year.
The “hands on” approach within Cook production kitchens has chefs stirring dishes with large paddles, and manually ladling and garnishing each dish by hand. Indeed, they are engaged in home cooking — just on a much larger scale.
The company employs approximately 300 people involved in the production, marketing and distribution of a wide assortment of meals, starters, meal boxes, puddings and pastries. Main protein ingredients run the gamut from beef and poultry to pork, lamb, game, fish and more. Vegetarian dishes are also produced in abundance, and the many cuisines offered span the globe in origin from traditional British fare and Italian favorites to Indian, Thai, Mexican, Moroccan and other ethnic specialities.
As part of Cook’s program to increase output and improve efficiency and the quality of its popular gourmet recipes, selection of an efficient freezing system was crucial. Ben Walker, the company’s technical projects manager, discusses what went into the decision making process in the Q&A below:
Can you briefly outline the details of the freezing project?
We wanted to upgrade from static blast freezing to a continuous freezing method within our ready-to-cook meal production.
Why was a new freezing solution required?
Due to increased demand of our products and our business expansion plans, we needed to increase the volume of our frozen ready meal range and wanted to invest in the latest freezing technology within our production kitchens.
Were there any key requirements for the project?
Fundamental to the project was finding a freezing system and process that maintained the quality of our ingredients and meals.
Please describe the selection process and what criteria you were looking for in a supplier
Our chosen supplier of freezing equipment had to deliver a solution that matched our expectations and requirements for quality. We selected Starfrost to help us achieve this, we felt confident the team could provide us with a bespoke solution that would fit within our business. They understood the complexities of the project and most importantly our company focus on product quality. We were pleased to partner with Starfrost and are currently working on an additional project for another spiral freezer.
Which freezing method was implemented and how has it met your project requirements?
Working with our team and specification for our products, Starfrost designed and installed a Helix spiral freezer. It’s an automated freezing system which means our products are consistently frozen and at a reduced time in comparison to blast freezing. We’ve seen a significant boost in terms of output, as we have now increased production capacity by 50%. With the addition of the second spiral freezer this summer, we plan a further 30% increase, bringing our total expected throughput up by 80%.
Are there any additional benefits of the freezing system? If so, what difference has that made to your production kitchen?
The Helix spiral freezer gives us operational flexibility which matches our home style cooking processes. We’ve been able to reduce contact handling of the product and now have an end to end line solution. The combined benefits of the new freezing system deliver a higher quality end product that keep our production to more stringent timelines — which for any chef, is a must!
Project Details
Following extensive product trials at their laboratory test facility in Suffolk, Starfrost designed and manufactured a bespoke Helix spiral freezer system. That would effectively freeze the ready-to-cook meals while locking in the quality and flavor of the ingredients.
Since the installation of the new freezer, Cook has reduced manual labor and improved production efficiency as well realized a range of operational benefits, including increased factory space and significantly reduced processing times.
The compact automated freezer designed for Cook has removed the need for large rack trolleys within the production kitchens, an operational requirement for blast freezers. The new freezer also features an energy-efficient design that operates with CO2 refrigeration, a long term refrigeration solution that is not subject to phase out regulations.
Commenting on the project, Samuel Welch, Lowestoft, UK sales manager for Lowestoft, Suffolk-based Starfrost, commented: “We understood immediately that the company and its products are focused on quality. Our key focus was to find a cooling solution that would seamlessly fit within the business and processing line.”
The next spiral freezer project for Cook, currently being manufactured, is a duplicate model of the recently installed Helix. Designed to freeze 3,600 meals per hour, it will deliver the same energy efficient and maximized capacity benefits.
