We have a ‘3 Pots for £10’ promotion this month – which is still on, if you hurry – and we needed a volunteer for a video to help spread the word. Step forward James, our Brand Director. Here he is, dressed as a rabbit, doing some really rather spectacular hopping. (If you listen carefully, you can hear an excited child shout: ‘It’s the Easter bunny!’) And the Oscar for best rabbit goes to…
Like religion or politics, the question of what should go into a fish pie is so divisive that it should never be brought up in polite company. We’re very proud of our Classic Fish Pie and it’s a longstanding customer favourite, so we thought we’d share the recipe. Now you can make it – or a version of it – at home. You can replace the prawns with more fish, add capers, smoked salmon or hard-boiled egg, sprinkle cheese on top, take out the wine, add some peas … whatever takes your fancy. This is for 2 good-sized portions, but the recipe is easily doubled if you have more mouths to feed.
Last year we got through 507,000kg of potatoes in the COOK kitchen. Whether you put that weight in Blue Whales (five) Donald Trumps (5,633) or cats (103,469), it’s a hard figure to get your head around. Suffice to say it’s a lot of spuds.
We asked COOK co-founder and chef extraordinaire Dale to give us the low down on this, the most humble of vegetables.
Last year at COOK we set ourselves a target of employing 2% of our workforce from marginalised communities. This meant we’d need to recruit up to 20 people who would otherwise find it very difficult to nigh-on impossible to find a job - not because they don’t have the potential to do meaningful or valuable work, but because their backgrounds or circumstances tend to exclude them from the jobs market. We regard this kind of recruitment as one of the single biggest ways we can have a positive social impact as a business and help forge a more inclusive and compassionate society. Done well, it also adds value to our business. I’m delighted to say we hit our target, although it was far from straightforward. Here’s what we learned along the way:
Our new Kale Pesto Pasta Pot for One has gone down a storm, so we thought we’d share the recipe for the kale pesto with you. It’s a great way to eat this superfood if you struggle with your greens, and just a brilliant use of any leftover kale in your fridge. Try it on roast chicken, tossed through pasta or as a dressing for roasted vegetables and you’ll never look back...
Everyone has a dream, something they would love to achieve. All too often they remain nothing more than that – a dream. Don’t let that happen to you. Here are some practical steps to getting what you’ve always wanted, courtesy of COOK’s Dream Manager. (How’s that for a job title?)
They may come in black, plastic pots but emptied onto a plate or into a bowl, and decorated with a garnish, and our Pots For One become little beauties.