About Cooksmill
Cooksmill, A Family Business
Cooksmill had big ambitions from day one. Starting small, our founder bought a storefront in Dewsbury, West Yorkshire in 1968 and focused on selling primarily houseware goods, ranging from stationery to toys and general non-catering items. The store went through several different changes, mostly expansions and an increased demand for more goods, in the few years we were in Dewsbury. It became apparent quite quickly that there was a demand for home goods at a wholesale price and we were recognised as the best place for quality goods and services.
In the mid seventies we moved to what would later become our flagship catering store. We bought a small, single building shop on Joseph Street in Bradford. We were still selling housewares at wholesale prices, but only to the trade. Local businesses and shops would come to us for the best prices and we became quickly recognised by the trade as the place to go for everything from glassware to paper and pens.
By the late 80s, demand was growing stronger and stronger and we were running out of room! An extension was built onto the Joseph Street shop to accommodate the growing demand and stock. We were still selling strictly houseware goods to fellow retailers and trade customers. We focused on sourcing goods from local factories. Bradford was a booming Mill town and luckily we didn’t have to look far for most of our products, contributing to the local infrastructure and economy. By this point, our founder’s family became involved in the business as well, primarily his son, who would later take over management.
Around the late 90s, something shifted. The hospitality scene descended on Bradford and West Yorkshire, with new restaurants, cafes and takeaways popping up everywhere. Our customers were now after pots and pans instead of housewares. The restaurant and catering community started knocking on our door, so we started catering to them!
We started trading under the name “Joseph Street Cash and Carry,” taking the name from the street we were located on. Already having a good idea of what the local community was after, we slowly switched our products and stock, focusing on hospitality and catering-grade goods. We aligned ourselves with the evergrowing hospitality industry and focused on the future.
Our current Managing Director took over the business in the late 90s. As the son of the founder, he had spent his life learning the tricks of the trade with his dad. He saw the future trends and understood how best to cater to our customers, so we brought in more and more products for the restaurant and catering industry. Early 2000’s we opened the doors to everyone, allowing anyone to shop with us. Overnight we saw a demand from at-home chefs who wanted high-quality tools for their domestic kitchens. Since then, we’ve been constantly supplying to both professional chefs and domestic chefs.
By 2006, we found it was time for expansion again! We bought the surrounding small buildings around the flagship Joseph Street store and bulked up on our stock. This is when our Bradford store really took off for local customers. At home hosts and chefs came to us seeking hospitality-grade cutlery and glassware. Customers were pleasantly surprised to find that they could own their favourite restaurants’ crockery, or the same glasses as their local pub. We were still focused on sourcing products locally but also looked further afield for larger brands. Through networking, we began to supply and sell global brands, recognised around the world for their quality.
Fast forward a little over ten years and we’re still growing! Manchester was growing as a powerhouse city in the North, and an opportunity arose for us to expand our customer base. Early 2013 the idea was planted to open a superstore where customers could come and view stock in person. While we still had our Bradford store, however, we needed space to stock larger items and full crockery ranges.
In October of 2014 we opened our Salford branch. This store allows us to cater to non-trade customers as well as the trade. Customers can come in, look at the products in person, and buy the item right then and there. The Salford store also features plenty of car parking space, making ourselves more accessible for customers travelling to see us. The showroom is open 6 days a week, so why not pop in and see us?
The name “Cooksmill” was the name of the warehouse bought in Bradford, on Leeds Road. Our Managing Director saw the name and immediately knew it was the future of the company. Cooksmill soon encompassed all of our locations, the name serving as our brand going forward. The Dadibhais name has heritage and history, and we didn’t want to lose that, so we added that to our name as well.
The Leeds Road warehouse, Cooksmill House, became our central location for web orders. We consolidated most of our stock to this building and started to strategically stock different stores and warehouses depending on the local customer base. The warehouse underwent drastic modernisation to accommodate our ever-growing stock. We currently have over 25,000 products available through our online website, featuring competitive leasing options and wholesale prices for everyone.
Around late 2021, our office staff began to grow as well. We quickly went from a one-woman office team to a larger workforce, comprised of specific divisions to focus on customer service and website management. Cooksmill House was given a dedicated office space, with a modern and bright workspace attached to the warehouse, to allow all members of staff to work cohesively together.
If history is any indication, we’re on track for further expansion in the near future. Cooksmill has always been a family company, and this remains true to this day. We’ve proudly served the hospitality industry for over 30 years and look forward to welcoming the 3rd generation of Dadbihais family to continue to do so.