Manufacturer and distributor Donald Cooke Ltd is celebrating 125 years of trading this year.
William John Cooke laid the foundations for the business in 1900 as a carrier with a horse and cart in Sheffield. Later joined by son Cyril Cooke and his two sons Donald and Colin, they grew the business to manufacture breadcrumb and trade via their own shop.
Donald later moved the business to another site in Rotherham and began producing one of the first complete dog foods called NEG+, which was subsequently rebranded as Lookydog and by 1987 the company had developed EMP egg food for caged birds, still a significant part of the business.
Current MD Andrew Cooke became the fifth generation of the family to join the business in 2002 and he has overseen the growth of the company into the manufacturing, packing and distribution of angling, aquaculture, pet and animal feed categories.
In recent years, the pet range has expanded into natural dog treats under the K9 Chew Co brand, as well as being sole distributor of No More Plaque, Tick Twister and Bamboo Stick to the pet trade. In the past year, the business has launched new fishing products, its own brand pond range, Suteki, and won two New Product Awards at the 2024 PATS show for Tick Twister and its K9 Chew Co Pick ‘n’ Mix training treat stand.
