OUR STORY
Our co-founder Mark went to Sparsholt College and set up Southern Smokeries in 1982, inspired by his time studying at Sparsholt College in Hampshire. He began selling a variety of smoked food products and then in 1986 Will joined him to grow the business further. Together they grew the range of seafood products to include mainly fresh fish. Fast forward to today, and Cooper Foods has separate fish and meat preparation facilities selling a wide range of fresh and frozen foods to the hospitality industry, including a large variety of fresh and frozen seafood, meats from our in-house butchery, frozen pies, terrines and individual meals, desserts, UHT products, tinned tomatoes and much more to support our chefs in the kitchen. We help our customers cater for a range of dietary requirements demanded by their customers by providing a wide range of vegan and gluten free options too. This coupled with our excellent range of deli, pidy pastry, frozen desserts, puddings, ice cream and sorbets mean that catering businesses can source much of their wholesale food purchases from us. Whilst our product range continues to grow, one thing remains constant: our commitment to outstanding customer service and high quality produce. You can rely on us to deliver exactly what you need when you need it.
Our Commitment to Sustainability
We’re committed to reducing our impact on the environment while sourcing and supplying the best quality wholesale fresh food. We have chosen to source most of our fresh fish from Brixham fish market, market-leaders on sustainability. We have established relationships with many other trusted local suppliers and ensure we’re sourcing the best quality produce with the least impact on the environment. As of 2023 we recycled 85% of packaging that comes to us from our suppliers.Our Facilities
Our food preparation service is second to none – with a state-of-the-art facility and highly-skilled meat and fish preparation teams, we prepare your order to your exact requirements, ensuring your fantastic menu keeps your hungry diners happy. We also offer traceability on many of our fresh products, using our brand new paperless integrated business software, so you can rest assured you know exactly where your produce is from.LOCAL SUPPLIERS
FISH
- Trout from Chalkstream in the Test Valley
- Severn & Wye, Gloucestershire – smoked and cured salmon and smoked fish.
- Scallops in shell – Lyme Bay – Ian Perkes Fish Merchants, Brixham
- Lobsters – Poole Harbour – various suppliers along the South Coast
- Brixham Devon – Day Boat Fish including Hake, Plaice, Cornish Sole etc
- Oysters from Dorset Oysters
CHEESE
- Hampshire Cheeses – Tunworth
- Dorset Blue Vinny, Dorset
- Lyburn Cheese, Hampshire – Lyburn Old Winchester
- Isle of Wight Cheeses, Isle of Wight
- Wookey Hole cave aged cheddar, Somerset
- Rosary Goats cheese, Wiltshire – Goats cheese logs and curd
MEAT
- Lamb all joints and cuts – from markets and farms in Hampshire, Wiltshire and across the South Downs
- All sausages made in house to our own recipes including our own Hampshire Honey and Watercress sausages.
- Cured Cooked Ham – Dorset
- Game including Venison, Partridge, Pheasant, Pigeon, Mallard – Hampshire Game
OTHER
- Waldrons South Devon – Gluten free and vegan desserts
- Ham Farm, Chichester– Mixed salad leaves
- New Forest Icecreams and Sorbets, Hampshire – buying milk from farmers who have animal welfare at heart.
- Toms Pies, Devon
PACKAGING AND RECYCLING
We work to minimise our impact on the environment at every step of our food intake and delivery process. All our incoming card and polystyrene foam packaging is compacted on-site and removed by approved and licensed companies for recycling. Our waterproof boxes and plastic trays are made from recyclable material. We have fitted filters to all our water drains in working areas to trap as much debris as possible and prevent it from entering the waste water system.
ACCREDITATIONS
We hold accreditations with SALSA, The Food Standards Agency (approval number 2268), the National Seafood Consortium and we are a proud member of the Sterling Supergroup.
