Premium Frozen Ready-Meal Manufacturer Relying on Sonoco Plastics for Packaging

A leading European premium frozen ready-meal manufacturer, COOK, is using round plastic containers produced by Sonoco Plastics Ireland for its new One Pot frozen ready meals. Sonoco Plastics is a business unit of Sonoco (NYSE: SON), a global manufacturer of industrial and consumer products and provider of packaging services.

COOK, which opened its first frozen ready-meal shop in 1997 and now oversees 50 shops throughout the U.K., has used plastic CPET trays manufactured by Sonoco Plastics for its frozen ready-meals since 2008. When COOK needed a packaging supplier for its round One Pot meals, it turned once again to Sonoco Plastics. The pots manufactured by the plastics packaging unit of Sonoco are ideal for COOK´s six One Pot recipes because of their durability and sustainability. The One Pot containers include up to 50 percent recycled food- grade plastic, helping COOK reduce its carbon footprint by approximately 25 percent. The pots also are 100-percent recyclable.

"The market for One Pot ready meals is growing quickly throughout Europe, and we needed a supplier who could provide a high-quality pot durable enough to move directly from the freezer and into the microwave. We also needed a supplier who could consistently deliver those pots on time and on budget," said COOK founder Edward Perry. "Based on our existing business relationship for trays, we were confident Sonoco Plastics could meet our expectations for pots relative to performance, cost and service. We haven´t been disappointed."

Jim Forde, general manager of Sonoco Plastics Ireland, said it took Sonoco Plastics just a few hours to respond to COOK´S request for a container suitable for the One Pot meals. "COOK came to us with very specific performance requirements for their pot, and it just so happened we were already manufacturing a CPET container that would meet their needs. The pot we offered was ideal for COOK´s One Pot concept," he explained. "Since manufacturing capabilities for this pot were already in place, we were able to help COOK get their One Pot ready meals to market in just a matter of weeks.

"We´re proud of the strong relationship we have with COOK, and we look forward to helping them grow this new segment of their business in the years ahead," said Forde.

About Sonoco

Founded in 1899, Sonoco is a $4.1 billion global manufacturer of industrial and consumer products and provider of packaging services, with more than 300 operations in 34 countries, serving customers in some 85 nations. Sonoco is a proud member of the Dow Jones Sustainability World Index. For more information on the Company, visit our website at http://www.sonoco.com/.

About COOK

COOK is a leading premium frozen ready-meal manufacturer based in London, England. The first COOK shop opened in the small town of Farnham, England, in 1997, and today the Company oversees 50 shops throughout the United Kingdom. For more information on COOK and the products it offers, visit http://www.cookfood.net.