WeeCOOK finds recipe for growth

An Angus catering and pie business is on track for its first post-pandemic profit following a shift in strategy.

Arbroath-based WeeCOOK has seen pie sales rise by 15 per cent in 2025 after owner and chef Hayley Wilkes decided to close the company’s restaurant operation last year.

Founded in 2011, the business is now on track to post its first profit since the pandemic and has expanded its offering with street food venture Phat Baps.

Hayley said: “It was a tough decision (to close the restaurant), but it’s transformed the business. 

“Running the restaurant alongside the pies meant we were spreading ourselves too thin, especially as market demand changed post-COVID. 

“Focusing on what we do best has allowed us to grow in a way that feels right, and the results speak for themselves.”

WeeCOOK’s pies have twice been named Best Fish Pie in Britain at the British Pie Awards, helping the company build a loyal customer base across Scotland.

Hayley added that support from the Help to Grow: Management Course at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School helped shape the decision to restructure the business.

Despite appearances on ITV's Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh and Aldi’s Next Big Thing on Channel 4, Hayley has chosen to focus on direct sales and corporate catering rather than large-scale supermarket supply.

She added: “The Help to Grow: Management Course helped me step back and look at what I really wanted the business to be. 

“Sometimes the bravest thing you can do is focus. 

“We want to make great food that’s available to everybody – that’s what makes us happy, and you can taste that in everything we do. 

“There's always pressure to chase volume, but we’d rather grow sustainably with customers who genuinely value what we do.”

Flora Hamilton, executive director of the Small Business Charter, which delivers the 90 per cent Government-funded Help to Grow: Management Course, added: “Hayley’s story is a brilliant example of what happens when a talented entrepreneur is given the frameworks and headspace to think strategically about their business. 

“She came to the course with an exceptional product and a clear passion for her craft.

“Help to Grow: Management gave her the strategic lens to make the tough calls that have unlocked the next stage of growth.

“It’s fantastic to see what Hayley has gone on to achieve since completing the course at Edinburgh Business School, Heriot-Watt University, one of our network of 60+ Small Business Charter accredited business schools delivering the Help to Grow: Management Course. 

“We’re looking forward to seeing where she takes the business next.”

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