Cooks opens first Esquires store in mainland Europe

Store opens in Porto, Portugal as Esquires Coffee named top-rated coffee franchise in the United Kingdom by Elite Franchise magazine

Cooks Global Foods (NZAX.CGF) today announces the opening of the first Esquires Coffee store in mainland Europe.

The announcement comes as Esquires Coffee was named the top-rated coffee franchise in the United Kingdom by Elite Franchise magazine and among the country’s top 100 franchises.

Esquire’s new store in Porto, Portugal officially opened on Monday 11 December and follows the conclusion of a franchisee agreement in June of this year.

The move is part of Cooks’ continuing drive into new markets where it sees the potential for its unique take on Organic and Fairtrade coffee.

Over the last year Cooks has signed preliminary term sheets to extend Esquires’ presence into the Middle East, North Africa & West Asia, Hong Kong, Macau and Taiwan and it is in talks to engage franchisees in a number of other regions.

Cooks executive Chairman Keith Jackson said: “Mainland Europe represents an attractive territory for Esquires. New Zealand’s third-wave café culture is a fresh take on coffee in a market that is dominated by traditional formats. Cooks and our European partners believe our offer will resonate with customers.”

“Our confidence in the business was this week underscored by the naming of Esquires Coffee as the top-rated coffee store franchise in the United Kingdom. We are excited about the opportunities we see.”

Elite Franchise rates all franchises on its list according to a broad range of criteria ranging from growth and the support they offer franchisees, through to their financial performance and their contribution to the community. The full list is available here.

Cooks will provide a further update on its operations when it releases its results for the year to 30 September 2017 on Thursday 14 December 2017.

For further information:

Richard Inder

The Project

Tel +64 21 645 643

Keith Jackson

Executive Chairman

Tel: +64 9 304 0567 ext. 714.

About Cooks Global Foods Cooks

Global Foods operates in world markets and is listed on the NZAX market operated by NZX Limited in New Zealand under the code CGF. It owns the intellectual property and master franchising rights to Esquires Coffee Houses worldwide excluding New Zealand and Australia. Cooks currently operates or franchises Esquires Coffee in Canada, the United Kingdom, Ireland, Bahrain, Kuwait, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Indonesia, Portugal, and China. For more information visit: www.cooksglobalfoods.com