An Arbroath food business is celebrating strong growth after its owner made the bold decision to close her restaurant and focus solely on her award-winning pies and street food offering.
WeeCOOK, founded by chef Hayley Wilkes in 2011, has seen pie sales climb 15% in 2025, following similar positive growth the previous year. The business is on track to record its first profit since being impacted by the pandemic, and has also launched a successful new street food venture, Phat Baps – a move designed to capture casual dining demand without the overheads of a full restaurant operation.
The turnaround follows Hayley’s decision in 2024 to close the WeeCOOK Restaurant and concentrate on the pies that have twice won Best Fish Pie in Britain at the British Pie Awards. Hayley credits completing the 90% government-funded Help to Grow: Management Course at Heriot-Watt University’s Edinburgh Business School with giving her the strategic vision and confidence to make the transition.
Hayley explains: “It was a tough decision, 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.”
The Arbroath-based business now supplies pies to customers across Scotland and has built a strong following through regional and national media coverage, including appearances on ITV’s Love Your Weekend with Alan Titchmarsh and Aldi’s Next Big Thing on Channel 4.
Despite the national exposure, Hayley has deliberately resisted opportunities to scale into mass-market supermarket supply, choosing instead to grow the business on her own terms through direct sales and a growing corporate catering arm.
Hayley continues: “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 Help to Grow: Management Course, said: “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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The Help to Grow: Management Course is a 90% government-funded leadership programme for SME businesses, delivered by a network of Small Business Charter accredited business schools. The course runs over 12 weeks and includes online and face-to-face sessions, 10 hours of 1-to-1 mentoring and peer networking. Its mission is to increase economic growth and productivity through improved management and leadership practice.
To find out more about the Help to Grow: Management Course, visit: https://smallbusinesscharter.org/help-to-grow-management/course
