Please tell us a bit about Cookpad

Cookpad is the largest recipe sharing community in the world. Founded in Japan in 1997 where 80% of women (63 million) now use the service every month, we started to focus on global markets 3 years ago and now more than 35 million users are coming to Cookpad outside of Japan every month in more than 60 countries and 20 languages. Every day home cooking has a profound impact on ourselves and the world around us: it makes us healthier, connects us with our friends and family, and makes our environment more sustainable. Through solving the problems related to everyday cooking, we help people live happier and healthier lives.

Why did Cookpad choose to set up an operation in Bristol? and the UK more generally?

We chose the UK for our Global Product HQ due to its unparalleled global transport links, exceptional talent, global language and stable and familiar legal systems.
We chose Bristol for its unique mix of technical, design and UX communities, incredible food scene and agricultural resources, and vibrant arts and music scenes. Having lived outside of the UK for the last 20 years, and despite originally being from Coventry, I had never been to Bristol, but when I visited last year while scouting for potential locations I was immediately taken with the “big city but small city feel” and then learned a lot more about what this great city has to offer

What has your experience been of hiring in Bristol? What’s been good, and perhaps not so good?

So far we’ve grown to 40 people in our Bristol office. We’re really focused on building a truly exceptional team who not only connect with our mission but can contribute at the highest level in their disciplines. This makes hiring especially challenging, but we’ve attracted around 10 members from outside of the region or country, along with very high calibre local people. We have high hopes of attracting more world-class talent, but the challenge has been growing fast enough. That will continue to be my primary focus into the new year as we scale up to 140 and beyond