ProCook Gloucester Review - Real Employee Experience

Published: 8 November 2025

This review provides a comprehensive account of working as a warehouse operative or picking/packing operative at ProCook, located in Gloucester.

It reflects both temporary and contracted staff experiences and shares information you will not find in job postings or on standard review sites.

This is a workplace to approach with extreme caution - the reality bears little resemblance to what is promised at interviews.

Promises of teamwork, safety, and respect quickly fade once you begin your first shift - replaced by pressure, unrealistic demands, and a culture of constant surveillance.

Employees are treated like numbers rather than people: constantly watched, exhausted, and given abrupt, repetitive instructions such as "Replen now," "Shops now," "Web picking now," or "Hygiene now."

The environment feels more like dog training than a human workplace, with little regard for dignity, respect, or fair treatment.

WorkExpose documents these conditions to provide transparent, verifiable insights for job seekers - not company PR.

Editorial note: Content on this page reflects commonly reported employee experiences observed across publicly available review platforms. It represents opinion and commentary, not verified facts, and does not reproduce individual reviews.

Company Details

• Company: ProCook Limited
• Address: 10 Indurent Park, Stonehouse / Haresfield, Gloucestershire, GL10 3EZ
• Local Phone: 0330 100 1010
• Email: care@procook.co.uk
• Companies House Registration: ProCook Limited - Company No. 06639057
• Industry: Retail, e-commerce, and distribution of cookware, kitchenware, and home products
• Site type: Large combined headquarters and distribution centre (offices, warehouse, studio, and logistics under one site)
• Building size: Approx. 167,000 sq ft facility housing office staff and warehouse operations
• Parking: On-site parking available, although spaces can become limited during peak shift times
• Warehouse environment: Described by many as physically demanding, fast-paced, and heavily target-driven
• Site layout: Office block connected to large warehouse zones; goods-in, goods-out, picking, packing, and photography/marketing studio all operate from the same site
• Workforce: Mix of permanent employees, agency workers, and seasonal staff during busy periods
• Common employee concerns: High targets, pressure from management, strict performance expectations, and significant physical strain
• Additional notes: Despite being a modern site, the work culture and expectations often feel much harsher than the building itself suggests

Shift Schedules

Employees work a rotating shift schedule.

• Week 1: Mon, Tue 08:00-20:00, Wed-Fri off, Sat, Sun 08:00-20:00.
• Week 2: Mon, Tue off, Wed-Fri 08:00-20:00, Sat, Sun off.

Breaks are strictly timed:

• 20 minutes at 11:00
• 30 minutes at 13:45
• 20 minutes at 17:00

Employees must remain at the location where they leave their duties during breaks and cannot leave earlier than the scheduled time.

Walking to lockers, the canteen, or toilets is not accounted for, so workers often lose 4-6 minutes of their break simply traveling to and from work areas.

Important: 30-minute lunch break is unpaid.

Pay and Benefits

Pay is slightly above minimum wage, with employees paid every four weeks (13 pay periods per year).

Overtime is paid at the same rate, and there is no compensation for time lost due to strict break enforcement or the time it takes to move between work areas and facilities.

For a physically demanding 12-hour shift, this rate highlights the high expectations placed on staff for relatively limited reward.

Warehouse Environment

The warehouse consists of very tall racking aisles that are often overloaded with stock.

Pallets are sometimes misplaced or misaligned, creating potential hazards for employees moving through the aisles.

The floors, particularly in web picking and retail picking areas, are frequently cluttered - resembling a “war zone” in the first 1-2 hours of each shift.

Despite repeated internal safety reminders, aisles remain cluttered for hours, showing a lack of consistent housekeeping or accountability.

Micro-hazards and improperly stored or obsolete stock increase the risk of accidents.

Lockers are located inside the warehouse, dusty, and with rubbish accumulating on top. There are no separate locker rooms for men and women.

Smoking facilities are provided in a car park near the employee entrance but are exposed to wind and rain.

Workload and Staff Treatment

Temporary staff are assigned the most physically demanding tasks, often repeatedly performing duties that many long-term contracted employees avoid.

Meanwhile, long-term staff frequently have lighter responsibilities and are able to socialise or take time away from their duties without consequence.

Constant monitoring and scrutiny are placed on temporary staff, creating a high-pressure environment.

Public reprimands from assistant team leaders or managers occur multiple times, contributing to an atmosphere where mistakes or minor deviations from routine can result in loud criticism.

Health and Safety

Safety compliance is inconsistent and unevenly enforced.

Temporary staff are required to wear helmets when moving through the aisles, but team leaders, assistant team leaders, and the shift leader frequently do not.

The shift leader often appears more focused on casual socialising than on actual shift management duties.

Forklift operators, including team leaders and the shift leader, regularly move pallets on Bendi trucks unsafely.

Pallets are lifted over 10 meters high while the truck is in motion, instead of following proper procedure of lowering the pallet, moving the truck, stopping, and then raising it again.

Misaligned pallets, debris on the floor, and high racking aisles combine with this behaviour to create a daily environment with significant risk of accidents and serious injury.

These daily breaches of safety procedure create a constant risk environment, one that management visibly ignores.

Health and Safety Rules Ignored by Management

A serious and ongoing concern is the complete disregard for basic health and safety compliance among office staff and management.

While warehouse operatives are expected to follow every safety rule to the letter, office employees frequently enter warehouse areas without helmets, hi-vis vests, or any form of protective footwear.

Many are seen wearing casual shoes, trainers, or even open footwear such as flip-flops - in an active industrial environment with heavy stock movement and forklift operations.

Shockingly, this behaviour goes entirely unchallenged by team leaders, assistant team leaders, or the shift leader, who appear to accept it as “normal.”

Several employees have described it as an unspoken rule from upper management that office staff are exempt from wearing safety footwear or PPE.

This double standard not only undermines ProCook’s credibility regarding health and safety but also places everyone in the warehouse at greater risk.

Unrealistic Targets and Physical Demands

ProCook sets productivity expectations that are often unrealistic for the nature of the work.

Warehouse operatives are required to achieve approximately 65 picks per hour, regardless of the size or weight of items.

Products can range from small 0.1 kg items to boxes weighing up to 20 kg, all of which must be moved on cages or pallets through crowded aisles.

Within that same timeframe, employees are expected to restack cages so items fit securely, wrap pallets, and complete all required paperwork - all while maintaining the target pick rate.

Typical shop-picking tasks can range from 20 to more than 200 items per shop.

The fewer items assigned, the more time is lost assembling and unfolding heavy metal cages, yet the same target applies.

A standard shift involves 8 to 10 hours of continuous picking, followed by replenishment or hygiene work.

Employees who show competence are frequently assigned to the goods-in area, unloading 20-foot and 40-foot containers.

With three to five containers arriving daily, unloading can occupy nearly an entire shift, making this one of the most physically demanding aspects of the job.

Schedules, Breaks, and Daily Routine

Shifts are long (12 hours), with only three scheduled breaks that must be taken at precise times.

Employees must follow strict rules about leaving and returning to their exact position, meaning small delays caused by walking to facilities can reduce break time.

The strict break enforcement, combined with a heavy workload and constant supervision, creates a physically and mentally exhausting routine that persists day after day.

These restrictions make it nearly impossible to properly rest or recover during a 12-hour shift.

Management and Workplace Culture

The management approach emphasizes strict adherence to rules and constant oversight rather than guidance or support.

Task instructions are often minimal, requiring staff to figure out procedures under pressure.

Long-term staff enjoy greater autonomy, while temporary employees are treated as expendable and closely monitored, which can affect morale and overall job satisfaction.

The overall culture leans heavily toward favouritism and uneven treatment of employees.

Inside ProCook Warehouse: What Employees Really See

The Gloucester / Stonehouse ProCook warehouse may appear modern and orderly from the outside, but daily operations paint a very different picture.

Staff describe an environment marked by clutter, pressure, and ongoing safety concerns that rarely appear in job adverts or recruitment discussions.

What Workers Commonly Report Inside the Warehouse

• Very tall racking aisles often overloaded with stock, creating instability and hazards.
• Misaligned or poorly stored pallets that can obstruct movement and increase risk of accidents.
• Web picking and retail picking floors stay cluttered for the majority of the shift, creating ongoing hazards and congestion.
• Daily “micro-hazards” caused by debris, misplaced items, or leftover obsolete stock.
• Forklift operators lifting pallets while in motion, including loads raised over 10 metres.
• Management, office staff, and senior employees moving around warehouse zones without helmets, hi-vis, or safety footwear.
• Temporary workers assigned heavier duties, lifting 15-25 kg pans and boxes for hours at a time.
• Lockers placed directly in dusty warehouse areas with no separation for male and female staff.
• A smoking area exposed to rain, wind, and general weather.
• A visible gap between safety rules written on paper and the way work is actually carried out.

The inside of ProCook’s warehouse often feels chaotic, physically demanding, and poorly regulated.

Despite being housed in a large, modern building, the daily working conditions routinely fall short of what most job seekers would expect from a company of this size.

Aisles remain cluttered for hours, pallets are moved unsafely, and basic health and safety rules are ignored by those who should be enforcing them.

For new employees, the contrast between the polished exterior and the reality of daily life inside the warehouse can be stark.

The environment is not only exhausting but also carries risks that could be avoided with proper management, consistent housekeeping, and genuine respect for worker safety.

Working for ProCook: Pros and Cons

Pros:

• Slightly above minimum wage pay.
• Predictable 12-hour shift pattern on a rotating schedule.
• On-site parking available (though limited at peak times).
• Modern building with multiple departments operating under one roof.
• Some workers may appreciate long shifts that condense weekly hours into fewer working days.

Cons:

• Extremely physically demanding work, including lifting items up to 20-25 kg for long periods.
• Heavy reliance on strict targets (e.g., 65 picks per hour) regardless of item weight or complexity.
• Constant monitoring and surveillance leading to high stress.
• Temporary staff assigned the hardest and most repetitive tasks.
• Strong favouritism toward long-term staff, who receive lighter duties and less scrutiny.
• Unsafe practices by management and forklift operators, including ignored PPE rules and improper pallet handling.
• Office staff frequently enter warehouse zones without helmets, hi-vis, or protective footwear.
• Cluttered aisles, misaligned pallets, and daily hazards ignored by supervisors.
• Public reprimands and abrupt instructions create a hostile, demoralising atmosphere.
• Breaks are strictly timed, unpaid lunch, and travel time to facilities reduces actual rest.
• Overtime paid at the same rate as regular hours.
• Culture of pressure, unrealistic expectations, and lack of dignity or respect for staff.
• Management often socialises instead of supervising safety compliance.
• Lockers located inside dusty warehouse areas with no separate male/female locker rooms.
• Smoking area exposed to wind and rain.
• Goods-in and container unloading tasks are extremely demanding, often lasting an entire shift.
• True working conditions differ significantly from what is promised during interviews.

Verdict: Should You Work for ProCook?

ProCook’s warehouse in Gloucester / Stonehouse is a workplace that requires clear caution.

The supportive, team-focused environment promised at interviews contrasts sharply with the day-to-day reality described by both temporary and permanent staff.

The job is physically intense, target-driven, and heavily monitored.

Employees frequently report being treated like numbers, receiving abrupt commands, and facing constant pressure to meet unrealistic pick rates while lifting heavy items for long periods.

Pay remains only slightly above minimum wage, overtime offers no additional benefit, and breaks are tightly controlled, leaving little opportunity for genuine rest.

Safety standards are inconsistently enforced and openly ignored by management and office staff, creating a daily environment with real risk of accidents.

Meanwhile, favouritism is widespread: long-term employees enjoy lighter duties and far less scrutiny, while temporary workers shoulder the heaviest workload.

If you want predictable hours and can tolerate physically demanding labour under strict supervision, you may cope here.

But for most job seekers - particularly those prioritising safety, fairness, or a respectful workplace - ProCook’s warehouse conditions make this a role to approach with strong caution, and for many, a workplace best avoided.

Note: ProCook’s Gloucester / Stonehouse warehouse operates with inconsistent safety standards, heavy physical demands, and management practices that prioritise targets over staff wellbeing. The reality of the job differs sharply from what is presented at interviews, leaving many employees feeling pressured, monitored, and undervalued.

In short: Anyone considering work at ProCook should approach with extreme caution. Reports of unsafe behaviour, unfair treatment, and a culture that favours long-term staff over temporary workers make this a workplace where dignity, respect, and proper support are often lacking.