COCA-COLA POSTMIX FREE
ORIGINAL TASTE IS THE NUMBER 1 DRAUGHT COLA BRAND IN GB ON PREMISE AND GROWING* RETAIL VALUE OF OVER £1000+
GROWING
moments WITH great taste
COVER SHOT
Classic British dishes and flavours lie at the heart of this Norfolk holiday resort’s success. 29 16 20 24
Tracey Okane, Parkway Avenue Café, Sheffield
“We loved the Catering Trade Show this year! There’s so many products to sample and so many new ideas on offer – especially for Christmas. We also enjoyed watching the chefs at the Demonstration Station and Booker’s Master Butchers at work.”
Paul Charlton, Gin & Scone, Stockton-on-Tees
“A lot of things I’ve developed with my account manager at Booker. She’s been instrumental in developing my menus and she really helps me, walking around the store, looking at new products, she makes really good suggestions.”
Alex Demetriou, The Old Thatched Cottage, Weston-super-Mare
“The thought of walking past that restaurant and it not being ours is just impossible, so we had to find a way and we’ve built a management team around it.”
RANGE FOCUS
With Christmas only weeks away, you can rely on Booker to provide you with a total meat solution covering all of your requirements through the festive period and into 2025. Employing more than 20% of all of the UK’s Master Butchers, Booker is uniquely placed to provide you with the quality, value and expert support you need to drive maximum profit from meat all year round.
NEWS
7 Pricing lockdown Prices on more than 800 products are locked down all the way through until 7 January 2025.
9 Budget First Labour Budget presents more challenges to the catering sector for 2025.
PROFILES
20 Gin & Scone Cakes and cocktails are in high demand in Stockton-on-Tees.
24 Potters Classic British dishes keep holidaymakers happy in Norfolk.
29 The Old Thatched Cottage French and Greek Cypriot-influenced dishes delight in Weston-super-Mare.
FEATURES
12 Your Total Meat Solution Booker has an unrivalled offer all year round.
16 Catering Show Review A look back at the recent Booker Catering Show.
34 Market Foods Tap into the growing trend of internationally-inspired street food.
39 Seasonal Serves Take your hot drinks menu to a new level.
SERVICE
42 Locked Down Pricing More than 800 products locked down until 7 January.
REGULARS
46 Low & No Moderation offers a growing opportunity into 2025.
BOOKER NEWS
NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS BOOKER
FESTIVE PROFITS LOCKED IN WITH PRICING GUARANTEE
With Christmas almost upon us, you can lock in your profits all the way through the festive period, thanks to Booker’s pricing guarantee on more than 800 products until 7 January 2025.
STOCK UP IN CONFIDENCE
With Christmas now only a matter of weeks away, Booker is helping its catering customers plan ahead in confidence and lock in their profits with the latest pricing guarantee on more than 800 lines all the way through to the new year.
The pricing guarantee is in place until 7 January 2025 which you can plan your food and drink menus for the entire festive and new year period, safe in the knowledge that your profit margins are fixed.
As always, the pricing guarantee covers all main product categories across food, drinks and non-food lines like essential cleaning equipment and disposables.
With the party season beginning to kick off, the pricing lockdown includes an extensive array of
What are you doing different to stand out in your local market? Share it with us and your fellow Booker colleagues at catering@booker.co.uk brands
premium brands to help you trade customers up. Even globally famous brands like Moët & Chandon Champagne are included alongside great-value alternatives such as Prosecco Cardinali – all available on a sale or return basis.
Other fantastic locked-down seasonal lines include smoked salmon, scampi and Stilton.
Moët included on Stilton. By multibuy lines which offer significant
To minimise risk for you and maximise sales over the festive period, Booker is offering a huge range of beers, wines, spirits and RTDs on a sale or return basis as part of the pricing guarantee.
The latest pricing also features a range of ‘Cheaper By The Case’ and multibuy lines which offer significant discounts to customers buying products by the case or in bulk, rather than individually.
Subject to T&Cs, this outstanding offer takes the risk out of stocking up on a wide range of lines and also helps eliminate the risk of out of stocks on key products at important periods over the Christmas and festive season.
sale or return range.
NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS THE INDUSTRY
FIRST LABOUR BUDGET DEALS ‘LATEST BLOW’ FOR HOSPITALITY
The recent Budget has been hailed as ‘the latest blow’ for businesses by UKHospitality, which predicts an increased tax burden of £3bn in 2025 for hospitality venues.
The first Labour Budget in 14 years will cost hospitality businesses an extra £3bn in 2025, according to trade body UKHospitality, but it also says ‘there are reasons for longer-term positivity’.
Described as the 'latest blow' for hospitality businesses, the Budget will deliver increases in National Insurance Contributions for employers and increased wage costs in 2025. There will, however, be a permanently lower level of business rates for hospitality businesses from 2026/27.
The net effect of the changes outlined in the Budget is that the cost of employing a full-time staff member will raise by at least £2,500 per
worker, according to UKHospitality. Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive, said: “This budget is the latest blow for hospitality businesses. Rising taxes, increasing costs and fragile consumer confidence risk bringing growth to a grinding halt.
“In the short term, the tsunami of employment costs coming in April will ultimately do more to hamper growth than incentivise it. 2025 will be painful for hospitality, with an increased annual tax bill of £3bn for the sector.
“However, there are reasons for longer-term positivity. Permanently lowering the level of business rates for hospitality levels the playing field and recognises the importance of the high street and the role it plays in our communities and economy. Hospitality venues will now have to ditch their ambitions to employ more people and do the very opposite – cut hours, scale back recruitment, and, in extreme circumstances, let people go, because they simply can’t afford the scale of these costs.”
What are you doing different to stand out in your local market? Share it with us and your fellow Booker colleagues at catering@booker.
EMPLOYMENT COSTS IN DETAIL
Analysis by
UKHospitality reveals that the employment tax measures in yesterday’s Budget will increase the cost of employing a fulltime staff member by at least £2,500
This is based on a typical staff member, 21 or older, earning the National Living Wage and working 38 hours per week
In this example, an employers’ National Insurance Contribution will rise 53.9% from £1,863 to £2,869;
It will be £2,100 more expensive to employ a single parent working 9am to 3pm, five days a week;
It will be £1,140 more expensive to employ a student working 14 hours at the weekend.
SERVING SUGGESTION:
TOMATO WITH MASCARPONE & FENNEL SOUP
As the weather gets colder, our soups are the perfect high-quality base to warm up your menu. They bring comfort and creativity to your kitchen, allowing you to serve consistent and quick dishes that are sure to satisfy your guests during the chilly season.
Made from sustainably grown vegetables, they taste great on their own or customise with extra ingredients to make your own signature soup.
M111318
M111317
M111495
M111316
WAGES HIT HIGHEST QUARTER ON RECORD
Wages hit an all-time high in the third quarter of 2024 with vacancies falling, suggesting continuing staffing challenges and pressure on margins.
The latest Labour Market Report from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveals that average weekly earnings in the food and accommodation sector hit £581.64, the highest quarter on record and a 12% hike on the previous quarter.
During the same period, employment increased by 0.22%, the first rise since Q3 2023. Vacancies fell to 94,000 in the quarter, down from 98,000 in the previous quarter.
The hike in wages suggests continuing staffing challenges for businesses and increased pressure on margins. The recent Budget is set to introduce fresh challenges in April 2025 when increases in
employers’ National Insurance Contributions and wages will further damage margins.
INTEREST RATE CUT ‘POSITIVE NEWS’ FOR SECTOR
The Bank of England has cut interest rates by 0.25%, from 5% to 4.75%. It is the second cut by the Bank this year and has been hailed as ‘positive news’ for the catering and hospitality sector.
Kate Nicholls, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “This interest rate cut is positive news in the short term for hospitality businesses, particularly those still struggling with pandemic debt repayments, and consumer confidence.
“However, that benefit is significantly overshadowed by the looming cost increases that will hit the sector in April. Government action to reduce the devastating cost impact in April is essential.”
What are you doing different to stand out in your local market? Share it with us and your fellow Booker colleagues at catering@booker.co.uk
SPENDING PLATEAUS IN OCTOBER
Consumer spending in bars, clubs and pubs plateaued in October at 0.0% growth, as did spending on takeaways and fast food, according to the latest monthly Barclays Consumer Spend report.
The report combines hundreds of millions of customer transactions with consumer research to provide an in-depth view of UK spending and found October to be the slowest growth month since October 2022. Consumers continue to cut back on discretionary spending with eating out (50%), fast food and takeaways (50%) and drinking at pubs, clubs and bars (41%) cited among the key methods of achieving that.
YOUR TOTAL MEAT SOLUTION!
Booker’s unrivalled butchery service means we are able to offer you a total meat solution all year round to help you maximise footfall, sales and profits.
If there’s one statistic that demonstrates just how seriously Booker takes meat, it’s this one: we employ 20% of all the UK’s Institute of Meat Master Butchers. That commitment to being the best is reflected in the quality of our range, our products, our knowledge, our skills and our service.
More than 1,000 people have progressed through our award-winning training programme for developing butchers and that allows us, in turn, to offer you best-inclass standards all year round.
With Christmas just around the corner, you
TALKING TURKEY
can rely our butchery team to provide the sort of support you need to maximise sales and profits at this vital time of year.
TURKEY… AND ALTERNATIVES
For many of your customers, Christmas means turkey – and we’ve got you covered on that front with a wide range of fresh and frozen options that will help you meet the needs of your specific customer base.
But not all customers are looking for the traditional turkey to tuck into. Tastes evolve over time and that’s something Booker has become aware of with an increasing
number of people looking for suitably indulgent alternatives to turkey.
As showstoppers go, you won’t find much to top our recently launched Thor’s Hammer, an absolute beast of a main course that fits well with the current sharing trend and can also be taken in a new direction as part of, for example, a contemporary Mac ‘n’ Cheese.
It’s the sort of dish that will draw gasps from those around the table when it’s served and is likely to encourage other diners to order ‘whatever it is that they’re having’!
JOINT WINNERS
PORK PROFITS
M289174 Carvery Gammon
£4.99/kilo
QUALITY GUARANTEED
l Extensive range of meat products, including halal
l Full traceability from farm to fork
M175260 Chef’s Larder Horseshoe Gammon
M652222 Chef’s Larder 1/2 Horseshoe Gammon
M271632 Blackgate Triple Smoked Gammon
M245466 Rind On Pork Loin
M236247 Rindless Boneless Pork Loin
M272298 Blackgate Pork Leg
£5 .99/kilo
£6.79/kilo
£6.99/kilo
£4.49/kilo
£4.49/kilo
£5.49/kilo
l Expert butchers across all our branches
l Simple ordering via telephone (24/7 answering machine), in person and online
At just £6.79 a kilo, it will cost you around £23.44 for a dish that will comfortably serve eight people. At a sell price of £90, that delivers a cash profit of £51.56 per serving, a 69% margin.
Other fantastic turkey alternatives include our exceptional range of joints from the jaw-dropping 5 Bone Ribs and the succu-
lent Blackgate Roasting Beef to our Bone-in Lamb Leg and our Australian Boneless Lamb Legs.
Impressive to behold, delicious and filling, these make for fantastic indulgent alternatives to turkey at Christmas as well as being perfect all year round for Sunday roasts or celebrations of any kind.
l Products packed and prepared to your specifications
l Supporting you and your chefs on maximising your menu planning/ options
l Visiting your kitchens to sample, cook off and demonstrate meat preparation and quality
*Source: Circana, All Outlets, Hot Co ee, volume sales for 52w/e 2nd December 2023.
®Reg. Trademark of Société des Produits Nestlé S.A.
SEASONAL ROASTS
Also worth considering is our range of pork seasonal roasts that make perfect centrepiece dishes for festive celebrations as well as being useful all year round.
Our Carvery Gammon is available at just £4.99 a kilo while our Chefs Larder Horseshoe Gammon is available in in both full-size (£5.99 per kilo) and half-size options (£6.79 a kilo).
For something even more indulgent, the Blackgate Triple Smoked Gammon looks and smells as good as it tastes and is great value at £6.99 a kilo.
Or how about the Rindless Boneless Pork Loin (£4.49 a kilo) or a classic Blackgate Pork Leg at just £5.49 a kilo.
However you’ve planned your menu for Christmas, we have everything you need to keep the traditional turkey fans happy as well as those looking for interesting, tasty alternatives.
And you can buy confidently, safe in the knowledge that every option highlighted
above
ACCOMPANIMENT ANGLES
Maximising profits this Christmas and beyond means squeezing every penny
out of every cover by building the centrepiece dish out with seasonal accompaniments. From traditional festive veg, pigs in blankets and gravy to vegan and glutenfree alternatives, you’ll find it all at Booker. co.uk or simply speak to your CDM.
FRESH-PREPARED RANGE
SHOW OF STRENGTH
Booker’s 2024 Catering Trade Show provided a sizzling showcase of its exceptional catering offer.
Caterers from across the country flocked to Booker’s Catering Trade Show in their thousands to enjoy a taste of some of the best new products, innovations and services on the menu for Christmas and the year ahead. Held on 25 September at Silverstone Circuit, the show boasted five halls bursting with quality products, inspiration, expert advice and mouthwatering samples!
Caterers visiting the show were also able to take advantage of an array of exclusive Trade Show Prices, unbeatable special offers and product giveaways. Bags of fun were also to be had thanks to a plethora of games and competitions.
COOKING UP A STORM
Hall 2 provided a veritable sensory feast, with more than 30 stands, including Unilever, Premier Foods, The Spice Factory, Kraft Heinz, James T Blakeman and Ishaan British Halal Beef, among others, all cooking up a sampling storm.
Over at the Chef’s Station, caterers were also treated to a sizzling show of live cookery demonstrations, featuring big-name branded products such as Lotus, Peka and Arla – with inspirational dishes cooked up by cookery influencers and celebrity chefs, including Great British Menu contestant Stephanie Moon.
BUTCHERY SKILLS
The Butchery Skills counter saw caterers treated to a meaty serving of top tips, advice and insights from Booker’s expert butchers. Booker’s exclusive Blackgate brand was the star of the show – in particular its range of steaks, including the Blackgate On The Bone Tomahawk and new Blackgate Sirloin Club Steak. Caterers also saw the meaty ‘Thor’s Hammer’ – a new product promising to take centre stage over the festive season.
CHRISTMAS SPIRIT
On the mezzanine, caterers were treated to an early taste of Christmas, courtesy of a Christmas-style market. Cheery wooden stalls
were decked with samples of freshly cooked Blackgate Pigs In Blankets, Chef’s Larder Mini and Deep Filled Mince Pies and more.
Caterers were invited to sample an array of gourmet cheeses including hot favourites like Chef’s Larder Premium Crunch
Cheddar, Chef’s Larder Tuxford & Tebbut
Stilton and Naked White Cranberry Cheese. Great deals on festive favourites, such as Chef’s Larder Gravy mix and Prawn Cocktail
Dressing were also on offer, alongside a
MEAT AND GREET DAVE CORBET
INSTITUTE OF MEAT ACCREDITED MASTER BUTCHER AND ENDORSED CRAFT BUTCHER, BOOKER NUNEATON
“I’m passionate about butchery and the Catering Trade Show is a fantastic outlet for that passion. It’s been wonderful to meet and great so many different customers and talk to them about their specific experiences and requirements.
"Christmas has been a big topic of conversation and we’ve been delighted to be able to talk caterers through Booker’s offer.
"A lot of caterers like to trade up at this time of year and are looking for ways to elevate their dishes, so we’ve had a lot of interest in our steak joints.
"We’ve also been talking about some of the newer additions to the Blackgate range such as the Tomapork, which can be a great alternative to beef and offers excellent value for money.
"Another big topic of conversation has been Booker’s Blackgate Signature Traditionally Linked Sausages, which were officially crowned as ‘Britain’s Best’ at the 2024 Meat Management Industry Awards. These sausages are absolutely fantastic and the win is a major accolade. Unsurprisingly, caterers have shown a lot of interest in them too!”
CATERER VIEW ARVINDER
KAUR,
OWNER, BEST PLAICE, NORTHAMPTON
“We own a successful fish and chip shop in Northampton, and we come to the Catering Trade Show every year. It’s such a fantastic opportunity to explore the range of new products available to us. It’s also a great source of inspiration; there are so many sampling stations here and it’s been wonderful to try new products and ingredients, and also to see new ways of using and evaluating existing products. Another bonus is being able to get up close and personal with key suppliers and of course, take advantage of the many great Trade Show Deals.”
number of new lines, such as Chef’s Larder Classic French Petit Fours. Each box contains 38 thaw and serve continental classics, including Crème Brulee Choux Pastries, Chocolate and Coffee Opera Squares, and Lemon Tartlets, among others.
OWN-BRAND EXCELLENCE
In Hall 4, Booker’s large own-brand stand showcased an array of products from Chef’s Essential’s, Chef’s Larder and Chef’s Larder Premium brands. Free samples on offer, included award winning Chef’s Larder Mini Sponge Cakes – which claimed the Best Bakery Product Award at the Food Industry Awards 2024. A wide range of own-brand sauces, marinades and bread and bakery products were also on show – including plantbased offerings such as on-trend Vegetable Goyozas and Rainbow Falafel Selection boxes.
CHANCE TO
CATERER VIEW:
ANDY SMITH/ TEELA HARROLD
OWNERS, THAT FILTHY FOOD CO.
“We own a fleet of street food trailers that we use to cater all kinds of events, from festivals to parties, weddings, you name it. Last year we also traded at Boardmasters and BBC Radio 2’s Party in the Park in the VIP areas, which an absolute privilege.
One of our trailers is an original 1962 Ohio land yacht Airstream which we’ve converted into a high-quality portable kitchen. We serve a wide mix of street foods, but loaded fries are our best sellers. Our range includes toppings such as Chimichurri Rump Steak, Katsu Chicken and Hot Spiced Halloumi. The Catering Trade Show has been such a fantastic experience, we’ve come away with some great ideas thanks to all the sampling stations and cookery demonstrations and we’ve discovered a range of new products that we’re excited to start using from Spice Magic. There’s an outstanding mix of sauce, rub and spice suppliers here which are of great interest to us and will help us add a new dimension to our offer.”
THE BIRDS AND BEES
Nature took centre stage at Booker’s buzzing ‘Birds and Bees’ themed stand in Hall 3, which showcased Booker’s Cage Free Egg commitment and the famous Booker Bees! Booker’s Sustainability Reporting Manager Maria Clark said: “Today has been all about the many ways in which we are working to support nature and colleague wellbeing. We now have five successful bee hives across three Booker sites – Hatfield, Haydock and Eccles and we’re currently working on plans to introduce a further two at BRP sites. We’re also highlighting our cage-free egg commitment and explaining that all of our shell eggs in both retail and catering are now cage free – and that by the end of 2025, all eggs as an ingredient will also be cage free.” The striking stand was adorned with recycled paper flowers, handmade by a community craft workshop.
Hall 5 was all about drinks, with more than 60 stands dedicated to BWS, including low- and no-alcohol products, along with soft drinks and juices.
And of course, the show wasn’t all about
CATERER VIEW:
TRACEY OKANE
OWNER, PARKWAY AVENUE CAFÉ, SHEFFIELD
food and drinks! Hall 1 played host to a sparkling line up of key non-food products for cleaning and housekeeping as well as packaging and paper and IT solutions. Booker’s exclusive Clean Pro+ brand was supported by an eye-catching stand starring a range of hero products, ideal for cleaning kitchens, floors, washrooms, warehousing and cellars. Caterers were also invited to learn about Booker Marketplace, and its equip ment offering.
“I’m the owner of the Parkway Avenue Café which is actually based inside the branch at Makro Sheffield. It’s a large café and we offer a really broad spread of options, from full English breakfasts to roast lunches, curries, pies, fish and chips. We’ve got a menu to suit all tastes and occasions. We’ve got an equally broad mix of customers, including other caterers, branch staff and of course anyone who has a Makro card. The café is a fantastic meeting place, lots of Makro’s catering customers pop in to do a shop and then stop for a bite to eat with fellow caterers and friends. We’ve loved the Catering Trade Show this year, there’s so many fantastic products to sample and so many new ideas on offer – especially for Christmas. We’ve also thoroughly enjoyed watching the chefs at the Demonstration Station and Booker’s Master Butchers at work.”
DAY TO NIGHT DELIGHT
From Eggs Florentine and coffee in the morning to Smash Burgers and cocktails after five, Paul Charlton has nailed daypart dining at the aptly named Gin & Scone.
His inability to stick to one particular interest when growing up, led Paul Charlton’s dad to label him a “jack of all trades and master of none”. He started working in a pizza shop aged 14, before training as a chef at the Tontine restaurant in Northallerton at 16. But he then decided to do teacher training and worked his way up to deputy head at a primary school. It wasn’t until 2017, that Paul realised that teaching wasn’t for him anymore.
In need of a new challenge, he saw a vacancy to take on the café at the Captain Cook Birthplace Museum in Marton, Middlesbrough. “The café was a mess, it had been closed for eight months,” says Paul. But being a DIY enthusiast, he held out hope. “I’ve built two houses in my life so I looked beyond the mess at the potential.”
He then had to put in a bid and four weeks later got the call to say he’d won it. “I had to create a business
THE LOWDOWN GIN & SCONE
Location Ingleby Barwick, Stockton-on-Tees
Format Café, bar and bistro
Caterer Paul Charlton
Opening hours Wed-Sat 9am-11pm, Sun-Tues 9am-10pm
Staff 12
Covers 70
Paul Charlton with Booker Catering Development Manager Helen Butterfield
model, a menu, a logo, and redesign the café ready to open in five weeks!” He worked 18-hour days to make it happen and lived and breathed the café for a year. “I went from a £58,000 salary to nothing,” he says. “It was a scary thing to do.”
But his background in teaching held him in good stead. “As a teacher you’re constantly reflecting on your own practice, and I transferred that to catering. We became more and more popular. I started working five days a week, then it got to the point where I didn’t need to be in there any more.” During the pandemic, he found a closed café in a good location and told the owners he was interested. He ended up taking three
cafés from them, staggering the openings, and running each successfully as a limited company.
Then, late last year, he purchased a café-cum-bar in Ingleby Barwick, which he opened as Gin & Scone in April. “The lady before me ran it as a café and tried to run it at night, but it didn’t work,” he says. But Paul felt that, with the right approach, he could pull it off. “The concept was good-quality ingredients from Makro, good customer service, and reasonable pricing,” he says.
His DIY skills were soon put into practice, converting a stockroom into an extra two toilet cubicles. He also installed a new kitchen.
His usual menu also required some adaptation. “Gin & Scone fits into the model of my other businesses by day, but in the evening, it becomes a bar, so it’s a bit more upmarket and branded differently,” says Paul. The day-time menu is similar to his other cafés, but with a few more premium options including Eggs Benedict, and Avocado, Eggs & Chilli Flakes on Toast. At night, when the venue hosts live music, bingo and cocktails, the food offer switches to Smash Burgers and Parmos. For the uninitiated, the latter is a much beloved Middlesbrough dish featuring deep fried chicken breast in bechamel sauce with cheese on top.
He finesses his dishes with the help of family. “My son is a good taste tester,” he grins. “All our burgers are 100% minced beef that we smash down into burgers. We do
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The Cheesy One, The Mexican One, The Halloumi One, and The Classic One. We use good-quality meats for the burger, and then different sauces, for example, the Chef’s Larder Burger and BBQ sauce, and play around with different flavours. The biggest thing is making sure you can get hold of the product on a regular basis. The Chef’s Larder is always going to be there.” The restaurant also offers sharing plates with loaded skins, loaded fries, mozzarella sticks, cod goujons, sliders and more.
Paul credits Booker, not only with supplying much of his food, but also offering expert advice on what to stock. “A lot of things I’ve developed with Helen Butterfield, my account manager at Booker,” he says. “She’s been instrumental in developing my menus.”
He gets a minimum of two deliveries a week at each site and does regular top-up shops at Makro. “With five sites, having the delivery service is invaluable,” he says.
He also waxes lyrical about the depot team. “Every single member of staff in the building is like family,” he says. “I’m made to feel so welcome – from people stacking shelves to Steve [O’Toole] the manager –everyone takes the time to say ‘Hello, how are you doing?’ It’s a lovely environment.”
The Booker app has also made life easier. “I have iPads in each site and staff put their orders on and I’ll jump on the system and have a check through,” says Paul. “It means I don’t have to physically go round each site and do the order myself. I just click send.”
TRENDWATCH
GIN & SCONE, STOCKTON-ON-TEES
Seasonal changes
Paul is a firm believer in adapting his menu with the seasons. “We looked at what some of the bigger coffee chains were doing and added a Pumpkin Latte in autumn, as well as Salted Caramel syrup, Orange and Mint Hot Chocolates,” he says. He has similar plans for Christmas. “In December, we’ll change our menu to be a bit more festive – we’ll offer a brioche bun with chicken, cranberry and stuffing,” he says. “I look at what’s going on [in the wider catering industry] and try and put my own stamp on it.”
Meanwhile, Paul has added roast dinners and homely puds to the bistro's offer using brisket from Booker which he describes as "phenomenal"quality.
Customers clearly approve, with Sunday turnover doubled. “We charge £10.95 for one course, or two courses for £15 and three for £20. People tend to order three courses because of the value.”
Another income stream comes from hiring out the back room for functions. “We adapt and try and do a bit of everything to make as much money as we can. Eventually, we’ll knock through the wall in the side and create a bigger open space, as during the day sometimes people are fighting for seats.”
Trade at Gin & Scone has exceeded expectations so far. “I’m really pleased, it’s achieving more than I expected and it’s still got room for growth,” says Paul. “It’s probably only 50% capacity at the moment, there’s a lot of room for development.”
It’s been seven years since Paul quit teaching, but he’s still getting top marks, with Scores on the Doors food hygiene ratings of five at each of his venues. “That shows it’s working and it’s right,” he beams.
Paul might be a jack of all trades, but he’s definitely mastered this one.
WINNING FORMULA
For more than 104 years, guests have been bowled over by ‘the Potters’ way’ –unable to resist the lure of its traditional, yet flexible family ethos.
As the fourth-generation owner of the nationally acclaimed Potters Leisure Resorts business, John Potter descends from a long line of winners. In 1913, his great grandfather, the late Herbert Potter, won £500 in a newspaper competition.
This prize helped Herbert realise his dream of building the UK’s first permanent, mixed-use holiday camp. Seven years later, in 1920, Potters Camp was born on the Norfolk coastline and, over the last 104 years, the Potter family has continued to build on Herbert’s winning concept – continuously re-investing in guest facilities and experiences.
In 2003, Potters’ Hopton on Sea site was the very first site to receive an English Tourist Board 'five star' rating for Holiday Villages – an accolade the site still holds. Today, the old timber huts of Herbert’s era have been replaced by cozy coastal bungalows and luxurious hotel rooms – yet the warm, welcoming, family ethos that made the Potter’s founding offer so unique, remains unchanged.
Helping John and the wider Potter family to steer the ship today, is managing director Mike Scott, who joined the business in 2010 as sales and marketing director. “I’m the MD but the Potter family remains incredibly involved,” Mike says. “That family-run element and feeling remains a huge USP and provides many benefits, a key one being how quickly and efficiently we can respond to any changes, challenges or trends.”
THE LOWDOWN
POTTERS, HOPTON ON SEA
Location Norfolk
Format Holiday resort
Managing Director Mike Scott
Opening hours 24 hours
Staff 60 kitchen staff, 81 service staff
Covers 850
especially in the evenings, because most of them will be heading to our theatre straight after, for the evening show. That means we can have something like 850 guests arriving for dinner in the space of 30 minutes.” Guests take their meals in one of the resort’s two restaurants: The Garden, which seats up to 680 and The Gallery, which is more intimate and seats about 175. “Both,” Mike says, “are full for every meal, every day of the year.”
Guests sit at the same table and are served by the same member of staff during their stay. “That’s how our guests like it,” Mike adds. “That continuity means, when guests arrive for their meals, they know exactly where to sit. Having the same table for every meal and the same server, also means guests build a lovely rapport with their neighbouring tables and team members too.
The site’s guests enjoy a multitude of leisure facilities, including dozens of sports, as well as activities such as rock climbing, shooting, biking, inflatables and more. There’s also a spa, a leisure pool and West End-quality entertainment on offer every night.
And then there’s the food…
At Potters, food and drink is fully inclusive – which means guests can enjoy beautiful British fare four times a day, with breakfast, lunch, dinner and a choice of mouthwatering ‘late night bites’. “We welcome over 100,000 guests a year so that’s 1.46 million meals – all of which are served to guests within set time-slots throughout the day. It is an incredible undertaking,” Mike says.
“All the guests tend to arrive for their meals in one huge rush,
While the menus change seasonally, they always retain a focus on traditional British fare and classic flavours: slow-cooked casseroles, herb-infused pork belly, steamed cod in a prawn and watercress sauce, to name a few. Breakfast too is a traditional affair, with guests helping themselves to a full English or a vegetarian breakfast at the hot buffet counters where they can also have kippers, haddock and eggs cooked to order.
“We offer a continental breakfast buffet and offer more exotic flavours at lunchtime and dinner – curry is always a hit, but the statistics tell us not to deviate from the classics too much,” Mike adds. “If we ever took Lemon Meringue Pie off there would be a riot!”
Teamwork is key to the smooth running of this gargantuan catering operation. “The kitchen is manned pretty much around the clock because we offer ‘late night bites’ until the early hours and then the morning crew are there from around 4am to begin prepping
SEASONAL Syrups
As the weather cools and days shorten, the beverage industry shifts its focus to flavours that match the upcoming season’s cosiness. Seasonal favourites like gingerbread and pumpkin spice are the perfect way to add a festive or autumnal touch to your menu, tapping into customers’ love for nostalgic experiences.
for breakfast – when something like 1,600 sausages need to be cooked,” Mike says.
“The team are incredible, and they never drop the ball. We’ve got 60 kitchen staff led by our executive chef James Etherington and 81 waiters and waitresses, all of whom are highly experienced passionate individuals.”
Helping the team perform is Booker – one of Potters’ biggest suppliers and its main source of poultry. “We have a huge range of things we buy from Booker, from spirits to fruit juices, gammon joints, sausages, chicken products, table sauces, ice creams, biscuits and beyond. We get a delivery from Booker every single day and the relationship that we have is flawless. The prices are great, the service is great, and the quality is great. It just works so well for us, and our bond with Booker is actually stronger now than it’s ever been.”
The Potters business is also stronger than it’s ever been – with the family having recently opened a second site down at Five Lakes in Essex. “We’re full all year round,” Mike adds. “There’s literally never a lull. Our repeat business rate is astronomical, and we’ve got more than 250,000 fans on social media which says an awful lot about how our customers feel about us.
“Right now, we’re gearing up for Christmas and we’ve got something like a million turkeys on order! Christmas and New Year are incredible at Potters; we treat guests to huge celebratory
TRENDWATCH
POTTERS, HOPTON ON SEA
Classic British
At Potters, it’s all about those classic British dishes and flavours which are most in demand by its core Baby Boomer and Generation X audience. Both of the resort’s two restaurants offer identical menus and guests can choose from a daily changing mix of starters, mains and puddings, along with a self-serve buffet option at lunch, and a carvery at dinner.
Bestselling dishes include traditional favourites such as roast beef with all the trimmings, along with slow-cooked classics, such as casseroles, pork belly, and fresh fish dishes. A fan favourite is Potters’ Lemon Meringue Pie – a permanent fixture on the menu.
meals and spectacular shows that rival anything you would see in the West End.”
The fun certainly doesn’t stop in January – with the Hopton on Sea resort once again playing host to the World Bowls Championships between the 10th and the 26th.
“During that period, we will cater for all our regular guests, plus the TV crews, the players and the 2,000 spectators who buy daily tickets,” explains Mike.
Given all of the above, it’s abundantly clear that the Potter family’s winning streak will continue for a good while longer.
A LITTLE PIECE OF HISTORY
The Old Thatched Cottage plays a vital role in the heritage of Weston-super-Mare and holds an even more crucial place in the hearts of Alex Demetriou and his family.
THE LOWDOWN
THE OLD THATCHED COTTAGE
Location Weston-super-Mare, North Somerset
Format Restaurant
Caterer Alex Demetriou
Opening hours Summer 10am-10pm; Winter 12 noon – 10pm
Staff 22
Covers 205 (85 indoors, 120 outside)
Boasting a prime beachfront location in the bustling seaside town of Weston-super-Mare, The Old Thatched Cottage restaurant’s enviable sea view can be enjoyed all year round, thanks to extensive outdoor seating, complete with stunning fire pits. While the glowing flames warm customers’ hands, and the succulent steaks warm their bellies, it is the family heritage woven into the restaurant that truly warms the soul. The restaurant has been in Alex Demetriou’s family for 65 years and has shaped each generation that has worked there.
“My grandfather bought the restaurant in 1959,” explains Alex. It was then passed on to his mother, Maria. “I started working
from the age of seven – outside clearing tables, then into the pot wash, then into the kitchens. By the time I was 15, I was able to run a shift as head chef, even though I wasn't head chef, but I was capable at that level to be able to cook à la carte food. It was a great education.”
Since then, Alex has gone on to set up Regency Purchasing Group, a buying group for the leisure and hospitality industry, which has over 10,000 members. But it was The Old Thatched Cottage that inspired him to start the business.
“When I was 23, I was building two 350-seater restaurants in Bristol,” he says. “I was negotiating some really good terms with suppliers for the new restaurants and said, ‘We'd also like my Mum to have the same pricing at The Old Thatched Cottage’. The suppliers refused, stating that they could only offer reduced pricing because of the scale on which the larger restaurants would be operating. “My view of it was that my mum works just as hard and has the right to achieve the same margin, so I designed a buying group business off the back of my love of the restaurant.”
Despite having his hands full with Regency, Alex took on the running of The Old Thatched Cottage about five years ago. “Mum wanted to slow down, so I agreed to take it on, but knowing that I would have to manage it from a distance,” he says. “The thought of walking past that restaurant and it not being ours is just impossible, so we had to find a way and we’ve built a management team around it.” Staff are led by manager Julia Grobicka (pictured on p25), but Maria remains the face of the restaurant.
In fact, pretty much every member of Alex’s family has worked in the restaurant. “My grandparents’ siblings worked there, all of my mum’s siblings, their children worked there,” he says. “It really is a bit of a rite of passage for the entire family. At some point or another, they have to do a season.” Alex’s daughter, Sophia, recently had her first taste. “She spent the summer waiting tables, making her the fourth generation to work in that restaurant.
He feels that working in a restaurant provides an excellent grounding. “There's something really special about founder and family-run businesses because they give the younger generation the opportunity to actually spend time with a business owner. What I love most about it is the way that you're able to engage and teach young people – not just about a future in hospitality – but about a future in any business because you learn how to treat people, how to work with people, and how to interact with people.”
Of course, it isn’t just Alex’s own family who have benefitted from the restaurant. “It feels more like an institution!” he grins. “We would have had christenings there and the person that had the christening would have had their 18th birthday there and they would have their 40th birthday there and they might have got married there, and so it holds history.”
And that’s only the outlet’s recent history. Built in 1791 for soldier
the restaurant’s cuisine tells the story of the family’s heritage. “My grandfather was a shepherd and left Cyprus with five pounds in his pocket,” says Alex. After arriving in London, he worked washing dishes, then worked in a café, saving enough to buy the lease at The Old Thatched Cottage. The French chef who worked there agreed to stay on and taught his grandfather how to cook. “Some of the dishes that were on the menu in 1959, like Filet au Poivre and Tournedos Rossini, remain on the menu today.”
There's also a very heavy Greek Cypriot influence. “We've had Kleftiko on the menu for the last 40 years and it is still one of the bestselling dishes,” says Alex.
About 35% of the restaurant’s stock is sourced from Booker. “Some of the butchery items are exceptional, the Tomahawk Steak, for example, that we put on the special board as a sharer for two, is one of my favourite things Booker has,” he raves. “The butcher we've got is excellent and can really adapt and change cuts for us. We sometimes do a giant pork chop as well that he will butcher for us, which is great.”
and composer Reverend William Leeves, the Grade II listed building is the sole remaining thatched house in Weston-superMare. Last year, it unveiled its very own blue plaque from English Heritage.
Eager to pay further homage to its historical roots, the family has just had plans approved for a large thatched roof to cover the flat roof extension, which adjoins the original building. Meanwhile,
The group’s delivery service has hugely benefited the business. “In the winter, we get deliveries to The Old Thatched Cottage twice a week, but in the summer, if we need it, they'll do it six days a week,” he says. “If we have a busy lunchtime, I can phone them at 2pm and they will be there at 4pm if we need it.”
He explains that his role heading up the buying group has seen him cultivate a solid relationship with senior members of the Booker team. “We’re very close with Booker – from a Regency perspective, we're their biggest customers, so we know everybody in Booker from the guys on the ground all the way through to [sales director] Stuart [Fenn] and [CEO] Andrew [Yaxley] and we all meet up regularly.”
But despite running a successful buying group, Alex is just as devoted to the restaurant. “It is the driving force behind the work that I've done my entire career with the buying group. It's special enough that it's created the blueprint for an entire business.
“I hope that I remain healthy enough to run it for the next 35 years so we can get to 100 years.”
With committed owners, loyal customers, and a new roof imminent, it seems the sky’s the limit for The Old Thatched Cottage.
Stock up today
WORD ON THE STREET
Market foods are flourishing as consumers look for flavoursome fast food inspired by international cultures. Booker gives you the lowdown on some top dishes.
A quick search on Instagram reveals more than 16.4 million #streetfood posts. People are clearly hungry for adventurous flavours influenced by different cultures.
A quarter of consumers worldwide have consumed street food over the past year, according to the Innova Market Insights ‘Making Street Food Part of Everyday Life Globally’ report. Value for money was among the top drivers for choosing street food, stated the report, along with enjoyment and experience, highlighting the significance of affordability. In fact, street food trends research displays that 30% of consumers’ dining choices are influenced by inflation. Amidst the ongoing cost-ofliving crisis, Innova claims that foodservice operators are leveraging street food’s budget-friendly appeal to attract cost-conscious consumers.
What’s more, with research from the Hartman Group showing that 32% of Gen Z love trying new types of cuisines and foods, while 50% desire more meals with unique flavours or different cuisines, offering street food could be a fantastic way to broaden your appeal to younger customers.
Whether you’re serving street eats via a food van or simply want to add some urban options to liven up your restaurant menu, our Great Market Foods serving suggestions will have customers clamouring for
HEALTHIER OPTIONS
There could well be an opportunity to attract more people to your market food offer by ensuring you provide healthier options.
One in two consumers globally desire more healthy options when eating out, which appear to be underrepresented in the street food realm, according to Innova Market Insights. However, the group observes that many restaurants and foodservice chains are incorporating healthy options into their menus.
The firm points to Australian foodservice chain Mad Mex, which launched a healthier Chicken Al Pastor dish
more. Pulled Pork Tacos are a surefire winner for those looking for some Mexicanstyle munchies. These soft-shell tacos are made using our Chefs Larder 6-inch Plain Tortilla Wraps. Lion Smoky Bourbon BBQ Cooking Sauce will give your pork plenty of punch, while avocado, tomato and coriander bring some colour to the dish.
Add a few slices of lime on the side for extra zing and these tasty tacos will be the talk of the town. Sell them at a pocket friendly £3.50 and there’s a cash profit of £1 to be made.
Why not take inspiration from the Caribbean for another market food favourite: Jamaican Jerk Ribs. The spice is always right with our Santa Maria Kingston Style Jamaican Jerk Seasoning. Add a hearty helping of sweet potato fries to your ribs and you’re well on your way to delivering a delicious and filling dish, with a playful kick and plenty of profit. When sold at £12.75, this flavoursome feast delivers a cash profit of £7.11.
inspired by Mexican street food and ‘Double Pollo Fit Bowls’ with chicken, avocado, and fresh vegetables from fast food chain El Pollo Loco.
Offering a chicken dish gives customers a healthier option, without any compromise on flavour.
Perhaps you could transport your customers to the Middle East with an irresistible Chicken Shawarma. Serve your skewered, spiced chicken on Booker’s newly listed Khobez flatbread with a medley of red onion, tomatoes, chilli peppers, and a scattering of mint leaves.
A few dollops of Henna fat-free yoghurt to balance the dish and you're good to
SERVING IDEA
CHICKEN SHAWARMA
Chef’s Essentials Chicken Breast
Fillet 5kg M147180 Market Price Khobez Flatbread * 50s M297522 £19.99
Beef Tomato 6s M132029 £4.99
Henna Fat Free Natural Yogurt 5kg M132877 £7.09
Red Onions 5kg M106290 £7.49
go. At a cost price of £1.90, if you sell it at our recommended price of £7.50, you’re looking at 70% profit.
Khobez Flatbread 50’s M297522
Birra Moretti NRB Case 24 x 33cl
Nowhere does street food like the States, and you can’t go wrong with a Boston Butt Brioche. Our Blackgate Signature Pork Carvery Shoulder topped with Chef’s Larder Coleslaw form the heart of this scrumptious smackerel, which will most definitely hit the spot. At a cost of £2 per serving, if you price this at £7.25, you’re looking at a 70% profit.
For a brioche with even more bite, look no further than our Brisket Roll with Beer Onions and Blue Cheese. Beef Brisket smothered in Chef’s Larder Tuxford and Tebbutt Blue
SERVING IDEA
THOR'S HAMMER WITH MAC 'N' CHEESE
Chef’s Larder Cheese Sauce Mix 2kg M250023 £18.49
Chef’s Larder Premium Sweet Potato Fries * 2.5kg M265103 £8.29
Chef’s Larder Macaroni 3kg M271135£7.49
Chef’s Larder Grated
Mozzarella & Cheddar 2kg M095276 £11.49
Stilton and Farm Fresh Cooking Onion is guaranteed to take customers to their happy place and, priced at £8.50, they’re getting plenty of bang for their buck. A cash profit of £4.74 makes this a no-brainer for maximising your market food sales.
If it’s comfort food your customers are in search of, then Thor’s Hammer (Shin of Beef) with Mac ‘n’ Cheese brings it in ladles. From the top-quality beef to the mouth-watering macaroni, every bite of this godly dish is rewarded with fabulously rich flavour and the £6.12 cash profit when sold
SERVING IDEA
BRISKET
ROLL WITH BEER ONIONS & BLUE CHEESE
/2 Rolled Beef Brisket Av 2kg M9548421 Market Price
Chef’s Larder Premium Brioche Bun * 48x82g M256712 £18.99
Farm Fresh Cooking Onion 5kg M256165 £3.99
Chef’s Larder Tuxford & Tebbutt Blue Stilton 1.1kg M134794 £11.49
at £11.25 makes it even more appealing.
The beauty of street food is its diversity and adaptability as new trends from across the globe offer the chance to evolve and expand your repertoire. Be it the fragrant spices of Turkey, or the vibrance of Mexican cuisine, with so many exciting options to choose from, you are bound to find some showstopping serves to suit the needs of your individual customer base. And with a little help from Booker, you can ensure that the quality is superior and the profits are as impressive as the dishes themselves.
SERVING IDEA
BOSTON BUTT BRIOCHE
Blackgate Signature Pork Carvery Shoulder AV 3kg M272297 £4.99/ kg
St Pierre Brioche Burger Buns 6s M205316 £2.09
Chef’s Larder Coleslaw 2kg M259886 £3.49
Chef’s Larder BBQ Sauce 1ltr M286839 £2.99
*Prices and products are correct at time of going to print and are not guaranteed unless stated, errors expected. Subject to changes without prior consultation. Recipes, serves and idea are suggestions only and for illustration only. Please note products will be subject to availability and local listing, please check with your branch for details.
PROFIT FROM SEASONAL SERVES
It’s the perfect time of year to tempt your customers with some eye-catching yet simple seasonal coffee and chocolate serves.
With the winter months now firmly upon us and Christmas just weeks away, it’s a season packed full of opportunity. One great way of driving up spend per visit is to take a fresh look at your seasonal coffee and chocolate serves. Who doesn’t love a warming, indulgent drink after a day Christmas shopping?
A little effort and some careful presentation can help boost sales and margins throughout the day and Booker has everything you need to maximise that seasonal serve opportunity.
Booker offers a full range of fantastic-quality and amazing-value
coffee beans to help you serve those mouth-watering bean-to-cup specialities.
From our bestsellers like Lichfi elds Italian Espresso Beans and Lavazza Qualità Rossa beans to premium options like Lichfields Fairtrade Gourmet Espresso Beans and Lavazza La Reserva de Terra Selection beans, we have the perfect option to provide great quality platforms for stunning, Insta-worthy seasonal serves.
We have also recently added some new options from Union Roastmaster which can help take your coffee serves to a new level.
BISCOFF COFFEE
(46p/serving )
SELL PRICE
£3.00 % PROFIT 81% CASH PROFIT £2.04
CHOC FULL OF DEALS
When it comes to chocolate-based seasonal serves, Booker is delighted to offer our catering customers fantastic exclusive deals on the UK’s number-one chocolate brand.
The Cadbury Chocolate deals feature prices of up to £5 off which are being held all the way through to 7th January 2025.
Booker catering customers can save £5 a case on 6 x 2kg cases of both Cadbury Hot Chocolate and Cadbury Instant Hot Chocolate and can save £3 a case on a 5kg tub of Cadbury Hot Chocolate.
These lines make the perfect base for some indulgent, warming serves and will boost your profits into the bargain.
STUNNING SERVES
To help inspire you and your team, Booker has created some striking suggested serves which look fantastic when served but which are quick and simple to prepare.
Elevate a simple hot chocolate for instance by trying the Oreo Hot Chocolate or the Pistachio Hot Chocolate and you’ll make a cash profit of £2.02 on every serving at a sell price of £3.00.
MILK CHOOLATE CRACKLE LATTE (56p/serving
)
SELL PRICE £3.00
Add a little extra zing – as well as extra profit – by serving a luxury Baileys Double Hot Chocolate, perfect on a chilly winter’s evening. Sell it for just £5.00 and you’ll make £3.17 in cash profit.
Perhaps you have your own ideas for adding a little glamour to a humble hot chocolate, but a little extra effort invariably goes a long way.
The options are similarly endless when it comes to coffee-based seasonal serves.
A simple Biscoff Coffee brings some theatre to the table, as well as over £2.00 in cash profit when sold at £3.00, while a Chai Latte also brings some Indian sub-continent style to a coffee menu.
Or consider a Gingerbread Frappé or a Pumpkin Spiced Latte to make your coffee menu stand out.
And for those who still fancy something a little cooler in winter, why not try a Milk Chocolate Crackle Iced Latte?
It looks spectacular, costs just 56p a serving and generates £1.94 in cash profit from a sell price of £3.00.
DELIVER A SPARKLING FESTIVE OFFER WITH
Thanks to pricing lockdown, these prices won’t shift until January 2025.
The festive season is upon us and we’re all hoping that sales go through the roof. However, one thing that won’t be flying high this Christmas are prices – with the price of more than 800 key products guaranteed to stay put until 7 January.
With consumers generally more willing to trade up and treat themselves over the festive period, caterers have a fantastic opportunity to introduce an extra dash of glitz and
glamour – whilst maintaining value and margins. Sparkling wines and champagnes are of course a great way to do exactly this, and Booker is offering a raft of quality brands at locked down prices to help you serve up a true taste of Christmas. The pricing lockdown covers key premium brands, including Moët & Chandon Champagne, as-well as great-value alternatives, such as Prosecco Cardinali - which is also available on a Sale or Return basis.
Booker’s pricing lockdown also covers a broad range of products from other categories, including grocery, fresh, bakery and frozen - to help you whip up mouthwatering morsels and Christmassy canapes for your customers to enjoy with their sparkling sips.
From Scampi, Stilton and beyond, this festive season Booker has everything you need to offer your customers a cracking Christmas to remember –without breaking the budget.
OVER 800 PRICES LOCKED UNTIL JAN ‘25
6X75CL
£95.99 M791335 JACK RABBIT PROSECCO
12X20CL
£28.99
6X75CL
£36.99
6X75CL
1X1.8KG
M275317/
M275323
M286574 PROSECCO ROSÉ SPUMANTE/DOC EX DRY
PROSECCO CARDINALI
6X75CL
£41.99 M195229 TAITTINGER CHAMPAGNE BRUT RÉSERVE
6X75CL
£188.94
M276902
CHEF’S LARDER PREMIUM CARAMELISED RED ONION CHUTNEY
6X1.1LTR/1X1.1LTR
£51.99
£8.99
M228269/ M228282
6X75CL
£21.99
M287682
G.H. MUMM CORDON ROUGE BRUT CHAMPAGNE NON-VINTAGE
6X75CL
£152.99
M001354
6X1LTR/1X1LTR
£23.49
£4.99
M291986/ M291352
P ROFIT FROM THE PERFECT POUR, EVERY TIME.
UP TO 800 PRICES LOCKED DOWN
£11.49
M134794
£7.99
M297289/ M297293
MAKE ZERO A HERO
Alcohol-free and low ABV drinks represent a growing opportunity and Christmas is prime time to let them sparkle.
As party season approaches, consumers’ calendars will no doubt be filled with all manner of events.
The increased frequency of family meals, work celebrations and festive get-togethers with friends at this time of year will inevitably lead to a welcome spike in your alcohol sales.
But the growth of the Sober Curious movement has seen a significant number of people re-evaluate their relationships with alcohol in recent years and take steps to moderate their consumption, or even abstain from alcohol altogether.
More than one in five Brits (21%) say they don’t drink alcohol, according to the Aviva Sobriety Report (June 2024).
The movement towards not drinking is even more prominent in young adults, with roughly one-third of individuals aged 18-24 abstaining from alcohol altogether, according to Mintel’s Gen Z: The Sober Curious Generation report (Jan 2024).
Meanwhile, over a third of drinkers (34%) believe they have decreased their alcohol consumption in recent years, according to Aviva.
In addition, nearly half (48%) of alcohol drinkers plan to cut down their drinking in
the next year, with more than three-fifths (61%) of 18–24-year-olds and nearly 70% of those aged 25-34 planning to do so.
But just because people are cutting back on alcohol, doesn’t mean that they are cutting back on socialising or going out. So, if you aren’t catering for this growing market – especially around peak social occasions like Christmas – you could be missing out.
Once upon a time, the only alcohol-free options were water and soft drinks.
But as the number of teetotal consumers grows, along with a rise in fl exi-drinkers who flit between alcoholic and non-alcoholic options to moderate their consumption, there’s an opportunity to grow sales by bolstering your most popular alcoholic beverages with low and no versions.
In fact, 64% of UK adults have already tried low- or no-alcohol products, according to 2024 Portman Group research conducted by YouGov.
With growing numbers of people open to low and no options, the titans of the alcohol industry have invested in innovation in their desire to bridge the gap in the market, and a wealth of big brands have entered the alcohol free and reduced alcohol arena.
Beer is by far the most popular low and no option. According to CGA BrandTrack survey published in January 2024, two in five (41%) on-premise consumers have
NO & LOW
Peroni Nastro Azzurro
12x330ml M273637 £7.99 67p/bottle
Brewdog Punk AF
12x330ml M251964 £9.99 84p/bottle
Corona Cero
6x330ml M274833 £14.99 63p/bottle
Heineken
0.0%
24x330ml M252278 £15.99 67p/bottle
Birra Moretti Zero
Nozeco Special Edition Spritz
6x75cl M287678 £18.99 £3.17/bottle
Nozeco Special Edition Sparkling/ Rose
6x75cl M263815/ M292593 £14.99/case
chosen a no- or low-alcohol beer in the last 12 months. Booker offers a range of low and no beers from big brands including Birra Moretti Zero, Peroni 0.0, Corona Cero, Heineken 0.0 and BrewDog Punk AF, so you can offer your customers low and no options from names they trust.
6x4x330ml M294482 £17.99 75p/bottle
There’s also demand for low and no cider with 17% of consumers having tried it on premise, finds CGA. Alcohol-free versions of Old Mout, Thatcher’s and Kopparberg are all available from Booker for customers looking for some cider satisfaction from big brands without the ABV.
And if you want to serve up something special, then how about an alcohol-free twist on popular Italian cocktail, Aperol Spritz? Nozeco Special Edition Spritz is a pre-mixed 0.5% cocktail crafted from de-alcoholised wine and infused with natural orange and grapefruit flavours. Serve with a slice of orange and a sprig of rosemary for an authentic taste of Italy, minus the alcohol.
Booker also lists Nozeco Special Edition Rosé and Sparkling variants for those looking for an alcohol-free option that’s still full of fizz. A 125ml glass has a cost price of 42p and if you sell at £4, you can make a dazzling 88% profit.
With a decent selection of low and no options, in addition to a strong alcohol offer, you can ensure that you cater to the needs of all your customers and maximise those all-important seasonal sales.
*Prices and products are correct at time of going to print and are not guaranteed unless stated, errors expected. Subject to changes without prior consultation. Recipes, serves and idea are suggestions only and for illustration only. Please note products will be subject to availability and local listing, please check with your branch for details.
Complements meat, poultry, or vegan dishes. Customisable for unique flavours, ensuring efficiency. 4 NO ALLERGENS TO DECLAREˆ
Manage dietary needs with creativity, safety, and taste intact.
4 FLEXIBLE AND ADAPTABLE
Consistent rich taste lets you adapt to trends with new recipes.
4 EASY TO USE
Dissolves directly in boiling water, available in 25L.