Catering@Booker Issue 1 - December 2021

CATERING @ BOOKER Enchanted experiences

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LEAMINGTON SPA CATERER BRINGS THEATRE AND HOSPITALITY TOGETHER

P L U S B O O K E R ’ S B E T T E R T R O L L E Y P L A N , C H R I S T M A S , A N D N ATA S H A’ S L A W

D E C E M B E R

PROF ILE

CHOI CE . P RI CE . SE RV I CE

HOT SPICED APPLE 50 ml Spiced apple juice (2 cloves, 2 crushed cardamom, 2 star anise, juniper berries, peel of 1 orange) 150 ml HENDRICK’S GIN Grated nutmeg

Simmer the apple juice with spices in a pan.

Add HENDRICK’S GIN. Serve in a teacup and garnish with three slices of apple and a dusting of nutmeg.

FRENCH 75 30 ml HENDRICK’S GIN 10 ml Sugar syrup 10 ml Lemon Juice Top with Champagne

Add HENDRICK’S GIN, sugar and lemon to a cocktail shaker. Add ice, shake well and fine strain into a flute. Top with Champagne.

LUNAR CELESTIAL SPRITZ 50 ml HENDRICK’S LUNAR GIN 50 ml Sparkling wine 150 ml Premium tonic water Garnish with cucumber slice & lemon wedge

Add all ingredients to a balloon glass (gin goblet) with cubed ice. Gently stir and then garnish with cucumber and lemon.

HIGHLIGHTS l CONTENTS

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Thomas Durnion, The Newdigate Arms, Bedworth

“Over 90% of what we serve is made right here in our kitchens and we use great quality ingredients. I visit Booker every day to get the freshest ingredients and so that I can make sure I’m getting exacty what we need.”

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Keith Etheridge, The Cottage Inn, Fillongley, Coventry

“I’ve been in pubs catering for over 40 years and I’ve never known anything like 2020 but we hung in there and we’ve come out the other end stronger than ever.”

52 COVER SHOT

Dave Corbett, Master Butcher, Booker Nuneaton

“Booker’s in-branch butchery counter service is a valuable resource for caterers.

We can take a lot of the preparation work away from our customers, freeing them up to get on with making delicious dishes for their guests.”

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Kelly Iles delivers enchanting experiences in Leamington Spa.

CATERING@BOOKER SHARE YOUR NEWS If you've got news, tips or feature ideas, get in touch with Catering@Booker Email:Catering@booker.co.uk DISCLAIMER All rights reserved. Prices and information are correct at time of going to press, but may be subject to change.

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DECEMBER 2021

CONTENTS

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12 RANGE FOCUS

NEWS

S ERV IC E

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50

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Sustainable improvements Booker commits to a Better Trolley For A Better Planet.

Industry News Pub and bar spending up 43.5% in September.

PROF I LES 12

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24 BlackGate Signature is a top quality range of fresh meat and meat products,

Coming back stronger Country Pub in Coventry delivers record-breaking numbers.

Community hub Warwickshire community grows sales with homemade food offer.

Enchanted vision Hospitality meets theatre in a unique tea room in Leamington Spa.

supported by qualified butchers who are formally endorsed by the Institute of Meat. The entire range is backed by a

F EATURES

100% Money Back Guarantee providing

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caterers with the confidence they need to use BlackGate products on their menus time after time.

DECEMBER 2021

40

52

34 46

52

58 60

Guiding the way Booker’s official Catering Guide unlocks fresh opportunities.

A cut above Booker’s butchery service can add real value to your business.

Meet The Team Introducing CDM Matt Turner.

Cleaning up The CleanPro range offers everything you need to help you master your hygiene regime

REGULARS 66 71 73 77 79

New Products Own brand update Launch Review Guest Column Your Shout

Better Trolley New Booker commitments help sustainability.

Festive fun Making the most of the festive period.

Buy with confidence Booker guarantees prices on key lines.

5

WSP £18.99

THE PERFECT PAIRING With a chilled bottle of Birrificio Angelo Poretti, you can elevate your dishes this autumn and beyond.

Established in 1877 in Valganna, Italy, Birrificio Angelo Poretti is a full-flavoured lager with a sparkling carbonation, sweet malty body and assertive hoppy bitterness.

Brewed specifically for the Italian dinner table.

New Birrificio Angelo Poretti 24x330ml bottles.

MIDAS CODE: M271887

ITALIAN HO P MAST E RS SINCE 187 7

BOOKER NEWS

BOOKERNEWS NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS BOOKER

BOOKER COMMITS TO A BETTER TROLLEY FOR A BETTER PLANET Booker’s Better Trolley For A Better Planet commitments will help ensure that the business is doing the right thing and serving our customers, communities and the planet, a little better every day.

Booker has launched a new set of commitments to ensure that the business is improving its sustainability.

The Better Trolley For A Better Planet programme is built around four key pillars that will see Booker continue to focus on improving supply to reduce the impact on nature and the climate; reducing waste; helping drive healthy and sustainable diets; and prioritising community and wider human rights.

Commitments in place under Better Trolley include becoming net zero carbon emissions by 2035 and establishing a fully zero emissions delivery fleet by 2030 as well as committing to zero deforestation, sustainably sourced fish and agricultural products and certified Red Tractor/Bord Bia UK meat and dairy products.

To reduce harmful waste, all board in own-label products will be sustainably sourced, packaging will be reduced to a minimum, recycled content will be increased where possible and Booker will continue to remove non recyclable packaging materials. Additionally, no edible food will be wasted and food waste in Booker’s own operations will be halved by 2030.

all face today and Booker is trying to embrace this challenge. With the launch of the Better Trolley For A Better Planet commitments, Booker is making positive improvements to help its catering customers operate profitable, sustainable businesses.”

To read more about the Better Trolley for a Better Planet programme, turn to p30.

Highlighting the scale and ambition of the initiative, Booker Sustainability Manager Catherine Marston said: “Better Trolley is a major set of commitments from Booker on how we operate and we have reviewed everything – literally everything that we do.

“The climate crisis is undoubtedly one of the most important challenges we

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

DECEMBER 2021

7

BOOKER NEWS

HOSPITALITY COUNCIL ASSEMBLED

LOCK IT IN: CHANCELLOR URGED TO ‘LOCK IN’ LOW VAT PERMANENTLY A new campaign, organised by UKHospitality, calls on Chancellor Rishi Sunak to support the hospitality and tourism industries by making the 12.5% VAT rate permanent. will enable sector businesses to create 125,000 jobs, rebuild their balance sheets, boost investment, avoid damaging price increases and accelerate the UK’s post-pandemic economic recovery.The #VATsEnough campaign is being organised by trade association UKHospitality and comes in the wake of the VAT rate for hospitality and tourism businesses rising to 12.5% on 1st October. Under current plans, VAT will return to its pre-pandemic level of 20% come April 2022.

A team of industry experts, businesses and entrepreneurs has been assembled to help deliver the government’s Hospitality Strategy, which is helping hospitality firms to reopen, recover and become more resilient following the pandemic.

The council – co-chaired

by Small Business Minister Paul Scully and Chair of Prezzo Karen Jones – will identify and oversee actions related to the 22 commitments in the strategy to create practical, real world solutions.

Council members include UK Hospitality Chief Executive Kate Nicholls, Emma McClarkin of the British Beer and Pub Association, Nando’s UK & Ireland Chief Executive Colin Hill, Greene King Chief Executive Nick MacKenzie and Starbucks UK General Manager Alex Rayner.

If you have any news or views you would like to share, we want to hear from you: catering@booker.co.uk

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A major new campaign – #VATsEnough – is calling on the Chancellor Rishi Sunak to make the 12.5% VAT rate permanent for hospitality and tourism. Doing so, says the campaign says,

UKHospitality is now urging customers, suppliers, hospitality venues and employees to lobby their MPs on the need to lock in the 12.5% VAT rate for local pubs, bars, restaurants, hotels and other sector businesses.

BBPA INVEST IN PUBS AND BREWERS The British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) has called on the government to invest in pubs and brewers who have a leading role to play in the recovery of the UK economy.

In its submission for the Budget, the BBPA has highlighted the vital role pubs and brewing play in supporting more than 900,000 jobs and contributing £26bn to the UK economy.

In particular, the BBPA has highlighted how pubs play a positive role in communities, are a force for good for mental health and sociability, and employ a high proportion of young adults.

However, it says that this requires co-investment from government in the form of a fairer tax burden and more.

DECEMBER 2021

BOOKER NEWS

SPENDING IN BARS AND CLUBS RISE IN SEPTEMBER

INBRIEF INDUSTRY SETS OUT ITS STALL

The return of office workers to city centres has caused a 43.5% increase in consumer spending in hospitality, according to the latest figures from Barclaycard. workers enjoying evenings out. The report combines hundreds of millions of customer transactions with consumer research to provide an in-depth view of UK spending.

Consumer spending in hospitality grew by 43.5% in September, according to the latest data from Barclaycard, which sees nearly half of the nation’s credit and debit card transactions.

Total consumer spending grew by 13.3% compared to the same period in 2019 but it was in pubs, clubs and bars that the most significant increases were recorded with Barclaycard suggesting that this was in large part to office

The report did, however, highlight persisting consumer concerns about inflation, suggesting that value for money in hospitality outlets may increase further in the near future as consumers are worried that the rising cost of everyday items will negatively impact their household finances.

Raheel Ahmed, Head of Consumer Products at Barclaycard, said: “The return of pupils and workers to schools and offices helped many sectors to see strong uplifts in September.

Pubs, bars, clubs and the entertainment industry benefitted from post-work socialising.”

CHRISTMAS NOSH 56% SAY IT’S VITAL Eating out at least once over the Christmas period is important for 56% of consumers, new research reveals, offering caterers a great opportunity to drive sales. The survey by Premier Foods Foodservice also found that the vast majority of respondents – 79% – will be looking for traditional dishes this Christmas.

Consumers named their five

DECEMBER 2021

most important food items at Christmas as roast potatoes, gravy, meat, pigs in blankets and stuffing.

According to research conducted by consultancy KAM Media, one in five UK adults have already started to plan for Christmas and over 3.3 million people have already made reservations at a pub or restaurant for the upcoming festive period. The research also found that 27% of consumers have said they plan to go to restaurants more over the festive period.

The Food and Drink Sector Council, a partnership between the government and the food and drink industry, has set out the recommendations for the National Food Strategy.

The report calls for a strong partnership between industry and the UK government.

Key recommendations include the government working with the sector to help deliver short-term economic recovery and long-term sustainable growth, an industry skills campaign to champion careers in the industry and a 10 year strategy to encourage more balanced diets by focusing on changing the food culture in the UK. Stefano Agostini, Chief Executive of Nestlé UK and Ireland and Co-Chair of the council’s Food Strategy Working Group, said: “In any National Food Strategy, the food industry must be the solution, and not the problem, for the strategy to succeed.”

The National Food Strategy is due for publication in early 2022.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

INDUSTRYNEWS NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS THE INDUSTRY

CONSUMERS TURNING TO HEALTHIER AND MORE SUSTAINABLE DIETS New research shows big opportunity for caterers to build on increasing desire from consumers to eat more healthily.

INBRIEF ‘51.8% GROWTH’ IN 2022 The UK pub and bar market is set to grow by 51.8% in 2022, having already recovered to 64% of its pre-pandemic value in 2021, according to the latest UK Pub & Bar Market Report from Lumina Intelligence.

Lumina is predicting that the market will be fully recovered by 2024 and could even exceed 2019’s figures by that point.

Nearly one-fifth (16%) of consumers now list the environment as their main motivator for healthy and sustainable eating – a big increase from 2020 – while more than three-quarters (77%) have increased or are thinking about increasing their fruit and vegetable intake, according to the latest research from IGD. The data shows consumers are increasingly looking to adopt more healthy and sustainable diets with 58% open to changing their eating habits. The research also found a rise in people eating meat only twice a week or less – 39% compared to 34% in 2020 – showing that consumers are becoming more aware

of sustainability issues surrounding food production and diets.

IGD says that the findings show a huge opportunity for caterers to help consumers turn new lifestyle habits developed over the last 18 months during lockdown into long-term transformations.

Mark Little, Director of Health and Sustainability at IGD, said: “We know consumers have an appetite to move towards healthier and more sustainable diets; as an industry we all have a role to play in helping encourage this positive behaviour.”

The report predicts that sales next year will reach £22.4bn with growth then stabilising at around the 2% mark which would make 2024’s total market figure of £23.4bn an increase on the 2019 figure of £23bn.

Lumina also predicts a “roaring recovery” for the full out of home sector, including restaurants. It said that a total of £3.1bn growth is expected for the UK eating and drinking out market from 2022-24, with pubs and

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

DECEMBER 2021

restaurants set to claim a £1.3bn share.

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PROFILE l THE COTTAGE INN, FILLONGLEY, COVENTRY

COMING BACK STRONGER Since re-opening earlier this year, The Cottage Inn near Coventry is busier than it has ever been thanks to a commitment to offering customers great quality food at fair prices.

After more than 20 years of working at The Cottage Inn on the outskirts on Nuneaton, near Coventry, leaseholder Keith Etheridge has seen his fair share of challenges – but as he stands in his beautiful pub today, he can rightly feel some pride about having overcome them all, including the enforced closure of the country pub last year.

THE LOWDOWN

THE COTTAGE INN Outlet The Cottage Inn, Fillongley, Coventry Format Country Pub Covers 80 Leaseholder Keith Etheridge Time as a caterer 40 years Staff 8 Opening hours 12-3; 6-11 Monday to Saturday; 12-5 Sunday

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DECEMBER 2021

PROFILE l THE COTTAGE INN, FILLONGLEY, COVENTRY

“I’ve been in pubs and catering for over 40 years and I’ve never known anything like 2020,” explains Keith. “But you know what, we hung in there, we followed all the rules and guidelines and we’ve come out the other end stronger than ever. We’re busier than we’ve ever been – literally – and there’s no signs of anything slowing down any time soon.”

REMARKABLE It’s a remarkable story that began a couple of decades ago when Keith returned from a period overseas to help out with running The Cottage Inn. “I had been working in Tenerife when I get the opportunity to come back and run this beautiful pub for the leaseholder at the time,” recalls Keith. “That was 20 years ago and then, after about 12 years, I had the opportunity to take the lease on myself and I jumped at the chance. I knew that there was a lot more potential in the pub and I was keen to exploit that. It’s been an exciting and rewarding journey because I love this industry, always have.”

It’s a great position to be in, for sure, and one that Keith leverages as much as possible. “We’re not cheap,” he says.

“We’re not offering cheap and cheerful. What we offer is great quality home-made food that you pay a sensible price for. Our steaks start at £15 and that’s because they’re great steaks. You can get a steak for £7.50 along the road, but that’s not the market we’re looking for.”

BOOKER HELP Keith estimates that over 90% of the food served is home made and the vast majority of everything that he sells is bought from Booker. “I have two senior chefs who have been with me for over eight years and a team that supports them. We make everything we can ourselves. If you buy our lasagne or our steak & merlot pie, it’s made in our kitchens by our team.

“You’ll pay £9.95 for the lasagne and £10.50 for the pie but, for me, that’s good value considering the quality of the ingredients we use and the skill and care that’s gone into making it.

40 years DECEMBER 2021

...in the trade

“I buy pretty much everything I can from Booker. The quality is great and the pricing is right. I get one big delivery a week but I visit the cash and carry just about every day because we don’t have a lot of storage space here but also because I want the freshest ingredients. I like to get there early!”

And it’s not just food that Keith buys from Booker, as he says: “This is a tied pub but I’m not tied on wines so I buy my wines

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PROFILE l THE COTTAGE INN, FILLONGLEY, COVENTRY

KEITH BUYS PRETTY MUCH EVERYTHING FROM BOOKER

 £

95%

...of revenue is from food

from Booker – and I buy a lot of them, because we sell a lot of them. Booker’s range is fantastic and I can get everything I need in one place.

“I also buy my soft drinks and ambient products like sauces and condiments from Booker, as well as frozen.

KEITH’S SPECIAL BOARD KEEP IT SIMPLE Use the best quality ingredients and give diners great food at fair prices.

KEEP IT FRESH “We don’t use a lot of frozen ingredients but we get through a fair amount of chips and fish products like scampi. And we buy all of our non-food products from Booker, including our cleaning products – and hygiene is an area that matters more than ever to our customers these days.”

I visit my local Book er branch every day to ensure that I get the freshest possible ingredients.

KEEP IT REAL HYGIENE MATTERS What matters most to his diners is something that Keith has been pondering recently, as he explains: “A lot has changed in the last year or so. There’s obviously a lot more interest in hygiene and social distancing and so on, but we’ve also seen many of the old trends fall by the wayside.

DECEMBER 2021

our customers want real, home-made food and over 90% of what we sell is made in our kitchen s by our chefs.

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M176189 Cirio Chopped Tomatoes 2.55kg M176203 Cirio Peeled Plum Tomatoes 2.5kg M112349 Cirio Passata 1ltr

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PROFILE l THE COTTAGE INN, FILLONGLEY, COVENTRY

DESTINATIONVENUE THE COTTAGE INN, FILLONGLEY, COVENTRY

The Cottage Inn is what Keith refers to as a “destination venue”.

“It’s in the middle of nowhere, at the end of a lane in a small, remote village. There is no passing trade because there are no roads that pass it – so every single diner we get is coming here because they want to come here.

“That’s special for me.

“It’s a traditional country pub, but we’re 95% food led.

Before the pandemic we saw a few more people coming just for a drink but these days virtually everybody that visits comes to dine with us.”

“Prior to the pandemic we used to be busier at weekends and quieter during the week, like most pubs and restaurants, but these days we seem to be busy all week and, for reasons that we haven’t yet understood, Wednesdays are just unbelievably busy.

We do the same amount of covers on Wednesdays as we do on Saturdays and we have no idea why – but long may it last!”



90%

...of food served is home-made

in advance and I’m looking forward to it this year. We have some staffing challenges but we’re positive about the next few months and I see it being a busy and profitable period for us. We do a three course Christmas lunch and a special Seniors three course lunch too, which is popular.”

HITTING THE MARK And surprisingly for such a remote pub, Keith isn’t reliant on local trade. “I’d say about 80% of our trade isn’t local,” says Keith.

“We get diners from all around, from Coventry, from Birmingham and further. We’ve built a bit of a reputation and it’s drawing people from far and wide.”

As for the Christmas period that lies ahead, Keith remains quietly optimistic. “We do well at Christmas normally,” he says. “But I think this Christmas could be special. We’re fully booked a year

DECEMBER 2021

With 95% of his revenue coming from high margin food, Keith aims to achieve a 70% GP – and more often than not, he and his team hit the mark. “This is a tough, demanding industry and we need to make good margins – and Booker plays a vital role in helping us achieve that. I’ve been using Booker for longer than I care to remember and I wouldn’t go anywhere else. I’ve no complaints. When you get the choice, price and service you want, why would you go anywhere else? It’s exactly the same philosophy we adopt when serving our diners.”

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PROFILE l THE NEWDIGATE ARMS, BEDWORTH, WARWICKSHIRE

COMMUNITY HUB The Newdigate Arms in Bedworth is a true community hub serving home-made, fantastic quality food that has never been more popular with locals.

Catering and hospitality is often more of a vocation than a job, and so it is for Thomas Durnion of the The Newdigate Arms in Bedworth, Warwickshire. “I first started in this industry in a working man’s club aged just 13,” he says. “And that wasn’t yesterday!”

He has been involved with the industry ever since and is now at the helm of a beautiful traditional pub that is well established as the hub of the Bedworth community. Despite having a population of more than 30,000 people, the market town has only two pubs, as Thomas explains: “It’s a bustling, busy town but there’s only the Newdigate Arms and a Wetherspoon’s pub that’s about a mile and half away – so we basically get all of the local trade.”

THE LOWDOWN

NEWDIGATE ARMS, BEDWORTH Outlet The Newdigate Arms, Bedworth, Warwickshire Format Community Pub Covers 140 Caterer Thomas Durnion Opening hours 12-8.30 Monday to Saturday; 12-5 Sunday

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DECEMBER 2021

PROFILE l THE NEWDIGATE ARMS, BEDWORTH, WARWICKSHIRE

THOMAS DURNION AND SAMANTHA MCALISTER OF THE THE NEWDIGATE ARMS IN BEDWORTH, WARWICKSHIRE.

COMMITMENT REWARDED So business is good, then? “We’re absolutely flying,” laughs Thomas. But it hasn’t always been that way.

“When I took over in 2018 the food offer wasn’t very good at all. Food wasn’t a massive focus and everything was just bought in frozen and heated up for the customers. That’s what the customers were used to and we had a job on our hands to reposition the pub as a place where people could get great quality, home-made food made using great ingredients and cooked with a bit of love and care.”

That, admits Thomas, involved a lot of hard work and effort by him and his entire team at The Newdigate – but that commitment was rewarded and the pub steadily earned a reputation among Bedworth locals for serving great food.

PANDEMIC PAINS “Then the pandemic arrived,” says Thomas. “And it was an absolute nightmare for us. After all the work we had done to rebuild the pub and to establish it as a great place to come to eat, Covid-19 stopped us in our tracks.”

Thomas did what he could, furloughing his staff and turned to home delivery using Just Eat to maintain some sort of income. “It kept the lights on,” he says. The pub still offers a home delivery service and averages about 50 deliveries a week.

“Eat Out To Help Out definitely improved things for us but it was a tough, tough year.”

However Thomas and his team hung on and, thankfully, their persistence and resilience has paid off once more.

“We’re back to 2019 levels already,” he explains.

“And we’re actually probably a bit ahead of where we were at our peak in 2019 so things are going well again, which is an enormous relief.”

13 years ...in the trade DECEMBER 2021

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PROFILE l THE NEWDIGATE ARMS, BEDWORTH, WARWICKSHIRE

HOME-MADE FOCUS At the heart of the Newdigate’s offer is good, simple food done well.

“We focus on serving traditional British dishes and pub classics,” he says. “We do steaks, minted lamb shanks, steak & ale pie, breaded scampi and battered cod & chips, for instance. The pub classics include lasagne, chilli con carne and chicken curry. And we supplement that with specials that we change every Wednesday. It’s a simple formula but it works.”

The biggest change however, has been a dramatic improvement in the quality of the food served at the

THOMAS ON QUALITY

“We use great quality ingredients, virtually all of which we get from Booker.

I visit Booker every day to get the freshest ingredients.”

THOMAS’S SPECIAL BOARD GIVE CUSTOMERS WHAT THEY WANT We serve traditional British pub food supplemented with a specials menu.

MAKE IT HONEST More than 90% of what we serve is home-made by our own team. Customers know they can trust the food we serve them and they know it’s good.

USE GREAT INGREDIENTS I visit Booker every day to get super fresh

products and to choose exactly what we need to keep our quality standards high.

Newdigate. “A large percentage of what we serve is made right here in our kitchens and we use great quality ingredients, virtually all of which we get from Booker. I visit Booker every day to get the freshest ingredients and so that I can make sure I’m getting exacty what we need. That makes all the difference – and our customers understand and appreciate that.”

A recent addition to the menu is a range of hanging kebabs, served theatrically at the table on specially sourced hanging racks.

“It was just something I came across that I thought would work with our customers,” says Thomas. “And so far they’ve been really popular. We get a lot of customers ordering them when they see them being delivered to other tables because they’re quite eyecatching. We do them in three flavours – Tandoori Chicken, Cajun Pork Fillet and Honey & Mustard Halloumi – and we also offer a mixed kebab with one of each.

“They’re served with seasoned skin-on fries, dressed mixed salad, crunchy coleslaw and dipping sauce and we charge £11.95 for them.”

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AVAILABLE ONLINE ONLY OR DIRECT DELIVERY

PROFILE l THE NEWDIGATE ARMS, BEDWORTH, WARWICKSHIRE

THOMAS ON PRICE:

“Price is becoming more of a factor but we feel that we’re delivering on both these fronts: great quality food at great value prices.”

Another feature of the Newdigate menu is a good range of vegetarian options like chickpea, sweet potato and spinach curry, vegetable lasagne and Thai-style veggie burgers.

“We do see more and more people choosing vegetarian options and many of the people choosing them aren’t strict vegetarians,” he says.

SUNDAY SPECIALS Perhaps unsurprisingly, Sunday lunch is a major revenue stream for the pub. “Sunday lunch is a big deal for us,” says Thomas.

“And we approach it the same way we approach the rest of the menu. We use the finest cuts of hand-carved tender meats slow roasted to perfection and we make our own Yorkshire puddings.

It’s a bit more work for the team but it’s worth it and it lets us

DECEMBER 2021

charge sensible prices that our customers are happy with.

“It also lets us hit our GP targets of 70%. We’ve certainly noticed that customers are more interested in the quality of the food they’re eating than in the past but they’re also more interested in value. Price is becoming more of a factor but we feel that we’re delivering on both these fronts: great quality food at great value prices. For example, we offer a set lunch of two courses of high quality, home made food for £10 which I think is a fair price, and we offer Hand Beer Battered Cod & Chips for £10.95.”

After the many challenges that the last 18 or so months have thrown up, Thomas and his team are relishing the moment and looking forward to what will hopefully be an exceptional festive period for The Newdigate Arms.

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PROFILE l THE ENCHANTED TEA ROOM, LEAMINGTON SPA

WHERE HOSPITALITY & THEATRE MEET Customers at Kelly Iles’ Tea Room in Leamington Spa are taken an enchanted adventure where a unique mix of hospitality and theatre combine for unforgettable experiences.

THE LOWDOWN

THE ENCHANTED TEA ROOM Outlet The Enchanted Tea Room, Leamington Spa Format Live performance tearoom Covers 56 Caterer Kelly Iles Opening hours Four sittings on Saturday and Sunday; evening sittings Friday and Saturday

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DECEMBER 2021

PROFILE l THE ENCHANTED TEA ROOM, LEAMINGTON SPA

It’s probably fair to say that The Enchanted Tea Room in Leamington Spa is a catering venue like no other, combining live performances by talented artists with hospitality – and it’s probably fair to say that owner Kelly Iles is a caterer like no other.



97,000

meals donated to five hospitals

LIVE ENTERTAINMENT ENCHANTED TEA ROOM

“A magical twist”.

The Enchanted Tea Room offers customers an experience like no other where live performances and “magical food with a twist” meet.

Kelly hosts everything from Mary Poppins parties and superheroes breakfasts for kids to Abba, 80s and grown up nights for adults.

Local art students and professional artists perform live for diners and provide unforgettable experiences – which are only enhanced with Kelly’s innovative approach to “taking everyday food and giving it a magical twist”. Burger buns are dyed blue, pink and red, Booker’s brownies are decorated with edible flowers – for a dining experience like no other.

DECEMBER 2021

The tale of how Kelly came to open The Enchanted Tea Room is by any standards a remarkable and inspirational one and begins back in March last year when lockdown was introduced for the first time.

Kelly explains: “The 23rd of March 2020 will be a day that I’ll never forget. We entered lockdown and soon discovered that, due to complications with our landlord, we would be unable to access any of the grants or funding that were made available to most hospitality outlets.

“We tried to carry on but after six weeks we had no choice but to close. At the time we had a lot of stock sitting – about £3,500 worth – that we wouldn’t be able to use and would have to just bin, so I decided to donate it to our local hospitals. The NHS staff were doing an utterly amazing job so we decided to do what we could. Rather than just give them the stock, we thought it was best to actually turn it into meals ourselves. The NHS staff had enough on their plates without having to cook their own meals. We also learned that the hospital cafeterias had been closed down and even the vending machines were empty.”

BIG HEARTED That kind-hearted gesture quickly blossomed into something much, much bigger. “We started getting donations from the public and Booker started donating lots of stock so ended up cooking meals for NHS staff every day for 10 weeks,” she says.

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YOU STOCK THE BAR. WE RAISE IT.

AVAILABLE ONLINE ONLY OR DIRECT DELIVERY

HANDCRAFTED SINGLE MALT SCOTCH WHISKY

PROFILE l THE ENCHANTED TEA ROOM, LEAMINGTON SPA

It’s worth noting here that Kelly and her team were working for that entire period on an entirely voluntary basis. None of them received a penny in salary. “It was a truly remarkable demonstration of commitment and kind heartedness from everyone,” recalls Kelly.

Eventually, however, Kelly had no option but to close the business in July – only to find that NHS staff at local hospitals had raised more than £27,500 for her to buy a new business.

“I was blown away,” says Kelly. “Absolutely blown away.”

After picking herself up the floor, Kelly set about finding a site for her new business and found the “perfect venue” in Leamington Spa. To return the favour to the hospital staff who had been so kind, Kelly decided to continue to provide free meals to five local hospitals. “So far, we’ve

KELLY’S SPECIAL BOARD MAKE IT SPECIAL We try to make every visit to our tearooms

special for our customers. Something they will

never forget. We do that with live performances and magical takes on everyday food, but there are lots of ways to make catering special.

KEEP ON GOING The last year or two have been hard on everyone - but finding the strength to keep going and keep finding ways forward will be repaid.

ENJOY THE MOMENT It’s easy to forget that our role in life in the hospitality industry is to give people special

experiences. That's a privilege we should all keep front of mind, even during the tough times.

KELLY ON BUSINESS

“We’re fully booked for Christmas already so we’re doing four sittings a day to cope with the demand.”

DECEMBER 2021

donated more than 97,500 meals to the local hospitals,” says Kelly. Kelly’s dream soon hit another major challenge, as she explains: “We opened The Enchanted Tea Room on the 23rd of October 2020 and we were instantly fully booked for three months. A lot of the local hospital staff booked up to show their support. Just over a week after opening, however, Leamington Spa was moved into Tier 3. Fortunately, we had just taken out a second temporary let nearby and managed to move 50% of the bookings to the second venue. Days later, the full country was moved into full lockdown and we had to close again on the 31st of October. It was heartbreaking.”

Kelly still managed to host a Covid-safe Christmas party for NHS staff, however that was the only party. “It was the first time in 20 years that I’ve had Christmas off,” says Kelly.

27

PROFILE l THE ENCHANTED TEA ROOM, LEAMINGTON SPA

As if all of that wasn’t challenging enough, Kelly lost her father on the 19th of January.“It was not a great year,” she says.

REBOOT After some much needed recovery time, Kelly was finally able re-open The Enchanted Tea Room recently. “It’s quite an unusual venue,” she laughs. “We combine live performances with afternoon tea. It’s essentially a combination of theatre and hospitality. We have live performers singing for our customers.

Everything from Disney-style fairytale performances, Mary Poppins parties and superheroes breakfasts for kids and families to Abba, 80s parties and grown up nights for adults.”

It’s a unique concept and it’s certainly very popular in the local area. “We use local arts students and other professional artists and we’re fully booked for Christmas already so we’re doing four sittings a day to cope with the demand,” she says. As part of a promise made to her late father, Kelly agreed to address her work-life balance challenges, as she explains: “I’ve basically

been working flat out for 20 years. I was Britain’s first ever sole female licensee 25 years ago and I’ve always been driven, so I’ve been going at 100mph for a quarter of a century. So I promised my father that I’d take things a bit easier now and wouldn’t work seven days a week any more. So we only open The Enchanted Tea Room Friday to Sunday. The business is successful, I can make a living and I can spend time with my loved ones. It’s not for everyone but it’s working for me.”

As for the catering side of the business, that gets a special Enchanted Tea Room twist too.

“We buy pretty much everything from Booker but we try to take everyday food and give it a magical twist,” says Kelly. “We buy Booker’s brownies for instance, but we add edible flowers.

We buy burger buns from Booker but we dye them blue and pink and red. We do rainbow-coloured bagels. It’s all part of the theatre and our customers seem to love it – and seeing my customers happy and enjoying themselves is what I enjoy most.”

KELLY ON FOOD:

“We try to take everyday food and give it a magical twist. We buy Booker’s brownies for instance, but we add edible flowers.”

DECEMBER 2021

29

FEATURE l SUSTAINABILITY

BOOKER STEPS UP TO THE PLATE THE STORY SO FAR...

The Better Trolley For A Better Planet initiative is Booker’s new commitment, however Booker has already been extremely

Better Trolley For A Better Planet will help ensure that Booker is doing the right thing and improving sustainably for customers, communities and the planet.

active for over 12 years in reducing its carbon footprint and those of its catering customers. Here are just a few highlights: Booker is the only wholesaler to hold four Carbon Trust standards, covering carbon emissions, waste, water and zero waste to landfill. Booker has held the Carbon Trust standard for emissions for 12 years and during that time we have saved almost 14,000 tonnes of carbon – the equivalent of a family car being driven 44 million miles. l

LED lighting has been installed in over 160 branches and four distribution centres, saving enough power to run 64 average Booker branches for a full year.

l

Equivalent of over six million meals donated to local charities last year, an increase of 165% on the previous year.

l

7m litres of used cooking oil have been recycled into bio fuel and used in Booker’s own HGV fleet of vehicles this year.

l

Only certified RSPO sustainable palm oil is used in own brand products.

30

DECEMBER 2021

FEATURE l SUSTAINABILITY

Sustainability is undoubtedly one of the most important challenges we all face today. No-one can have failed to notice the media coverage around the climate crisis and sustainability – and everyone has a role to play.

Booker has embraced this challenge by launching a brand new set of commitments to ensure that the business is doing the right thing and better serving customers, communities and the planet.

and a commitment for the good of customers, communities and the planet.

Booker’s Head of Sustainability, Catherine Marston explains: “Better Trolley is a commitment to do our part to reduce the climate crisis and keep the global warming temperature below the 1.5 degree increase. As part of the process for preparing the Better Trolley programme, we reviewed everything – literally everything that we do.”

BUILDING ON SUCCESS

It’s worth pointing out, however, that while Better Trolley represents a new change in how Booker approaches its sustainability practices, enormous progress has already been made in the last 10 or 12 years.

Better Trolley is building upon Booker’s existing achievements and represents a change in the way that Booker operates

Booker remains the only UK wholesaler to have achieved four Carbon Trust

With the launch of Better Trolley For A Better Planet, Booker is trying to do their bit.

Better Trolley is a commitment to do our part to reduce the climate crisis. As part of the process we reviewed everything – literally everything that we do.

CATHERINE MARSTON, HEAD OF SUSTAINABILITY

DECEMBER 2021

31

FEATURE l SUSTAINABILITY

Standards in Carbon Emissions, Waste, Water and Zero Waste to Landfill and is also the only wholesaler to have held the Carbon Standard for 12 consecutive years. That has delivered absolute carbon emissions savings - despite the business having increased sales by £2.6bn.

Almost 14,000 tonnes of CO2 have been saved in 12 years, the equivalent to a family car being driven for 44 million miles, and LED lighting has been installed in over 160 business centres and four distribution centres, saving enough power to run 64 average Booker branches for a full year.

Specifically in the catering sector, over 7m litres of used cooking oil have been recycled into bio fuel this year and are used in Booker’s own fleet of vehicles.

Over 15,000 caterers already use the service and even earn 20p per litre in rebate. Additionally, only certified RSPO sustainable palm oil is used in own

FOUR PILLARS What will Better Trolley mean for the future?

The programme is built on four pillars:

1 2 3 4

Improve Supply – Climate and Nature Healthy & Sustainable Diets End Waste Community & Human Rights

Each of these pillars breaks down into actions in all major operational areas and Better Trolley encompasses more than just sustainability issues. It also embraces healthier eating and community and people issues.

Not only will Better Trolley help Booker reduce its carbon footprint and deliver a better business, it will also help caterers do the same.

1 Climate & Nature Among the commitments that Booker is making as part of Better Trolley is to decarbonise its operations and has set the ambitious goal of being net zero by 2035.

Similarly, the van delivery fleet will be fully zero emissions by 2030. Refrigeration and heating will also be de-carbonised.

When sourcing products, Booker is committing to zero deforestation, sustainably sourced fish and agricultural products and certified Red Tractor/Bord Bia UK meat and dairy products. All eggs will be from cage-free hens by 2025.

2 Healthy & Sustainable Diets Under this pillar, Booker will set up an online portal providing recipe management, allergy and nutritional information for caterers. An increased range of plant-based products will be made available and Booker is committing to making products healthier.

32

DECEMBER 2021

FEATURE l SUSTAINABILITY

brand products and Booker has already committed to ensuring that all own brand packaging will be sustainable by 2025.

CONCLUSION The Better Trolley For A Better programme marks a change in the way that Booker operates and will have positive impacts for all: customers, communities and the planet.

Catherine Marston concludes: “Better Trolley is a powerful set of commitments from Booker that will have a hugely positive impact for our many catering customers. It will help them reduce their own carbon footprint, improve the offer they are able to make to their consumers, save money and grow profits.

3 End Waste To reduce harmful waste, all board will be sustainably sourced, packaging will be reduced to a minimum, recycled content will be increased where possible and Booker will continue to remove non recyclable materials.

“We have been on a vital sustainability journey for over a decade, but Better Trolley marks a new and important change – and one that we are confident will benefit all of our catering customers and most importantly, the planet.”

Additionally, no edible food will be wasted and food waste in Booker’s own operations will be halved by 2030.

4 Community & Human Rights A fundamental element of Better Trolley is committing to respectful treatment of all colleagues and ethical sourcing of high risk products such as coffee, tea, cocoa, bananas and prawns.

DECEMBER 2021

33

FEATURE l CHRISTMAS

CASH IN ON CHRISTMAS

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Christmas promises to be a fantastic opportunity for caterers and Booker has everything you need to maximise footfall, sales and profits over this critical period.

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MONEY BACK

DECEMBER 2021

FEATURE l CHRISTMAS

Christmas and the broader festive period right the way through to New Year’s Day is always a critically important period for caterers – and this year the festive season takes on added significance after the challenges of the last couple of years.

The coming month or so brings an outstanding opportunity to build on the momentum the hospitality and catering sector has established recently so it’s vital that everything is in place to squeeze every penny of profit out of this unique annual opportunity.

To help its catering customers do precisely that, Booker has built a comprehensive support package that features fantastic deals, exciting new products, pricing guarantees, menu and recipe ideas and a whole lot more besides.

The package takes the hard work out of planning a successful and profitable festive period that will serve as a great foundation for moving into 2022 with confidence and optimism.

BUY WITH CONFIDENCE When planning the festive period, one of the most important factors for caterers is confidence: confidence in the quality of products they’re buying and confidence in the prices they will pay for the many products they’ll need over the next month or two.

Which is why Booker has committed to securing pricing on more than 100 core products all the way through until the 4th of January 2022.

This price lock means caterers can plan

•Q U Y •Q U A L I T Y

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knowing that their margins are

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Y •Q U A L I T Y

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their menus with complete confidence, AL

secured right through until the new

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year.

The range of products that have been price locked cover all of the key categories from ever-popular chips and burgers, top selling cleaning products and big brand soft drinks to beers, wines and spirits, popular sauces and desserts.

MEAT DEMAND

Secured pricing means secured profits, and secured profits mean a successful

For the majority of your customers, traditional meat-based dishes are likely to be the order of the day this festive period and, as the UK’s leading catering butcher, Booker has a fantastic range of products available.

All of Booker’s meats and meat products are covered by a 100% money back guarantee. Backed by a team of fully trained, fully certified butchers and overseen by a huge team of Master Butchers, Booker’s meat range is quality guaranteed.

Whether it’s turkey, beef, gammon, pork or lamb you need, not only can Booker guarantee you the finest quality or your money back, the butchery team can even prepare your orders to your own precise specifications. However you want your orders cut, trimmed, prepared and packed, the butchery team can do it all for you, minimising your own preparation time and freeing your kitchen team up to focus on ensuring the festive period is a memorable one for your customers.

festive period.

To view and order the full range of price secured products, scan the QR code on this page with your smartphone or tablet.

To access the full list of price locked products, scan the QR code with your smartphone or tablet.

PRICES LOCKED DOWN

ghts

UNTIL 4TH JANUARY 2022

And don’t forget that the butchery team can also offer expert advice on everything from portion control and minimising waste to using different, value cuts of meat that save you money but still deliver outstanding quality dishes.

B 4.5%DECEMBER 2021

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6 X 70CL

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M084543

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FEATURE l CHRISTMAS

NEW DEALS, NEW LINES To help caterers further boost their profits, Booker has also launched some fantastic new deals and an array of brand new products that will help excite your customers this Christmas.

BUY ONLY 3 PREMIUM GINS*

One outstanding new deal offers caterers a free 24 case of Britvic mixers when they buy just three premium gins. Gin has long been the star of the spirits category and that trend looks set to continue through the forthcoming festive period – so this deal lets caterers meet the huge demand for premium gins while also growing their margins with a case of free top quality mixers.

Included in the deal are various gins from top selling brands like Tanqueray, Hendricks, Bombay Sapphire, Beefeater, Whitley Neill and Edinburgh Gin while the mixers available include Britvic Indian Tonic Water, Low Calorie Tonic Water, Soda Water, Ginger Beer and Spicy Ginger Ale.

GET

24

BRITVIC MIXERS

FREE

BRITVIC SPICY GINGER ALE M219883

BRITVIC GINGER BEER M219884

BRITVIC SODA WATER M219886

BRITVIC INDIAN TONIC WATER LOW CALORIE M219868

BRITVIC INDIAN TONIC WATER M219869

This fantastic deal will unlock extra profits for you in the most on-trend selling spirits category of them all.

But it’s not just new deals that Booker have unveiled this year. There’s a whole host of new products to tempt your customers with like Dead Man’s Fingers White Rum and the new premium beer from Poretti, Birrificio Angelo.

With the growing interest in vegan products, Booker has also launched a new range of vegan lines that make catering for meat-free customers easier than ever. From Chef’s Larder Vegan Mayonnaise and Just Love Vegan Chocolate and Salted Caramel Fudge Cake to a new Beetroot and Butternut Squash Wellington, there’s a minimum preparation, convenient, exciting and high quality vegan line to suit every taste.

There’s also a new range of Garden Gourmet lines that includes a Sensational Burger, Vegan Balls and Fillet Pieces, ideal for recreating traditional dishes in a delicious vegan style.

With so many customers experimenting with reduced meat consumption, these new lines offer you quick and easy ways to add excitement to your vegan and vegetarian menus and appeal to a wider audience of diners and customers.

DECEMBER 2021

37

FEATURE l CHRISTMAS

FESTIVE TABLEWARE Christmas wouldn’t be Christmas without festive tableware and Booker offers an extended range of products to help bring Christmas to life.

From festive napkins and tablecovers to banquet rolls and crackers, there’s everything you need in branch or at www.booker.co.uk for a great Christmas!

JUST DESSERTS For many diners, Christmas dinner isn’t Christmas dinner without an indulgent dessert and Booker offers a huge range of pre-portioned desserts that make preparation and serving as quick and simple as possible.

This year also sees the introduction of a new range of vegan-friendly luxurious desserts such as a Vegan Salted Caramel Chocolate Fudge Cake and a Vegan Biscoff Cheesecake.

TIME IS MONEY With so much pressure on staffing this Christmas and with festive bookings likely to mean the next month or so will be busy, one of the key challenges will be to maximise convenience and minimise preparation time without sacrificing quality. Keeping it simple and doing it well is a sound approach to the Christmas period – and Booker has all that you need to save time and money.

A full range of prepared solutions is available to take the hard work out creating outstanding traditional dishes. From pre-cooked Peak Roasting Potatoes, Gratin Dauphinois and Mashed Potatoes to Farm Fresh Peeled Garlic and Fresh Herbs, there’s everything you need to complete top quality dishes with the timeconsuming fuss removed.

DECEMBER 2021

DRINK TO THAT To round it all off, Booker offers a full range of high quality coffee, tea and hot drinks solutions as well as an outstanding range of beers, wines, spirits and soft drinks – all at fantastic value prices.

It’s set to be a festive period to remember – and Booker can help you every step of the way.

39

FEATURE l BLACKGATE SIGNATURE RANGE

BRAND OF DISTINCTION

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The brand offers caterers a premium range of fresh meat and meat products that delivers fantastic quality and outstanding value – or your money back.

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DECEMBER 2021

FEATURE l BLACKGATE SIGNATURE RANGE

As the hero of many of the most popular dishes, top quality and great value meat can be the difference between a good dish and a great one – and between good profits and great profits.

This is precisely why Booker’s Blackgate Signature range has forged such a large and loyal following among the thousands of caterers who rely on it every day of the week. BlackGate Signature is a premium range of fresh meat and meat products, supported by qualified butchers who are formally endorsed by the Institute of Meat.

The brand offers premium meat with clear provenance and traceability from farm to fork – and provides the credibility that Booker customers can be proud of. The entire range is backed by a 100% Money Back Guarantee providing caterers with the confidence they need to use BlackGate products with complete confidence on their menus time after time.

MASTER BUTCHER BACKED Booker is the UK’s largest catering butcher and all Booker butchers are qualified to Craft Butcher standard, following a programme endorsed by

FRESH MEAT

QUALITY SECOND TO NONE

I’m proud to serve BlackGate on my menu.

The quality is second to none.

WAYNE, KING’S ARMS

SAUSAGES & BURGERS

Midas

Product

WSP

Midas

Product

Size

WSP

M203218

Beef Roasting Joint

£8.99/kilo

M262749

Traditionally Linked Sausages

2.4kg

£11.97

M217205

Beef D Cut Rump

£9.99/kilo

M224874

36 Premium Pork Chipolatas

1.2kg

£5.99

M217207

Beef Striploin

£18.99/kilo

M224373

18 Premium Traditional Pork Sausages

1.2kg

£5.99

M218765

Beef Cote de Boeuf

£17.99/kilo

M224368

18 Premium Cumberland Sausages

1.2kg

£5.99

M217209

Beef Ribeye

£24.99/kilo

M239622

18 Premium Lincolnshire Pork Sausages

1.2kg

£5.99

M217206

Beef Fillet Chain Off

£33.99/kilo

M248756

18 Premium Pork & Three Chilli Sausages 1.2kg

£5.99

M229159

Welsh Lamb Best End

£13.99/kilo

M244512

6 Ultimate Wagyu Burgers

6x170g

£10.99

M229249

Welsh Lamb Double Loin

£12.99/kilo

M259729

10 Aberdeen Angus Burgers 10x113g

1.13kg

£7.99

M229173

Welsh Lamb Boneless Chumps/Rumps

£12.99/kilo

M259803

8 Aberdeen Angus Burgers 8x170g

1.36kg

£8.99

M229247

Welsh Lamb Boneless Lamb Leg

£14.99/kilo

M232448

Premium Pork Sausagemeat

1kg

£4.49

M229158

Welsh Lamb French Trim Racks

£19.99/kilo

All prices correct at time of print.

DECEMBER 2021

All prices correct at time of print.

41

Why Pro Formula?

• Easy to use grab and go solutions which save you time.

• Get value for money, achieving high quality cleaning standards without big investments on cleaning services.

• Feel safe using products compliant for local authority and with professional regulations.

• Be ready for your clients with safe and clean environments, free of virus and bacteria. www.proformula.com Cif and Domestos are trademarks of Unilever, used by Diversey under license. © 2021 Diversey Limited. All Rights Reserved. VML10685-10/21

MAKE THE RIGHT CHOICE FOR YOUR BUSINESS. MAKE IT PRO FORMULA. M250972

M268699

M250959

M250965

M250967 M250974

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FEATURE l BLACKGATE SIGNATURE RANGE

the Institute of Meat. Many of those butchers have also been selected to train as Master Butchers and currently around 25% of all the UK’s Master Butchers work for Booker.

They play a key role in ensuring that every BlackGate product meets the highest of standards, offering caterers complete confidence when they buy BlackGate products.

Sausages to Ultimate Wagyu burgers and Pork and Three Chilli Sausages, there’s something for every caterer and every taste. All products benefit from full traceability and provenance guarantees.

COMPREHENSIVE RANGE

Having complete confidence in the meat you buy is critical to the success of your business. That’s why the BlackGate Signature range comes with a no quibble 100% Money Back Guarantee – and that’s why you can buy Blackgate with 100% confidence.

The Blackgate Signature Range includes an extensive selection of cuts of fresh beef and lamb as well as a full section of popular, premium meat products including a choice of sausages and burgers. From traditional Pork Chipolatas or Cumberland

Why not add BlackGate to your shopping list today and join the thousands of caterers who have come to rely on the brand to help them deliver high quality dishes and great profit margins.

EXCELLENT QUALITY

We use Blackgate as we know it’s excellent quality to serve to our customers and also the money back guarantee gives us confidence in what we serve.

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JONNY, FISHERMAN’S REST

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LAUNCHED SUMMER

2021

ABERDEEN ANGUS BURGERS 4OZ l Seasoned with salt and black pepper l Gluten free l Red Tractor Assured

DECEMBER 2021

6 ULTIMATE WAGYU BURGERS l Whole cuts of prime Wagyu beef simply seasoned l Suitable for coeliacs l Winner at the Chef’s Choice Awards 2020

ABERDEEN ANGUS BURGERS 6OZ l Seasoned with salt and black pepper l Gluten free l Red Tractor Assured

PREMIUM PORK & THREE CHILLI SAUSAGES l 80% British Pork l Made from Prime Cuts of Pork Shoulder l Made with a Blend of Jalapeno, Habanero and Chipotle Chillies l Red Tractor Assured l Gluten free l Winner at this years Quality Food Awards

45

FEATURE l FESTIVE PRICING SECURED

ON THE PRODUCTS THAT MATTER Caterers can plan their Christmas in complete confidence as Booker has locked the pricing of more than 100 key products right through until the new year.

2 FOR £36

LOCKED

J20 APPLE & RASPBERRY/ APPLE & MANGO/ ORANGE & PASSIONFRUIT 12X275ML

RED BULL 24X250ML M968313

M146127/M146147/ M202559

£17.49

£19.39

£6.99

CHEF’S LARDER KING PRAWNS 900G M021600

BISTO 1.9KG

M246686/M246629/ M256795

£7.49

4TH JAN 2021

ON MORE THAN 100 PRODUCTS

CORONA EXTRA NRB 4.5% 24X330ML M135253

PRICES LOCKED UNTIL

PRICES

BUY 5 GET 1 CASE OF GLASSES COLLECT IN BRANCH, WHILE STOCKS LAST

FARM FRESH CLOSED CUP MUSHROOMS 2.5KG M123397

£5.99

£9.99 PROSECCO SPUMANTE/ ROSE SPUMANTE 12X20CL

M268485/M268486

M191002/ M262465

PROSECCO SPUMANTE/ ROSE SPUMANTE 6X75CL

£26.99

£24.99

£34.99

JACK RABBIT SIGNATURE CHENIN BLANC/ MALBEC 6X75CL

46

M143786/ M262458

DECEMBER 2021

FEATURE l FESTIVE PRICING SECURED

KTC VEGETABLE OIL BOXED 20 LTR

CLEANPRO+ ANTIBACTERIAL SURFACE WIPES 1000S

£23.99

£11.99

M181801

M251235

CHEF’S LARDER PREMIUM LUXURY CHOCOLATE FUDGE CAKE 14PTN M257877

£6.99 CHEF’S LARDER PREMIUM EXTRA CHUNKY GOURMET CHIPS/SUPER CRISP SKIN ON GOURMET FRIES 4X2.5KG M182765/M248235

CHEF’S LARDER PREMIUM GOURMET BURGERS 30X170G

SMIRNOFF/ GORDON’S GIN/ MORGAN’S SPICED* 70CL

M195771

M466599/ M627850/M975813

£18.99

£10.45

£9.99

SAN PELLEGRINO SPARKLING MINERAL WATER £3.69 / 12X500ML

COCA COLA ZERO SUGAR £7.99 / 12X500ML M144607

M270719

FEVER-TREE REFRESHINGLY LIGHT RANGE £12.69 / 24X200ML M234002/M233989/M234003/ M092712/M234058

*MUP WILL APPLY IN SCOTLAND AND WALES.

FENTIMANS TRADITIONAL SOFT DRINKS £9.49 / 12X275ML

SAN PELLEGRINO LIMONATA/ARANCIATA £8.99 / 24X330ML

VARIETIES AS STOCKED

M263455/M263454

SCHWEPPES SPARKLING MIXER RANGE £10.69 / 24X200ML M136171/M136191/M136211/M086615

BUY ANY 3 LIGHT VARIANTS FOR £35

DECEMBER 2021

47

MAXIMISE ON THE BEST-SELLING

PACK

FORMAT FROM

THE NO.1

IMPORTED WHISKEY BRAND.

PLEASE DRINK RESPONSIBLY. Jack Daniel’s, Old No.7, and Tennessee Fire are registered trademarks. ©2021 Jack Daniel’s. All rights reserved.

Nielsen; Total Impulse; Value Sales; MAT 11.09.21. Best selling format Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey 70cl, Case: M069257, Bottle: M942979 Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Fire 70cl, Bottle: M179177

TENNESEE FIRE ONLY AVAILABLE ONLINE AND DIRECT DELIVERY

FEATURE l FESTIVE PRICING SECURED

There’s more than enough for caterers to think about over the hectic festive period without having to worry about fluctuations in pricing on key lines – which is why Booker has locked the pricing on a huge selection of the products that matter most right the way through to the new year.

BARISTA EDITION RICH ESPRESSO/ SIGNATURE ESPRESSO BEANS £10.99 / 1X1KG M261753/M261757

MONIN CARAMEL/ VANILLA/HAZELNUT COFFEE SYRUP £7.49 / 700ML

All the way through until January 4th, Booker is guaranteeing the pricing on more than 100 key lines across every category, from wines, beers and spirits to core food items and a range of non-food and hygiene staples.

The price lock means that caterers can plan their Christmas period in complete confidence, with margins protected all the way through the period.

M065382/M065387/M065385

HEINEKEN 0% NRB £11.49 / 24X330ML

GORDON’S MEDITERRANEAN ORANGE/PINK/ SICILIAN LEMON/WHITE PEACH GIN £69.99 / 6X70CL

M252278

M257037/M231143/M255945/ M261275

MUP £65.65

EXCLUDES SCOTLAND

PROFIT PROTECTOR After a year and a half of uncertainty, Booker’s price lock gives caterers the clarity and transparency they need when planning menus and organising every aspect of their operations over this critical sales period.

Prices have been locked on products across a wide array of core categories including:

PIPERS CRISPS £9.99 / 24X40G VARIETIES AS STOCKED

KP ORIGINAL SALTED/DRY ROASTED PEANUTS £9.25 / 24X50G, 24X40G M261256/M261259/M269386 24 FOR THE PRICE OF 18

l l l l l l l l l l l l l

Soft drinks and mixers Hygiene and cleaning Waters Crisps and snacks Confectionery Tableware Spreads and sauces Desserts Beers, wines and spirits Coffee and tea Fresh produce Burgers and chips Cooking oil

PRICES

LOCKED

ON MORE THAN 100 PRODUCTS PRICES LOCKED UNTIL

4TH JAN 2021

With the coming month or so expected to be a great trading period for the hospitality industry, it makes sense to stock up now on the core products that you will require over the festive period – and locked pricing means that when you need to restock, you’ll still be paying exactly the same price – and securing exactly the same profit margins.

PRICES LOCKED DOWN

Highlights MCCOY’S £12.79 / 26X47.5G VARIETIES AS STOCKED

DECEMBER 2021

Corona Extra NRB 4.5%

UNTIL 4TH JANUARY 2022

To access the full list of price locked products, scan the QR code with your smartphone or tablet.

Red Bull

J20 Apple & Raspberry/Apple &

49

SERVICE l BOOKER CATERING GUIDE

WHAT’S INSIDE?

ed

Y •Q U A L I T Y

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Quality 100% Guarante LIT

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The Christmas section also highlights an extensive range of non-food essentials such as festive tableware and crackers, all those featured are plastic free and recyclable.

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Minimum-fuss recipes are available to download for everything from Christmas classics like traditional turkey and Christmas pudding to exciting alternatives like sea bass. Even festive drinks are covered with a great recipe for a peach bellini which is sure to be Roasting Joints hit with customers looking to make Christmas a little special this year.

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Cocktail, wines and spirits

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A dedicated Christmas section provides access to bespoke recipe and festive menu templates, completely free to download by simply scanning the featured QR code with your smartphone or tablet.

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In the latest Autumn edition of the Booker Catering Guide you’ll find an array of great information, advice and news, including:

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Inside the latest issue you will find everything you need to help you maximise footfall, sales and profits this festive period and beyond.

•

CATERING GUIDE AUTUMN 2021

•Q U

With one of the biggest sales opportunities of the year fast approaching, Booker has recently published the latest edition of its invaluable Catering Guides. The Guide offers Booker catering customers a wealth of information, advice, support and news – all geared to help you run a more profitable business.

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Booker’s Catering Guide is an invaluable resource that gives you the latest information on everything from fantastic promotions and new products to recipe ideas and menu advice.

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CATERING GUIDE

•Q U

GUIDING YOU TO PROFIT

DECEMBER 2021

SERVICE l BOOKER CATERING GUIDE

CHOICE AND PRICE

Fish & Seafood

In the Autumn Guide, you’ll also find a range of fantastic new products across a wide set of categories – including a selection of plant-based products – and a comprehensive set of recipe suggestions to help you create delicious, easy-to-prepare and profitable dishes for all day-parts and across many categories as well as some inspiring suggestions for easy indoor and outdoor dining.

Cod Wrapped in bacon SELL PRICE

with Pasta Arrabbiata

£8.99

COST PER SERVING

SELL PRICE

£4.99

COST PER SERVING

Chef’s Larder King Prawns M021600 900g

£0.78

% PROFIT

82%

CASH PROFIT

£3.66

Ideal

Make M

ore - To

.65

£69

31143

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ante/Rose

1x5Ltr M259764

CleanPro+ 30sec Antibac Cleaner & Disinfectant RTU/Oven & Grill Cleaner RTU/ Antiviral Cleaner & Disinfectant RTU

14 1x70cl M4212

o/ Pinot Grigi Scenic Ridge iraz Chardonnay/Sh

£15.99 £2.99

.99 £23

Spumante

£34 .99 £24

Prosecco Spum

.99

6x1Ltr M232933/M252848/M259767

773 44775/M144

76/M1 6x75cl M1447

62458

.25

.35 .45 £25 / £26 MUP £23 /

86/M2 6x75cl M1437

Heineken 0%

it Signature Jack Rabb /Malbec Chenin Blanc

24x330ml

Clear Vinyl Powder Free Gloves 100s

M252278

£10 12x568ml

.99 £18

.99 £12 12x330ml

M099285

24x330ml

£139.99 £14.99

Case

lo Poretti

Birrificio Ange

Brewdog Punk IPA NRB

Medium M256436 Large M256114

£57.99 £6.49

45439

42/M2 6x75cl M2454

.99

Blue Nitrile Powder Free Gloves 100s

Medium M259128 Large M259132

68486

85/M2 6x75cl M2684

Magners Irish Cider NRB

£15.99 £9.49 CleanPor+ Antibacterial Hand Soap for washrooms

£12.99 1x5Ltr M251147

Case

Single

M271887

Single

M261634

Chef’s Larder 8hr Long Burning Tea Lights

£39.99 £4.99 10x50pk M241593

1x50pk M241594

.80

MUP £12

CleanPro+ Antibacterial Surface Wipes

NGE

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AUTUMN 2021

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£8.99

17

COST PER SERVING

Prosciut to Truf fle Sourdo& ugh Pizz £1.84 a 77% % PROFIT

Chef’s Larde

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O.UK FO R FULL RECIP

ES & CO STS

CASH PROFIT

£6.15

Charcuti Italian Proc M224656 utto Crud 500g o

AUTUM N 2021

25

NON FOOD Another important element of the Catering Guides is the section dedicated to essential non-food items, everything from disposables to hygiene products. There’s also a large section dedicated to alcohol and soft drinks.

Buy One Get One Free

FULL RANGE

Prices and products are correct at time of going to print and only and for illustration only, subject to change are not guaranteed unless stated. Subject to changes without prior consultation.

Recipes, serves and idea are suggestions without notice. Please note products will be subject to availability and local listing, please check with your branch for details.

For a copy of the Booker Catering Guide, visit booker.co.uk

DECEMBER 2021

£10.14

2x5Ltr M233184

1x5Ltr M233185

NRB

£11.49

.99 £26

.99 £22

CASH PROFIT

CASH PROFIT

CleanPro+ Lemon Floor Gel

1x1Ltr M232935/M192407/M259768

62465

02/M2 12x20cl M1910

Previata Pinot / Grigo Blush o DOC Pinot Grigi

2x5Ltr M259763

80 6x70cl M3577

82 1x70cl M0550

83 6x70cl M2608

CleanPro Alcohol Hand Gel

£29.99 £17.99

1x1Ltr M200854

.89 £119 .99 £19

Gin 43.1%

30 6x70cl M8043

d Wine

.49 £12

63%

SELL PRICE

6x1Ltr M200853

5

.89 £95 .99 £15

Royds Mulle

% PROFIT

57%

SEE WWW.BOOKER.CO.UK FOR FULL RECIPES & COSTS

£29.99 £5.99

64 1x70cl M2651

Excludes Scotlan

Tanqueray

£4.64

% PROFIT

Chef’s Larde r Prem Chunky Gourmet ium Ex Skin on M243544 2.5kg

Peka Gratin Dauphinois M233208 2kg

Prices and products are correct at time of going to print and are not guaranteed unless stated. Subject to changes without prior consultation. Recipes, serves and idea are only and for illustration only, subject to change without suggestions notice. Please note products will be subject to availability and local listing, please check with your branch for details.

CleanPro Alcohol Hand Gel

63 6x70cl M2651

26127 /M255945/M

COST PER SERVING

on Chunkyeak Chips £19.99 COST PER SERVING £7.

62

0.0%

.99 £49 £8.35

.99

MUP £65

£13.99

Chef’s Larder Sea Bass Fillets M122706 1kg

s

with Skin SELL PRICE

Blackgate Signature Beef Fillet C/Off M217206 Ave 2kg

with Dauphinois Potatoes SELL PRICE

p Dishe

8oz Fillet St

Cheese & Bacon WaMaple Cured gyu Burg er

Pan Fried Sea Bass

UNTIL 4TH JANUARY 2022

terranean Gordon’s Medi ge/Pink/ Oran h Gin n/White Peac

£5.87

Chef’s Larder Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce M068666 1Ltr

PRICES LOCKED DOWN ON THE PRODUCTS THAT MATTER

Gordon’s Gin

CASH PROFIT

for mas ChristMenus

With value paramount this year, a host of new deals are featured in the Guide, including an exceptional offer that provides caterers with a free 24 case of Britvic mixers when then buy three premium gins, and highlights how more than 100 essential products are being offered with guaranteed pricing all the way through into the new year.

Sicilian Lemo

73%

Chef’s Essentials Unsmoked R/Less Back Bacon M147175 2kg

Sweet Chilli King Prawn Bruschetta

Plus there’s a huge range of fish and seafood, fresh produce and bakery products and solutions to gain inspiration from.

2 JANUARY 202 UNTIL 4TH

% PROFIT

Chef’s Larder Cod Loins SL/BL M256177 2.27kg

Booker’s outstanding butchery offer is a feature of the Guide, and with good reason. The 100% money back guarantee means that you can choose from the many top quality, fully traceable products in the Guide with complete confidence – safe in the knowledge that the centrepiece of many of your dishes this Christmas is meat that has been prepared by master butchers, prepared the way you want it.

N ON CKED DOAW MATTER T PRICES LO TH TS C THE PRODU

£2.12

In other words, you’ll find everything you need to ensure a fantastic festive period for both you and your customers.

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SERVICE l BOOKER BUTCHERS

ABOVE

As the UK’s leading catering butcher, Booker offers a unique and award-winning combination of outstanding choice, price and service.

Given the fundamental role that fantastic quality meat plays at the heart of many of the UK’s most popular dishes, it’s critical that caterers can rely on their wholesaler to deliver fantastic choice, price and service on a consistent basis.

That guarantee gives caterers the confidence they need to build enticing and profitable menus around the exceptional quality of meat available from Booker.

MASTERS OF THEIR TRADE Booker has established itself as the UK’s leading butcher by delivering a fantastic quality range of fresh meat at great value, all backed by outstanding service.

So confident is Booker of the quality of its range that it offers a no-quibble 100% satisfaction or your money back guarantee.

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Every Booker butcher is fully trained to the highest standards and more than 500 new butchers have been through Booker’s award-winning training programme. And did you know that Booker employs more than 20% of all the UK’s Institute of Meat certified Master Butchers?

DECEMBER 2021

SERVICE l BOOKER BUTCHERS

MEET DAVE CORBETT Dave Corbett is one of Booker’s Institute of Meat certified Master Butchers and has worked for Booker for 29 years. “I first joined the business in 1992 and have been involved in various roles since then but my true passion has always been working behind the counter in the branch, dealing face to face with our catering customers and helping them build great menus and grow their profits.

“I work at the Nuneaton branch now and I just love the buzz of talking to customers, understanding their needs and trying to find ways to help them run more efficient, more profitable businesses.

“Booker’s in-branch butchery counter service is a hugely valuable resource for caterers. It means that me and my team can take away a lot of the preparation and time-consuming work away from our customers, freeing them up to get on with making delicious dishes for their customers.

“We can prepare, trim and pack products precisely to the requirements of our customers and that’s a really important time and money saver for them.

“We also offer what is effectively expert free consultancy. I’ll often suggest different, less expensive cuts of meat to my customers if it will help them increase their GP without losing any quality in the final dish.”

DECEMBER 2021

53

UNIQUELY WELSH. FREE TO GRAZE…

When the tell-tale signs of autumn appear on our landscapes in red, orange and gold, it’s a sign that it’s time to make the most of the seasonal and delicious food that nature has made available to us.

PGI Welsh Lamb is known for being sweet and tender but it is also packed with natural goodness and flavour, making it the ideal centrepiece of any dish.

Welsh Lamb is produced naturally on Wales’ dramatic landscape – making the most of the fresh air, rainfall and lush pastureland.

And with centuries of farming experience having been passed down generation to generation, our farmers are able to produce lamb which is Uniquely Welsh – lamb as it should be.

But don’t just take our word for it. Try for yourself and see.

Choose quality.

Choose Welsh Lamb.

Learn more about how our farmers work with nature

hcctrade.com

SERVICE l BOOKER BUTCHERS

DID YOU KNOW? BOOKER EMPLOYS MORE THAN 20% OF ALL THE UK’S INSTITUTE OF MEAT CERTIFIED MASTER BUTCHERS? With dedicated butchery counters in Booker branches, caterers are able to discuss their requirements directly with fully qualified butchers, seek advice, discuss the latest trends and get expert recommendations on ways to enhance both their menus and their profits. This invaluable resource means caterers can have their meats prepared exactly the way they want it, tailor made to suit their individual requirements. This helps minimise waste, minimise preparation time in the kitchen and maximise profits.

The butchery team, for instance, can portion control steaks to your specific requirements and they can larder trim your order to remove excess skin and fat to provide a top quality product. They can even provide products to your own oven ready specification by trimming, cutting and rolling primals ready to go straight into the oven.

DECEMBER 2021

TAILORED SERVICE Booker offers a full range of fresh and frozen meat available in branch or by request and all meat sold by Booker is fully traceable from farm to fork.

Customers can order online or call, making it as simple and efficient to get what precisely what you need with a minimum of fuss.

The butchery team can also pack your order precisely to your requirements.

Products can be vacuum-packed (down to individual steaks, for example), they can be sliced or diced to your specifications and they can be tray wrapped.

BLACKGATE A core element of Booker’s outstanding butchery offer is the exclusive and well established Blackgate brand of fresh and prepared meats. Blackgate beef is 28-day matured and from only selected

beef breeds while Blackgate lamb comes exclusively from Wales and carries Welsh PGI certification.The range also includes an extensive range of sausages, including the award-winning Blackgate Traditional Pork Sausage.

SPEND LESS, MAKE MORE Booker’s butchery philosophy for its catering customers is ‘Spend Less To Make More’ and Booker’s team of qualified butchers can proactively support you by demonstrating ways to make more money out of many products by using different skills and techniques that helps caterers increase the price they charge for the product, deliver improved yields, minimise waste and, critically, to optimise profits.

Booker’s butchery service is an invaluable resource for caterers: all you have to do is ask.

55

MAXIMISE YOUR SALES WITH THE FASTEST GROWING PREMIUM CRISP BRAND

1 2 3

SALESOUT YTD 2021 VS 2020 W/E 19TH SEP 21

50% OF PUB GOERS SAY SNACKS MAKE THEIR PUB AN IDEAL PUB

STAY UP TO DATE WITH TRENDS

PEPSICO STREETBEES PUBS RESEARCH 2020

PREMIUM CRISP SEGMENT SHARE HAS INCREASED

COMMANDS A HIGHER AVG PRICE VS STD PREMIUM CRISPS

10%

CGA: AUGUST 2020

VS PRE-COVID

SALESOUT YTD 2021 VS 2019 W/E 19TH SEP 21

STOCK THE RIGHT RANGE 1

2

3

1

4

The perfect range of premium crisps

SALESOUT YTD 2021 W/E 19TH SEP 21

DRIVE VISIBILITY

BEER MATS

Top selling snack

DRIVING VISIBILITY HAS PROVEN TO INCREASE CATEGORY SALES BY

FREE POS & KIT

+20%

FIND OUT MORE VISIT: sensationaldrinks.com

PEP OUTLET TRIAL FEB-SEP 21 VS PRIOR YR

COUNTER TOP UNITS

CLIP STRIPS

EWGN N I ES D

ENJOY

THIS CHRISTMAS

Sea Salt - M249559 Cider Vinegar & Sea Salt - M249574 Cheddar & Onion - M249576

SERVICE l MEET THE TEAM

SAY HELLO TO...

MATT TURNER WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

WHAT ARE THE BIGGEST TRENDS YOU’RE SEEING?

There’s no such thing as a typical day!

And that’s why I enjoy it so much. Every day is different with different challenges and different opportunities. With a quarter of a century of experience at Booker, I feel that I can really help my customers grow their businesses.

Plant-based foods are becoming mainstream and you can see that on many menus. It’s not just vegans that are buying plant-based food. My customers tell me that more and more consumers are choosing meat-free options more often, even if they aren’t vegan or vegetarian.

Another noticeable trend is sustainability which is becoming a big issue for many caterers, particularly around packaging.

WHAT TYPES OF ASSISTANCE ARE YOUR CUSTOMERS LOOKING FOR MOST THESE DAYS?

ABOUTMATT CATERING MANAGER AT BOOKER FOR OVER 25 YEARS

I cover Birmingham, the Black Country and surrounding areas.

I started out in a part time role with Makro as a student over 25 years ago and worked in many roles with Makro before becoming a CDM with the larger Booker Group – and I absolutely love my role.

I love working with so many different caterers and so many different types of outlet, and helping them grow their businesses. I’ve known most of my customers for years and consider many of them as friends.

58

For many the focus remains on delivering high quality food and high quality service levels, so a lot of the support I provide centres around those areas. One significant trend is an increasing focus on value. Many of my customers tell me that their consumers are more and more interested in value for money. Fortunately, Booker is able to deliver exceptional quality products at great value prices for caterers.

HOW ARE CATERERS FARING AFTER THE CHALLENGES OF THE LAST 18 MONTHS? It’s been an immensely challenging period however it’s clear to me that there are some really good reasons for optimism just now. The majority of my customers are coming back stronger than ever.

Footfall and sales at the moment are even higher for many of my customers than they were in 2019 – pre-pandemic – and long may it last.

I’ve also seen a lot of simplification of menus. Simple, clean, home-made tasty food is what many diners are looking for these days. In wet-led venues, the megatrend of gin is showing no signs of slowing down and I think it will probably dominate this Christmas once more.

HOW IS CHRISTMAS SHAPING UP? Christmas 2021 could be a great sales period. For many of my customers, the vast majority of Christmas bookings from last year have been rolled over to this year. Many of my customers are opening longer hours over the festive period to try to keep up with demand.

WHAT ONE PIECE OF ADVICE WOULD YOU OFFER CATERERS KEEN TO GROW FOOTFALL, SALES AND PROFITS? Focus on simplifying menus. Consistency is key and it’s easier to offer a consistent

DECEMBER 2021

SERVICE l MEET THE TEAM

The majority of my customers are coming back stronger than ever.

WHAT’S MATT HEARING...

VALUE FOR MONEY, SIMPLICITY AND HYGIENE Consumers are more interested in value for money than ever – so ensure that your offer delivers for them.

Simplify your menu by focusing on popular or on-trend dishes using readily available, high quality ingredients. Keep it simple and do it well.

standard of product and service if you keep it simple. Many customers are turning to ready-made or part-made solutions to ease the staffing burden and increase convenience but without losing quality.

WHICH ASPECTS OF BOOKER’S OFFER WOULD YOU URGE ALL CATERERS TO EMBRACE IN THE MONTHS AHEAD?

Remember that hygiene is front of mind for many diners, so maintain a regular, visible cleaning and hygiene regime.

Our meat offer is exceptional. Meat is the centrepiece of many dishes and the range and quality of fully traceable meats we can offer is genuinely outstanding – so good, in fact, that we offer a 100% Money Back Guarantee on all our butchery products.

Our range of CleanPro cleaning products is fantastic too.

Hygiene is very much front of mind for many consumers after the last 18 months, so an efficient and visible cleaning regime is critical in reassuring consumers.

DECEMBER 2021

59

SERVICE l HYGIENE

CLEAN UP WITH CLEANPRO With hygiene very much front of mind for your customers, establishing and maintaining rigorous cleaning regime is critical – and Booker’s CleanPro+ range offers everything you need.

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DECEMBER 2021

SERVICE l HYGIENE

After the experiences of the last 18 months, it’s probably fair to say that hygiene has never been more important to many of your customers – which is why more and more caterers are relying on the comprehensive, professional quality hygiene and cleaning system CleanPro. Exclusive to Booker and Makro, CleanPro is much more than an extensive range of independently tested products that conform to all relevant British Standards; it’s a comprehensive professional system that provides you with literally everything you need to ensure the highest hygiene standards in every area of your business: kitchen, housekeeping, floorcare, warewashing, bar & cellar and washroom.

Key products include antibacterial spray, kitchen cleaner, automatic dishwasher detergent, bathroom cleaner, glass cleaner, oven & grill cleaner, heavy duty cleaner degreaser, concentrated washing up liquid and glass washer detergent.

The range also includes products that specifically help combat Covid: viral cleaner, washroom cleaner & disinfectant, alcohol

hand gel, antibacterial surface wipes, thick bleach and floor gel.

In total, the CleanPro+ range consists of more than 150 products, all backed up with a full support package. In other words, CleanPro+ is a comprehensive solution to all of your hygiene and cleaning requirements.

The products feature colour coded labels for each area of your business, so it is easy to find the products you need. For example, all ‘Kitchen’ products are green. Icons also feature on all labels showing the areas where the products can be used and whether the product is concentrated or ready to use.

This system delivers consistency of cleaning operations across your business and helps you keep up to date with relevant hygiene guidance, providing a one-stop solution for chemicals, methods, records, safety information and staff training. At the most fundamental level, using the CleanPro+ system will help ensure that your cleaning regime is fully compliant to local authority requirements using products of proven capability.

A PROFESSIONAL & COMPREHENSIVE RANGE CleanPro+ provides a professional and comprehensive system to ensure you can maintain an effective cleaning and hygiene regime in every area of your business: l

Kitchen

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Housekeeping

l

Floorcare

l

Warewashing

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Bar & Cellar

l

Washroom

DECEMBER 2021

THE LINEUP INCLUDES...

Clean Pro Antibacterial Spray – 1 Litre l Suitable to disinfect all washable hard surfaces l Passes requirements of BS EN 13697

Clean Pro+ Kitchen Cleaner Ready To Use H41 – 1 Litre l Cuts through dirt and grease l For use on food preparation surfaces, equipment l Suitable for walls, doors and ceilings

Clean Pro+ Fast Acting Antibacterial Cleaner & Disinfectant H2FA – 1 Litre l Suitable for cleaning and disinfecting all food preparation areas l Works in 30 seconds

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AND D IT...

SERVICE l HYGIENE

Booker’s exclusive CleanPro+ Professional Hygiene System has been developed specifically to offer caterers a one-stop comprehensive solution to all of their hygiene and cleaning requirements. Not only does the system include over 150 professional quality and fully compliant products, it also features a full web-based Hygiene Manual that caterers can access 24 hours a day from anywhere on their PC, tablet or smartphone.

le e in

To access the manual, visit: www.booker.co.uk/ content/clean-pro/index or scan the QR code.

Solutions

2 STAGE CLEAN:

STAGE 1: FOOD CONTACT SURFACES Pre clean by removing food debris from the surface.

Wash or scrub the surface with H41 Kitchen Cleaner ensuring that any remaining debris is removed. l Disinfect by spraying the surface with H2 Detergent Disinfectant or H2FA. l Allow the product to stay on the surface for the indicated time period (giving time for the bacteria to be killed), then wipe surface with a clean, damp cloth to remove chemical residues. l l

STAGE 2: INDIRECT FOOD CONTACT SURFACES (HANDLES, TELEPHONES ETC.) Wipe over the surface with a cloth and solution of H2 Detergent Disinfectant or H2FA. l Allow the product to stay on the surface for the indicated time period (giving time for the bacteria to be killed). l

*NOTE THAT SOME EQUIPMENT SUCH AS SCALES MAY BE EASIER TO DISINFECT USING ANTIBACTERIAL SURFACE WIPES.

62

DECEMBER 2021

SERVICE l HYGIENE

The Hygiene Manual is an immensely valuable resource for caterers, offering extremely comprehensive advice and information for every area of your business, from the kitchen to the washroom.The intuitive and easy to use Manual covers all of the key elements of your business: l l l l l l

Kitchen Housekeeping Floorcare Bar & Cellar Warewashing Washroom

effective and efficient cleaning regimes as easy as possible.

SIMPLE AND EFFICIENT Click on the ‘Kitchen’ section, for instance, and you will find information on all CleanPro+ kitchen products, complete with specifications and usage advice. You can even order the products you need with a simple click.

On the same page, caterers can access dilution and application methods for each product, cleaning method cards, cleaning record cards, and can even download a Kitchen Wallchart which can be sited for easy reference for all colleagues.

By simply clicking on one of these areas, caterers gain access to a wealth of information that make building and maintaining

The Kitchen section also features a helpful kitchen visual complete with highlighted ‘hotspots’ such as sinks, microwaves,

KEY PRODUCTS

KITCHEN CLEANER

For use on all food preparation surfaces and equipment.

Suitable for floors, doors and ceilings and for the first stage of a 2 stage cleaning procedure of food contact surfaces.

DESTAINING POWDER

For removing tannin stains from cutlery, crockery, plastic ware and tea urns.

DECEMBER 2021

DETERGENT DISINFECTANT

A multi purpose sanitiser for disinfecting food preparation surfaces after they have been cleaned. Also as the 2nd stage of a 2 stage cleaning procedure on food contact surfaces.

Non-tainting formula.

SINK AND DRAIN UNBLOCKER

Breaks down proteins and dissolves fat in blocked drains.

HEAVY DUTY CLEANER DEGREASER

HAND SOAP

ANTIBACTERIAL SURFACE WIPES & PROBE WIPES

FAST ACTING ANTIBACTERIAL CLEANER & DISINFECTANT

A non-perfumed product suitable for use in all food areas.

For heavily soiled areas, tough on carbon and grease build up. Suitable for floors, cookers, canopies and rotisseries.

For frequent disinfection of food preparation surfaces, probes.

A fast acting multipurpose sanitiser for disinfecting food preparation surfaces after they have been cleaned. The disinfectant works in 30 seconds.

DEEP FAT FRYER CLEANER

SCALE REMOVER

OVEN AND GRILL CLEANER

ANTIBACTERIAL HAND SOAP

ANTIBACTERIAL SPRAY

ALCOHOL HAND GEL

Specially formulated detergent for cleaning commercial fryers.

Helps to maintain a high level of hand hygiene. Suitable for use in all food areas.

Unperfumed.

Removes heavy scale deposits from the internal surfaces of dishwashers, bain maries and other such equipment. Safe for use on stainless steel.

Suitable to disinfect all washable hard surfaces. Passes requirements of BS EN 13697.

Powerful product for removing heavy protein, fat and carbon deposits. The foaming, non-drip formulation clings to the surface to prolong active contact time.

Sanitising gel for use after hand washing.

Passes requirements of BS EN 1500.

63

SPECIALIST

EFFICIENT CLOTHS & SCOURERS TO CATER FOR ALL BUSINESS CLEANING NEEDS 10 MICROFIBRE CLOTHS M173033 • 6 GENERAL PURPOSE SPONGE SCOURERS M173015 • 6 NON SCRATCH SPONGE SCOURERS M173019 • 10 SPONGE CLOTHS M173012 • 10 HEAVY DUTY SCOURING PADS M172988

KEEPING YOUR PREMISES CLEAN AND SANITISED FOR YOU AND YOUR CUSTOMERS SERVICE l HYGIENE

hoods extractor fans and so on. By clicking on these hotspots, caterers can find a list of recommended products for this particular area of the kitchen and, again, can order these products with a simple click.

This easy to use format is replicated in the Hygiene Manual for all other areas of your business, giving you all the information, advice and support you need.

To clean and disinfect a surface follow these steps:

1 SCRAPE OR REMOVE FOOD BITS FROM THE SURFACE

EXAMPLE OF HOW AND WHEN TO CLEAN AND DISINFECT

• ONLINE and on your MOBILE Use paper centrefeed roll or cloth.

KEEPING YOUR PREMISES CLEAN AND SANITISED FOR YOU AND YOUR CUSTOMERS

SUPPORT WHEN AND WHERE YOU NEED IT...

2 WASH THE SURFACE

Select the correct cleaning product. Apply to the surface with a cloth.

3 RINSE THE SURFACE

Use clean water. Rinse

the surface with a clean, Mike, GreenSky damp cloth.

COMPLETE SOLUTION

By using the CleanPro+ Professional Hygiene System, caterers also receive a free folder for record keeping and Safety Data Sheets, Room by Room Wall Charts, Method & Dilutions Cards, Cleaning Record Cards, Training information and Covid-19 Support & Information.

This system helps you deliver a consistently effective cleaning operation right across your business – all in one place.

4 DISINFECT “CleanPro hasTHEbeen a staple SURFACE professional solution for use in our cleaning contracts.”

Use Fast Acting Antibacterial Cleaner & Disinfectant.

Make sure the entire surface has been covered with the Disinfectant solution.

As well as providing a one-stop solution for chemicals, methods, records, safety information and staff training, it also helps you keep up to date with relevant hygiene guidance.

• ONLINE and on your MOBILE

If you haven’t used the CleanPro+ Hygiene Manual, you can check it out now visiting the website below or scanning the QR code below with your mobile device.

SUPPORT WHEN AND WHERE YOU NEED IT...

Total Cleaning Solutions To access the manual, visit:

5 WIPE THE SURFACE

Allow at least a 30 second contact time, then wipe the surface with a clean, damp AUTUMN 2021 cloth.

DECEMBER 2021

www.booker.co.uk/content/clean-pro/index QR code.

Mike, GreenSky or scan the

“CleanPro has been a staple professional solution for use in our cleaning contracts.”

65

NEW PRODUCTS l @BOOKER

CHEF’S LARDER VEGAN MAYO New from Booker’s Chef ’s Larder own brand is a Vegan Mayo, perfect for appealing to the growing number of consumers seeking vegan alternatives to popular products.

WHAT IS IT? Chef’s Larder Vegan Mayo WHEN WAS IT LAUNCHED? September 2021 WHY? The demand for vegan and vegetarian products continues to grow and as more and more consumers seek out vegan alternatives to popular products. The new Chef’s Larder Vegan Mayo is the ideal great-tasting alternative to standard Chef’s Larder Mayonnaise and allows caterers to offer consumers more choice and attract new consumers.

WHO? Chef’s Larder Vegan Mayo has been benchmarked against other Vegan Mayonnaise and delivers a fantastic quality product that makes a great addition to many popular meals. It is free from artificial colours and meets all DOH Salt Targets.

MEETS

FSA SALT TARGET GUIDELINES

PRODUCT SIZE: 1ltr WSP: £1.99 MULTIBUY: Part of the cheaper by the case multi-

FREE FROM

ARTIFICIAL COLOURS

buy – buy any six sauces and save £1.05.

BENCHMARKED AGAINST TOP-SELLING BRANDED VEGAN MAYONNAISE

66

DECEMBER 2021

WSP £3.49

M245937

M245934

M245935

M245933

*NOW MADE FROM 50% RECYCLED PLASTIC BOTTLES WHICH ARE MORE RECYCLABLE THAN COLOURED PLASTIC AND 100% RECYCLABLE CASE FILM.

NEW PRODUCTS l @BOOKER

BLACKGATE SIGNATURE RANGE QUALITY • QUA Y• LIT Y

100%

I T Y •Q U A L I T Y

Y •Q U A L I T Y

IT AL

UAL •Q

•Q U

The BlackGate Signature range has been extended with the introduction of new Pork & Three Chilli sausages – so why not turn up the heat and fire up your sales?

ITY

WHY? The Blackgate Signature range of fresh meats and meat products has long been renowned for its quality and consistency – and is backed by a 100% Money Back Guarantee. The launch of a new range of premium Pork & Three Chilli Sausages lets caterers turn up the heat with a spicy and delicious product that will light up any menu.

DECEMBER 2021

ALITY • Q UAL • QU

WHEN WAS IT LAUNCHED? Summer 2021

WHO? The new sausages are made using only prime cuts of British pork and are Red Tractor approved, delivering the provenance and traceability caterers have come to expect from the Blackgate Signature range. The sausages are also gluten-free and are the perfect option to liven up menus for winter and beyond.

PRODUCT SIZE: 18 pack

ITY

Pork & Three Chilli Sausages

AL

WHAT IS IT? Blackgate Signature 18 Premium

•Q U

U •Q

ALIT

MONEY BACK

PRIME

CUTS OF BRITISH PORK

RED TRACTOR

ASSURED

WSP: £5.99

69

Product Jack Link’s 25g Original Beef Jerky Jack Link’s 25g Original Biltong

Midas code M264485 M240183

Case cost* £11.85 £11.85 *No VAT

OVER 40% POR @ £1.69 RSP STOCK-UP JACK LINK’S NOW! SAMPLES AVAILABLE AT JACKLINKS.ONLINE

RANGE REVIEW l OWN BRAND

READY TO USE SAUCES

Booker’s range of own label Ready To Use Sauces offer a great opportunity to freshen your menu and grow your sales and profits with a minimum of fuss.

One of the most convenient, effective and simple ways to enhance your menu and your profits is to make use of Booker’s extensive range of high quality Ready To Use Sauces.

The sauces allow you to offer a wide choice of popular dishes with a minimum of fuss for your kitchen team. Every sauce is priced at just £6.59 and each 2.15 litre tub delivers around 21 servings which works out at just 32p per serving.

Every sauce in the range is suitable for freezing and is bain marie stable excluding Smokey Bourbon, making it extremely convenient. There are no artificial flavours and the range includes many of the most popular Indian (Korma, Madras, Tikka Masala), Chinese

£6.59

(Sweet & Sour), Thai (Red Thai), American (Smokey Bourbon) and Italian-inspired (Bolognese, Tomato & Basil) sauces, allowing

PER 2.15 LITRE TUB

you to create delicious meals and grow your profits.

21

SERVING SUGGESTION

SERVINGS

Make your own spaghetti bolognese SELL PRICE: £5.99

DECEMBER 2021

APPROX PER TUB

COST PER SERVING: £0.99

ONLY

32p PER SERVING

% PROFIT: 81%

71

EMBRACE THE VEGAN OPPORTUNITY. Violife 100% Vegan cheese alternatives are trusted by Vegans and can be enjoyed by everyone.

M241508 Violife Original Grated 20 x 500g M270848 Violife Mature Slices 12 x 200g

Learn more at upfieldprofessional.com

LAUNCH REVIEW l BEETROOT & SQUASH WELLINGTON

TAKE YOUR VEGAN MENU TO THE NEXT LEVEL

Booker has recently launched an exquisite new vegan Beetroot & Squash Wellington that lets you instantly add some meat-free flair to your menu and meet a growing demand this Christmas.

7.2 million people follow a meat-free diet

MENU IDEA BEETROOT & BUTTERNUT SQUASH LATTICE WELLINGTON M272166

WITH PEKA ROASTED POTATOES

There’s little doubt that consumer interest in meat-free diets has been on the rise for a number of years and that trend is reflected on menus everywhere. While many consumers choose a strict vegetarian or vegan diet, there is a significant number of customers who still eat meat but are simply opting for meat-free dishes more often than before, usually for health or sustainability reasons.

M248162Þ

SELL PRICE: £7.99 COST PER SERVING: £2.13 PROFIT: 70% CASH PROFIT: £4.97

DECEMBER 2021

BIG OPPORTUNITY That means there is a huge opportunity for caterers to meet that growing demand with tasty, exciting and easy-to-prepare vegan or vegetarian dishes. A fantastic example of this is Booker’s recently launched Beetroot & Butternut Squash Lattice Wellington.

Ideal for Christmas, this delicious and eye-catching Wellington is fully vegan and gives you the opportunity to freshen up the list of meat-free items on your menu. Served with vegan roast potatoes, it makes an ideal main Christmas dish for those looking for something different and engaging this year.

73

LAUNCH REVIEW l BEETROOT & SQUASH WELLINGTON

GROWING MARKET A survey carried out by Finder this year among 2,000 UK adults found that around 14% of adults – 7.2 million people – follow a meat-free diet and a further 12% (6.5 million people) say they are intending to become vegetarian, vegan or pescatarian in 2021.

The number of strict vegans grew by 40% in 2020 and around 20% of younger Generation Z consumers said they follow a vegan diet.

Additionally, around half a million Brits gave up red meat in 2020, double the number who did so in 2019.

In other words, there are more consumers than ever looking for tasty, high quality vegan and vegetarian options when they dine out – and they will more often than not be looking for something a little more exciting than the ‘traditional’ meat-free dishes of the past.

CENTREPIECE The new Booker Beetroot & Butternut Squash Lattice Wellington ticks every

box. It’s made from the finest quality ingredients, so it tastes fantastic. It looks striking on the plate and it’s all extremely easy to prepare and serve.

Butternut Jambalaya Farm Fresh Butternut Squash

It’s the perfect vegan centre plate dish for diners looking for something special for their Christmas dinner out this year.

Last, but not least, the Beetroot & Butternut Squash Lattice Wellington delivers excellent cash margins. Serve it with Peka Roast Potatoes, as suggested in this feature, and you’ll make 70% profit, which equates to £4.97 cash profit on a sell price of £7.99.

[M171328]

Chef’s Larder Blackened Cajun Seasoning [M129614] Sell price: £5.99 Cost per serving: £1.01 Profit: 81% Cash profit: £4.31

If you’d like to add some more interest to your menu, Booker has a wide selection of vegan centre plates [see below] as well as some great recipe suggestions.

Why not try the Butternut Jambalaya or the Falafel Buddha Bowl? Dishes like this help you demonstrate to your customers that you are offering them outstanding choice and quality, and could help drive repeat sales in the future.

CENTRE PLATE M272166

Beetroot & Butternut Squash Lattice Wellington 12x190g

M271717

Garden Gourmet Sensational Burger 2kg

M271720

Garden Gourmet Vegan Balls 2kg

M271723

Garden Gourmet Fillet Pieces 2kg

M233879

Smokey Squash & Red Pepper Bangers 800g

M271439

Taste & Glory Vegan Burgers 18s

M271436

Taste and Glory Vegan Sausages 48s

M257205

Moving Mountain Vegan Hotdog 5x155g

M247898

Moving Mountains Vegan Burger 20x113g

M231214

The Fat Chef Bangkok Bad Boy Burger 12x150g

M237668

The Fat Chef Mediterranean Vegetable Tart 12x260g

M241255

Finnebrogue Artisan Vegan Pumpkin Seed & Chestnut Roasts 4x150g

M250094

Ramona’s Original Falafel 1kg

M233914

Finnebrogue Spicy Bean Burger 4x120g

DECEMBER 2021

RECIPE IDEA

RECIPE IDEA

Falafel Buddha Bowl Ramonas Falafel [M250094] Merchant Gourmet RTE Puy & Green Lentils [M271172] Sell price: £7.99 Cost per serving: £2.15 Profit: 70% Cash profit: £4.95

For more recipes, visit www.booker.co.uk/content/ pages/menu-and-events/ recipe-inspiration

75

For over 230 years, Schweppes has been committed to quality and excellence.

6 FREE SCHWEPPES * BRANDED GIN GLASSES WITH EVERY 3 CASES OF 24X200ML SCHWEPPES MIXERS BOUGHT

EACH GLASSWARE PACK CONTAINS 6 SCHWEPPES COPA GLASSES. Available Now

WHEN IT’S GONE IT’S GONE! Ask in branch for more details 32% share ‘Nielson market share % 2016-2000’. 4.7 million households ‘kantar world panel 52 weeks 16th May 2021’.

SCHWEPPES, the FOUNTAIN DEVICE and the 196 GRAPHICS are registered trademarks of European Refreshments. Coca-Cola European Partners, Pemberton House, Bakers Road,Uxbridge, UB8 1EZ, Great Britain. *Subject to availability, 20k cases available while stocks last.

A timeless classic, perfectly paired with your favourite gin!

A timeless Low-Calorie classic, perfectly paired with your favourite gin!

Schweppes Tonic 24 x 200ml M136211

Schweppes Slimline Tonic 24 x 200ml M136201

Schweppes Soda water is the perfect mixer and cocktail companion.

Invigorating, crisp original lemonade, made with real lemons.

Schweppes Soda Water 24 x 200ml M136181

Schweppes Lemonade 24 x 200ml M136171

Schweppes Bitter Lemon is a great mixer made from the juice of zesty, sharp lemons.

Schweppes Canadian Dry with a touch of fiery ginger is the ideal companion for mixing or served straight over ice.

Schweppes Bitter Lemon 24 x 200ml M136191

Schweppes Canada Dry 24 x 200ml M086615

SCHWEPPES IS ENJOYED BY

4.7 MILLION

HOUSEHOLDS IN GB WITH A 32% SHARE OF THE MIXERS SECTOR

GUEST COLUMN l SUSTAINABILITY

BOOKER’S SUSTAINABILITY MANAGER, CATHERINE MARSTON, EXPLAINS HOW THE COMPANY CAN OFFER EXPERT ADVICE IF YOU ARE FACING CHALLENGES WITH ENERGY SUPPLIERS

LET BOOKER HELP WITH ENERGY

Given the current crisis in the energy industry, many operators may be concerned about ensuring they are getting the best possible deal – but you can receive expert support through Saffron Business Solutions.

The energy sector is facing immense difficulties at the moment, as catering operators will undoubtedly be aware. Several major suppliers have already gone under and many caterers will of course be concerned about securing supply and ensuring they are getting the best possible deal for their business.

you do need a new supply of gas or electricity now or very soon, please do not panic. We can help.

It’s likely that you have already been approached by brokers, but before you commit to a new contract, it’s important to remember that Booker may be able to help.

Additionally, do not give out information about your current supply, suppliers, current rates or general information to people you do not know – they may exploit it.

Through Saffron Business Solutions, formerly Booker Energy, we are able to work with you and help you secure the best deal for your store. Saffron are trusted partners who have been procuring energy supply contracts for Booker and their customers for over ten years.

Call Saffron Business Solutions for free and impartial advice and to discuss the best way to procure you a new energy supply contract. It is a free to customer service; there are no tricks and they will never try to sell you a contract over the phone.

“We have been working with Saffron Business Solutions for many years and always provide a professional, friendly service. We recently switched our electric provider and they completely took the stress out of the whole process and it couldn’t have gone smoother. We feel completely in safe hands with the whole team and cannot recommend them highly enough.”

If you need a new electricity and/or gas supply contract now or in the very near future, don’t panic and don’t feel you need to rush into new agreements. Saffron, can help you take control of the situation and choose the best deal for you.

They will advise, support, and explain the best way to get a new ‘best price, best fit’ contract and put you in control of the process.

DARREN PINNOCK NEWPORT CLUB, NEWPORT, ESSEX

It is true that, for a number of unrelated reasons, gas and electricity prices are very high at present causing serious concern for businesses and difficulties for suppliers. So if

Firstly, never agree a new supply contract over the phone from someone you do not know or have never spoken to before.

Pricing is clear and transparent and you will be assured the best market price for gas, electricity and water supply contracts. Saffron also provides lifetime support, the best available credit terms and no hassle billing, as well as making switching suppliers as pain-free as possible.

Simply call them on 03448 222 802 or visit www.sb-solutions.co.uk.

DECEMBER 2021

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY DAWNY LINTON ZOO, LINTON, CAMBRIDGESHIRE

“Saffron Business Solutions has made life so much easier for us at The Club. Always on the ball with information, allowing us plenty of time to run things through at the committee meetings.

Having someone find the cheapest prices and transferring all the info for us is amazing and saves us so much time and confusion.”

77

BLACK BUSH. NOW THE NO.2 IRISH WHISKEY SKU IN THE ON-TRADE* PREMIUM IRISH WHISKEY IS NOW THE FASTEST GROWING WHISKY CATEGORY IN THE ON-TRADE* IRISH WHISKEY IS OUTPERFORMING ALL WHISKY, INCLUDING SCOTCH, AMERICAN & JAPANESE*

AVAILABLE ONLINE ONLY OR DIRECT DELIVERY

1 x 70cl M070396

*CGA 2021 SOTN Proximo July 2021. Bushmills & Associated logos are trademarks® of “The Old Bushmills Distillery”, Bushmills, County Antrim. ©2021 Proximo Spirits. ENJOY BUSHMILLS RESPONSIBLY

YOUR SHOUT

YOURSHOUT BE A PART OF BOOKER’S GROWING COMMUNITY OF CATERERS AND HAVE YOUR SAY

MEAT-FREE MOMENTUM? We have seen a marked increase in interest in vegan and vegetarian dishes Is this a trend that you see continuing?

Keith Etheridge, The Cottage Inn, Fillongley, Coventry

Simon King, Sales Director – Catering, said: “We are definitely seeing increased interest in meat-free lines and that trend is reflected in menus everywhere. It makes sense to ensure that your menu includes some great options like our new Beetroot & Squash Wellington which meets the demand for

KEEP IT SIMPLE TO UNLOCK CHRISTMAS It’s obviously been a very challenging period for the catering industry but it feels very much like we’re back in business and many of us have come back even stronger. We’re obviously keen to keep that momentum going and Christmas is set to present a huge opportunity to build on what we’ve achieved in the last eight or nine months. Forward bookings are really strong for the festive period and it looks to me like it could be a really strong sales period. What advice would you offer to caterers to make the very best of a very significant opportunity?

Thomas Durnion, The Newdigate Arms, Bedworth, Warwickshire

high quality, exciting meat-free options.”

Simon King, Sales Director – Catering, said: “It’s been fantastic to see our customers

respond so well to the challenges the industry has faced and many caterers are indeed coming back stronger. Christmas represents a great chance to build on the growth and establish a solid platform for a great 2022. Firstly, I would suggest keeping it simple and doing it well this Christmas. Simplify your menu by focusing on popular or on-trend dishes using readily available, high quality ingredients. Secondly, it’s clear that consumers are more interested in value for money than ever – so ensure that your offer delivers that for them. Last, but by no means least, remember that hygiene is front of mind for many diners, so maintain a regular, visible cleaning and hygiene regime. Tick those boxes and you should be a great place to have a busy and profitable festive period.”

DRS - WHAT’S IT ALL ABOUT?

I’ve been reading a lot about the forthcoming Deposit Return Scheme but don’t fully understand the implications for caterers. Is this something we need to be preparing for? Kelly Iles, The Enchanted Tea Room, Leamington Spa Simon King, Sales Director – Catering, said: “A Deposit Return Scheme (DRS) is scheduled to come into force in Scotland next year and will arrive in England, Wales and Northern Ireland a year or two later.

Consumers buying an alcoholic or soft drink in a single-use container will pay a small deposit as part of the purchase price and will have it returned when they bring the empty container back for recycling. The rules are complex so we have provided a full overview of DRS in this issue. You can read it on p73.

DECEMBER 2021

79