Catering@Booker Issue 26 - January-February 2026

THE MAGAZINE FOR CATERING CUSTOMERS

RIGHT TRACK

wTHE SHED wPETERBOROUGH

SIMPLY GREAT VALUE Rediscover Chef's Essentials

JANUARY-FEBRUARY 2026

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BOOKER w HIGHLIGHTS

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Karl Chessell, CGA by NIQ “There’s no doubt that the British pub is changing – perhaps faster than ever before. Evolving consumer habits are forcing it to adapt, and this latest research shows the way guests order and book is transforming. For businesses that respond nimbly to shifting behaviour, the longterm outlook for pubs remains positive.”

11

Allen Simpson, CEO, UKHospitality “Many MPs raised concerns from the Budget speech that business rates bills for hospitality businesses were falling to support the high street, and that the move would be paid for by higher taxes on the online giants. Far from a tax cut, this is an tax rise which disproportionately harms hospitality and protects the online giants.”

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Karen Perks, The Shed, Peterborough “For 2026 we’re introducing bandeoke – karaoke with live music – and tribute acts on the first Friday of every month, such as Pink and Liam Gallagher. We’ll have full bands, and we’ll still have acoustic music because it creates such great ambience.”

23

Stewart Wright, Nuovo, Northampton “Small plates opens you up to everyone. It gives you the chance to try new foods and it opens up everybody’s tastebuds. But when you do small plate dining, you can’t just offer six dishes, you have to offer a lot.”

SHARE YOUR NEWS If you've got news, tips or feature ideas, get in touch, 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.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

CONTENTS w JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

OWN BRAND

Simply great value As we enter the New Year, it’s a vital time to redouble your focus on securing value and quality from every product you buy for your business. That’s why it’s the perfect time to take a fresh look at Booker’s exclusive Chef’s Essentials range.

Covering food and nonfood, the range delivers outstanding value, allowing you to save more and make more on a vast array of every day items.

Best of all, the famous black and white check brand means you don’t have to sacrifice quality.

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32

38

40

News

Features

7

New pricing lockdown lets you plan with confidence.

28

Chef’s Essentials – Exclusive own brand delivers simply great value.

9

Tech to drive ‘the new age of service’.

32

Take a twist – Easy ways to take popular dishes to new levels.

11

28

Business rates reform ‘unravelling’.

Profiles

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

14

The Shed – Converted railway shed hits the right note.

23

Nuovo – Small plate dining sets Northampton restaurant apart.

Prices 36

Locked Down Pricing – More than 450 products included.

Service 38

Added Value Services – Make more and save more today.

40

Booker Networks – LGBTQ+ Network in the spotlight.

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BOOKER NEWS

PLAN AHEAD IN CONFIDENCE With the new year underway, Booker is making it as easy as possible for its catering customers to plan ahead with the launch of another exceptional pricing guarantee.

PRICES LOCKED UNTIL 3 MARCH

With the festive period behind us and 2026 lying ahead, Booker is helping its catering customers plan their menus with confidence, with the launch of its latest price guarantee programme.

Prices on over 450 popular products have been locked down until 3 March to help you plan the first quarter of 2026, safe in the knowledge that prices on these lines won’t rise in the meantime.

450+

PRODUCTS

As always, the price guarantee covers a whole host of product categories, both food and non-food. The guarantee has been carefully designed to include those products that you use every day in your business with the fantastic locked down pricing helping you to make more and save more over the coming months.

This represents another great opportunity to boost footfall, sales and profits at a critical time of year. As always, the lockdown includes an extensive range of high quality, great value own-brand products as well as a wide selection of branded lines – helping you deliver the quality and value that your customers expect while also securing your own profits.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

ACROSS THE BOARD The 450+ products included in the pricing lockdown cover all major product categories and many products that your business will use on a daily basis. Categories covered include: 

Cleaning



Paper Goods



Disposables



Wine



Low and No Alcohol



Beers, Lagers and Ciders



Spirits



RTDs



Mixers



Soft Drinks



Syrups



Hot Beverages

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

7

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INDUSTRY NEWS

TECH TO DRIVE 'THE NEW AGE OF SERVICE' A new Zonal report digs deep into consumers’ changing ordering habits, their use of technology and their love of pubs.

Exclusive new research by Zonal and CGA by NIQ delivers powerful insight into the changing role of technology in pubs and other hospitality venues and offers opportunities for venues to meet these evolving habits and deliver sales and profit growth.

Entitled ‘The New Age of Pub Service’, the report finds that while 73% of British adults still say they visit pubs, an increasing number are turning to technology when it comes to booking tables, ordering and paying.

More than a quarter (27%) say they prefer to pre-book a table in pubs, up from 14% in 2019. Similarly, more than a third (34%) prefer to order and pay from their table via an app or website. This is particularly attractive for parents who don’t want to leave their children, and they are 12% more likely than average to prefer to order digitally.

The key reasons behind this development are the decline of cash in favour of cards and the post-Covid rise of mobile-based ordering of food and drinks.

“There’s no doubt that this British institution is changing – perhaps faster than ever before, said Karl Chessell of CGA by NIQ. “Evolving consumer habits are forcing it to adapt, and this latest research shows the way guests order and book is transforming. For businesses that respond nimbly to shifting behaviour and can broaden their appeal still further, the long-term outlook for pubs remains positive.”

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

HOSPITALITY INCLUDED IN APPRENTICESHIP PROGRAMME The Government has confirmed that the hospitality sector will now be included in the expansion of foundation apprenticeships.

Previously, hospitality had been left out of the proposals, but lobbying efforts were rewarded with the news that the sector will now be included.

As a key employer of young people, hospitality businesses will now be able to benefit from the scheme, which is aimed at boosting the number of 16- to 24-year-olds taking up apprenticeships, a number which new figures show has fallen by almost 40% in the past decade.

The expansion will include new foundationlevel apprenticeships in hospitality and the removal of the 5% levy on apprentices for under25s – saving businesses money.

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INDUSTRY NEWS

BUSINESS RATES REFORM ‘UNRAVELLING’ Despite the Government’s manifesto pledge to 'level the playing field' for high streets, the reform of business rates is already unravelling with "an average pub paying £12,900 more over three years”.

Trade body UKHospitality says “eye-watering” increases to rateable values will see an average pub pay £12,900 more in business rates over three years, as rates climb 76% for pubs and 115% for hotels. New analysis shows that the average pub’s business rates, even with the reduced multiplier and transitional relief, will increase 15% this year – an extra £1,400.

In 2027/28, an average pub’s rates will be £4,500 higher than today, and in 2028/29 £7,000 higher. In total, over the three years, an average pub will pay an extra £12,900.

In comparison, the rates bill for a distribution warehouse, the likes used by online giants, will have only increased by 16% and an office building will have only increased by 7%.

Allen Simpson, Chief Executive of UKHospitality, said: “Many MPs raised concerns that they believed from the Budget speech that business rates bills for hospitality businesses in England were falling

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

LO AND NO TREND GROWS New data from the Barclays Consumer Spend report shows that more consumers are choosing to moderate their alcohol consumption.

The data, which combines hundreds of millions of customer transactions with consumer research, found that 38% of consumers expected that they would drink less than usual this Christmas, rising to 48% for 18-34s.

to support the high street, and that the move would be paid for by higher taxes on the online giants.

“Far from a tax cut on hospitality, this is an unprecedented tax rise which disproportionately harms hospitality and protects the online giants. This outcome is totally contrary to the Government’s manifesto commitment to ‘level the playing field between the high street and online giants’.

For those drinking less, 27% said they’re doing so to cut costs. Two in five (37%) have noticed alcoholic drinks being impacted by ‘drinkflation’, where drinks become smaller or contain less alcohol, yet cost the same or more than they used to, up from 22% in 2023.

“The Government has the power to fix this, and we have presented clear solutions that will allow them to do so. I hope they recognise the very real threat these increases present to our high streets and act urgently.”

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ALL ABOARD

The Lowdown Venue name: The Shed – Tap Room & Deli Location: Peterborough Format: Pub, bar, deli and music venue Caterer: Karen Perks and David Nightingale Opening hours: Mon-Weds 8am10pm, Thurs-Sun 8am-11pm Staff: 10 Covers: 90

PROFILE w THE SHED

With its striking décor, live music and indulgent food, this engine shed-cum-bar and entertainment venue has gathered a loyal following of 40-plus foodies.

The Shed – Tap Room & Deli in Peterborough has been a labour of love for owners David Nightingale and Karen Perks, who have found a gap in the market for more mature consumers who want to be wined, dined and in bed by 11!

Housed in a converted railway engine shed, the venue boasts exposed brick walls and a vast vaulted ceiling. “There used to be a railway station called Peterborough East and the old buildings were the engine rooms where they’d wash them down for the night,” says Karen.

She and David were keen to challenge the traditional concept of a bar and music venue when they bought the freehold in 2024. “People don’t go out as frequently; we’ve got to give them a reason to go out.”

So they designed a venue based on their own experiences and preferences. “When we go out, we like to have good wine, good food and good entertainment.

But it’s always on too late at 10pm. I want to be home then having a cup of tea!”

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

So The Shed offers live music starting at 7pm on Friday and Saturday and at 3:30pm on Sunday, plus monthly comedy nights and open mic nights.

For its first year the venue concentrated on acoustic music.

“We weren’t sure how loud a band would be with the huge, vaulted ceiling,” says Karen. It proved an instant hit. “We’ve found a niche for people over 40, they feel safe with us.”

It’s not just the music that is striking the right chord however;

the venue's décor is also proving to be a real talking point. “When I went to university, I did a degree in interior design, which has definitely helped,” says Karen.

“We’re always looking for railway memorabilia. We've got the original Peterborough East railway sign that was gifted to us by Peterborough City Council. It's all beaten up and it's rusty, but it just looks so cool up on the wall. We spent a long time picking the right things.

It’s all mismatched furniture, church pews, different types of tables from Victorian cast iron to regular square wooden ones.”

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PROFILE w THE SHED

Teamwork is Crucial Karen credits much of the venue’s appeal to her staff.

“Business success is down to concept, but also if it feels friendly. We get as many comments about our staff as our food and music.”

Staff are nurtured and encouraged to grow within the business. “Our bar manager started as a glass collector at 15 at the previous pub we had. Now she’s turned 21 and she’s our bar manager.” Having a small team helps with consistency, Karen claims. “We’ve managed to maintain all our staff since we started, which is lovely.”

No detail is overlooked. “When it goes dark outside, table lamps or tealights go on,” she says. “It all adds to the ambience and that feeling of care and that we love what we do.” There are no twohour time limits here. “If you book the table, you have it for the whole night as long as you're having food.

meats and cheeses are a lunchtime staple, as well as Hot Specials, which began as a lunchtime offer, but have recently been added to the bar’s evening offer. We have three chefs – one Italian, one half-Italian and one from a vegan restaurant,” says Karen.

She takes full advantage of their expertise, offering a bowl of fresh

pasta with homemade traditional sauce on ‘Why Not Wednesday’.

Meanwhile, Thursday is ‘Bowl Day’ with curry, stew or chilli, while customers can look forward to stacked-up burgers, nachos or wings on ‘Filthy Fridays’. The duo is also planning to develop a vegan menu in the near future.

Bread, balsamic, olives, pitta and stuffed peppers are available all day, while sharing platters filled with Italian meats and cheeses are served every evening. “Dave and I love Italy and when you’re out with a bottle of wine there’s nothing nicer than bread, balsamic and meats,” says Karen. “It’s not going to get cold, it’s perfect for sharing and it’s not overwhelming.”

The Shed also sells “a huge amount of wine” and plenty of cocktails,

“We’re just pleased people love it,” she beams. In fact, people love the vibe so much that the venue even sells its own merchandise.

“Customers want to wear our hoodies and t-shirts,” says Karen.

The Shed is busy throughout the week during breakfast and lunchtime where it is popular with local council and NHS workers.

Breakfasts are available from 8am until 11am, featuring The Shed English breakfast, or bacon, sausage or scrambled egg Rosette rolls.

Baguettes featuring a range of Italian

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

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PROFILE w THE SHED

"Making savings wherever possible is especially important given that 2025 has been such a tough year for hospitality."

But despite all the challenges it has faced, Karen claims that the venue is off to a flying start.

“It’s been amazing," she says.

"The first year you’re going into it completely blind, year two and you’ve got some benchmarks.

We’re exceeding last year already.”

She continues to evolve the model. “We’re currently closing at 11pm at weekends, but we’ve just applied to have our licence extended,” she explains. “We have no intention of opening until 1am every weekend, but there are times when you have a pub full of people and you need that flexibility.”

with limited-edition seasonal variants. “We keep the mainstream ones – everyone wants Espresso Martini – but we always have special ones for an event, such as Winter Spiced Apple Martinis at Christmas,” says Karen.

will often keep stuff to one side for us, he’s brilliant,” says Karen.

“Much of the wine and all of the cocktail ingredients come from Booker,” she claims.

The venue receives two deliveries a week. “It’s always on time,” raves Karen. “Bogdan, our rep, comes to see us regularly.

He knows as much about our business as we do, and he tells us if there's something on special offer that we might want to use.

Booker also provides all the fresh meat, from Sunday lunch joints to bacon and sausage for breakfast. “The Booker butcher

"We’re on a bonus scheme – so if we’re near the limit, then Bogdan will tell us so we can make sure we get it,” she adds.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

The venue also plans to offer a broader range of music. “For 2026 we’re introducing bandeoke (karaoke with live music) and tribute acts on the first Friday of every month, such as Pink and Liam Gallagher. We’ll have full bands, and we’ll still have acoustic music because it creates such great ambience.”

The engine rooms may no longer be functional, but this venue has proved itself to be a real powerhouse. And with more entertainment planned and Karen’s keen eye for detail, The Shed – Tap Room & Deli is certainly on track for a strong 2026.

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GETTING PERSONAL The food at Nuovo is exquisite, but it’s the people who make the business, according to owner Stewart Wright.

Stewart Wright got his first job in an independent family restaurant in 1978, aged 15. He later fell for his boss’s daughter.

“The pay was rubbish, so I took the thing that was most precious to him!” grins Stewart. “We’ve been in league with my fatherin-law for a long, long time. He facilitated me getting into the [hospitality] business from an entrepreneurial point of view.”

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

Stewart worked in the hotel industry in the late 80s and mid-90s. He then opened his own pizzeria, Papa Cino’s, in 1994, before launching Nuovo Italian restaurant in 2014.

Inspired by the San Carlo chain, Nuovo is a small plates restaurant.

The Northampton business is a family affair, with his son, Charlie, as the restaurant manager, while his daughter, freelance copywriter Michelle, helps with PR and his wife does the accounts.

The Lowdown Venue name: Nuovo Location: Northampton Format: Restaurant Caterer: Stewart Wright Opening hours: Mon–Weds 5–10 pm; Thurs–Sat 12–2:30 pm, 5–10 pm Staff: 20 Covers: 70 in main dining room, up to 25 in private dining room

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PROFILE w NUOVO

Nuovo's chefs make as much as they can from scratch and take pride in coming up with new additions to the menu. “Giving my chefs something to get their teeth into is important. When they do create a dish and get it right, they have to repeat it week in, week out. It’s a good opportunity for them that they wouldn’t get in a gastro pub to develop their culinary skills.

“When you do small plate dining, you can’t just offer six dishes, you have to offer a lot. We work out where a new dish would fit in the menu, the logistics of how it would be made in the kitchen,

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A Colouful History In a former life, Nuovo was once a dancehall and a youth club.

“There are rumours that the Beatles played here on the circuit of 1960s when bands got in their Ford Transits and toured the country,” says Stewart. “I’ve done wedding anniversaries for people who met here when they were kids.

“This building has been important to a lot of people,” he acknowledges. “Hopefully we’re adding to that. As restaurateurs, we’re in a very privileged position to be involved in very important occasions in people’s lives – not just weddings and birthdays, although they are important – if you look at the value and then enhance that, it helps you become part of the life in your town. One of the things we try to engender in our team is that people have chosen us.”

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

PROFILE w NUOVO

deliver that food aren’t right. They’re the most important people. They control the distribution of your most precious products – from cocktails on the bar to restaurant food – and they also take the money.”

He baulks at the idea of restaurant customers ordering via a mobile phone. “Look at the corporate world: ‘Point your phone at this QR code and do it yourself.’ I think one of the most important parts of the business transaction in taking someone’s money is, saying thank you and goodbye.”

where it shares ingredients with other dishes etc.”

He claims that in a traditional restaurant, diners tend to stick to what they know because they don’t want to take the risk of spending a lot of money on a main course they don’t like, whereas the small plate model gives everyone the chance to be more adventurous.

“Small plates opens you up to everyone,” he says. “It gives you the chance to try new foods – it opens up everybody’s tastebuds.”

He adds that elderly people are drawn to the restaurant because of the smaller portion sizes. “They can have two plates and a veg to share. They say this is the only

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

place they can come and not have waste.” While the format is affordable for customers on a more cautious budget, it also allows people to order more than they planned. “Adding in an extra dish for £5 or £6 isn’t going to hurt your experience,” he says.

Customers are encouraged to converse with staff to help them decide what to order. “We don’t print our specials, the waiter comes to the table and tells you, so that the customer feels they can ask anything about the food,” says Stewart. “I’m a great believer in restaurant [front of house] staff. There’s no point in having fantastic chefs and fantastic food if the people who

He explains that the menu strikes a balance between exciting, innovative dishes and those that are familiar and dependable. “Our biggest sellers range from calamari and carbonara to our fish of the day.

Arancini are huge sellers too. Our guests tend to order about three each of familiar and unknown.

It’s all about the balance.”

The cocktails also offer plenty of diversity. “Drinks wise, Charlie is a proper scientist, and we make our own bespoke cocktail list,” says Stewart. “He clarifies things and makes a clear liquid that tastes of milk or a strawberry cocktail that’s clear. We decided about six years ago that the bar offer has to have as much effort put into it as the food offer. We put different garnishes in each one.”

Charlie creates the base drinks, which staff can then use to prepare

25

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PROFILE w NUOVO

a cocktail. “Everything is bottled and labelled,” says Stewart. “He makes his own limoncello and arancello and a mint liqueur. The byproduct of strawberries he uses goes into our strawberry and prosecco sorbet.” The restaurant’s equally elaborate homemade ice creams aren’t listed anywhere but are introduced by staff when handing over the dessert menu.

The restaurant receives a weekly delivery from Booker, which includes spirits, oils, fries, ice, dry goods and cleaning products. “I understand Booker from years of dealing with them,” says Stewart. He praises the online ordering system, but still enjoys a trip to the branch now and

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

then. “Once a month if there’s a hiccup – I’ve forgotten something on the order or used something more than planned – I’ll go to the branch and I’ll see Brett, Steve and Jimmy in the butchers. They’re all good people. Barbara on reception was doing deliveries 25 years ago and Adam the manager was the butcher.”

At the age of 63, Stewart wants to put his people skills to use outside of the restaurant, and Booker is helping him. “Charlie is going to stop me doing the hard work here, so I can concentrate on other things,” he says. “I have a great kitchen team here; they’re going to kick me out!” He is working with the

Northamptonshire Food and Drink Awards to put together an initiative to help restaurateurs offer the best customer service they can.

He also fronts the Northampton Restaurateurs, organising gatherings for the area’s chefs and hospitality professionals. “Instead of assuming everyone’s competing, I’m just getting everyone in the same room for a lunch,” he says. “It’s about breaking down the barriers of contact. The first one was in September and Booker sponsored it. We’ve got three more lined up!”

If the project is anywhere near as successful as his restaurant, we think there’ll be plenty more to come.

27

SIMPLY GREAT VALUE

OWN BRAND w CHEF'S ESSENTIALS

After the excesses of the festive period, delivering fantastic value is more important than ever and nothing provides simply great value quite like the exclusive Chef’s Essentials range.

With the festive season now behind us, it won’t come as much surprise if many of your customers are looking to rein in their spending as the new year gets underway.

Christmas and New Year is fantastic fun, for sure, but it can be an expensive time for many, which means that the early part of 2026 is likely to see them more focused on easing back a little on spending in the short term.

That’s precisely where Booker’s exclusive Chef’s Essentials range comes in. The extensive selection of products adorned with those iconic black and white checks mean that you can concentrate on delivering simply great value for your customers without fear of compromising on quality. The vast range covers many of the products that you will serve or make use of on a daily basis and every time

you buy a Chef’s Essentials line you can rest assured that you are getting brilliant quality products at exceptional value prices.

Save more The Chef’s Essentials range means you have hugely attractive alternatives to more expensive branded lines for every part of your menu and,

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Straight Cut Chips 4x2.5kg

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JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

OWN BRAND w CHEF'S ESSENTIALS

indeed, throughout your business, thanks to the array of non-food Chef’s Essentials products that are available too. From starters to desserts, from chips and chicken nuggets to minced beef and chicken wings, from salmon to scampi, from Chocolate Fudge Traycakes to Bannoffee Dessert, Chef’s Essentials basically takes the hard work of cutting cost at every turn and delivering value while still serving great quality dishes to your customers.

Take Chef’s Essentials chips, for example. Both the Straight Cut and Chunky variants offer great quality uncoated chips at fantastic value prices – just £13.19 a case, which works out at only £1.32 a kilo. Prices like this on high volume products

leave huge scope for profit for you at a very challenging time of year.

also ensuring your customers get the quality they expect.

Similarly, Chef’s Essentials Sausages come in at only 13p per sausage while Chef’s Essentials Diced Beef cost just £2 per 150g. Chef’s Essentials Chicken Nuggets costs just £10.49 a case and contains approximately 20 servings. That works out at just 43p for five nuggets.

Dessert deals

Chef’s Essentials Quarter Pounder Burgers cost you only 63p each while Chef’s Essentials Rindless Back Bacon comes in at only 18p per rasher. In other words, Chef’s Essentials provides you with an exceptional opportunity to drive down the cost of a huge range of crowd-pleasing dishes while

The Chef’s Essentials range is also packed with indulgent desserts like Jam Sponge Pudding (only 58p per portion), Chocolate Fudge Traycake (69p per portion) and Bannoffee Dessert (just 67p per portion). Quick and simple to prepare and serve, the Chef’s Essentials desserts range takes the labour costs out of serving your customers puddings to remember while providing a welcome boost to profits.

It’s the perfect time of year to take a fresh look at the Chef’s Essentials range to how easy it is to benefit from simply great value.

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58p per portion M305703

69p per portion M306074

67p per portion M305688

 Uncut soft sponge pudding topped with strawberry jam sauce with a sweet dusting

 Chocolate buttermilk uncut sponge layered and topped with sweet chocolate fudge icing

 Uncut sweet biscuit base topped with milk toffee filling and banana flavour mousse, finished with a layer of caramel drizzle

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

31

TAKE A TWIST IN 26...

CHORIZO RAMEN BOWL Charcuti Spanish Chorizo M292452 1kg Portion: 1 chorizo Lucky Dragon Brand Pre-Steamed Noodles M714510 9kg Portion: 100g Chef’s Larder Vegetable Bouillon Paste M190999 1kg Portion: 1/2 tsp Lee Kum Kee Premium Light Soy Sauce M159358 1.9ltr Portion: 1 tsp Farm Fresh Spring Onions M282856 12pk Portion: 2 onions Chef’s Larder Medium Fresh Eggs M168776 15 Dozen Portion: 1 egg SELL PRICE £5.99 % PROFIT 73% CASH PROFIT £3.65

£1.34

per serving

CHOICE w CREATIVE TWISTS

One of the standout trends of 2025 was increased interest in dishes that incorporated exciting twists drawing on cultures and cuisines across the globe. With 2026 now underway, it could be the perfect time to cash in on that trend by refreshing your menu with some fusion twists on popular dishes that can help elevate your menu with a minimum of fuss, effort and cost.

After the excesses of the festive period and your customers looking to be more careful with their spend, adding some innovative twists could be just what’s needed to get them off the sofa and down to your door, lured by the promise of a unique dining experience and a fantastic time with family and friends.

Twist it up To help inspire you and your kitchen team, we have created some fast and easy twists that you can use to take crowd-pleasing dishes to an entirely new level. Yes, you could offer up some classic Mac ‘n’ Cheese and it would no doubt prove popular. But what about considering some Teriyaki Mushroom Mac ‘n’ Cheese? With a tiny bit more effort, you could create a true ‘wow’ dish that you can make for less than £1.50 a portion but can easily sell for £6.99, delivering you a tidy cash profit of £4.41 on every dish?

Or how about ever-popular Tacos?

You could make them stand out on your menu by creating Korean Beef

Tacos or Tandoori Fish Tacos. They’ll also stand out on your bank balance thanks to cash profits of £5.45 and £3.55 per dish respectively.

Similarly, you could turn plain chicken sliders into Bao Chicken Sliders or add some spice and innovation to your fries by transforming them into Samosa Curried Fries.

There’s no limit to how creative you can get with traditional, much-loved dishes that will help add fresh energy to your menu and, for that little bit of extra effort, you’ll see a big hike in profits. And best of all, Booker has literally everything you need to get twisting. So, is it time you thought about starting 2026 with a twist?

SAMOSA CURRIED FRIES Chef’s Premium Super Crispy Skin on Fries M303924 2.5kg Portion: 100g Chef’s Larder Vegetable Samosas M288917 30x30g Portion: 2 samosas Spice Magic Butter Chicken M296695 2.2kg Portion: 2 tbsp KTC Gourmet Dried Onions M143837 400g Portion: 1/2 tbsp Chefs Menu Yoghurt & Mint Sauce M305237 1ltr Portion: 1 tbsp SELL PRICE £3.99 % PROFIT 72% CASH PROFIT £2.39

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

93p

per serving

33

NEXT STOP:

CRISPY CHICKEN TOWN! (NEW )(NEW)

Chicken Train Mil-Dip No Salt 2kg M309032

(NEW )(NEW)

333

STEPS STEPS STEPS

TOP TIP Double coat for the best crunch!

TO TO TO CHICKEN CHICKEN CHICKEN

Chicken Train Double Hot Breader 12.5k g 12.5kg M303213

PERFECTION PERFECTION PERFECTION

MARINADE

COATCOAT

FRY FRY

Chicken Train Breader 12.5kg M283774

MARINADE

COAT

FRY

CHOICE w CREATIVE TWISTS

TERIYAKI MUSHROOM MAC ‘N’ CHEESE Chef’s Larder Macaroni M271135 3kg Portion: 100g Chef’s Larder Cheese Sauce Mix M250023 2kg Portion: 20g Merchant Gourmet Dried Mixed Mushrooms M281528 400g Portion: 20g Blue Dragon Teriyaki Sauce M102377 1ltr Portion: 1 tbsp Fiorello Grated Mozzarella 100% M227569 2kg Portion: 1 tbsp KTC Gourmet Dried Onions M143837 400g Portion: 1/2 tbsp SELL PRICE £6.99 % PROFIT 76% CASH PROFIT £4.41

£1.41

per serving

TANDOORI FISH TACOS Chef’s Essentials Whitefish Fillet M156658 800g Net 1kg Portion: 100g Patak Tandoori Paste M723090 2.5kg Portion: 2 tbsp Chef’s Larder 6” Mini Plain Tortilla Wraps M252089 80s Portion: 2 wraps KTC Mango Chutney M145415 2.6kg Portion: 1 tbsp Chefs Menu Yoghurt & Mint Sauce M305237 1ltr Portion: 1 tbsp Florette Leafy Rocket M287933 400g Portion: 10g SELL PRICE £5.99 % PROFIT 71% CASH PROFIT £3.55

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

£1.44 per serving

35

SERVICE w LOCKED DOWN PRICES

LOCK IN PROFITS AS 2026 GETS UNDERWAY Let’s get back to basics this January and show customers what great value you can offer them with over 450 prices locked down on essential items.

CaterPro Essentials PE Cling Film 300m 9x300m/1x300m

£37.99/£5.19 M298395/ M298396

PRICES LOCKED UNTIL 3 MARCH

CaterPro Essentials Aluminium Foil 60mx300mm 12xSgl/1xSgl

£58.99/£5.49 M301602/ M301603

Coca-Cola Zero Sugar

Red Bull Sugar Free

24x330ml

24x250ml

£10.95

£21.69

M063724

M096671

Fruit Shoot Low Sugar Apple & Blackcurrant/ Orange/Summer Fruits 12x275ml

£6.15 M178265/ M178264/ M178266

Ice Valley Still Spring Water

Chef’s Larder Vanilla Flavour Ice Cream

Chef’s Larder Chocolate Ice Cream

24x500ml

1x4ltr

1x4Ltr

£2.99

£4.99

£5.19

M189805

M195253

M195262

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

36

SERVICE w LOCKED DOWN PRICES

Chef’s Essentials Baked Beans 6x2.61kg/1x2.61kg

£16.99/£3.99 M150816/ M150817

Chef’s Menu

Crispy Julienne Fries/Crispy Steak Cut Chips/Straight Cut 10mm Chips/12mm Chips/Skin On Straight Cut Chips 10mm

4x2.5kg

£14.99

Chef’s Larder Hash Browns 1x1.36kg

£2.79 M263794

M303952/M303954/ M303956/M303959/ M303963

Chef’s Essentials Fish Fingers

Chef’s Essentials Battered Chicken Nuggets

Chef’s Larder Unsmoked Rindless Back Bacon

1x1.5kg

1x2kg

2kg

£13.29

£10.49

£10.99

M289557

M294499

M115362

The Tomapork

Blackgate D Cut Rump

1kg

Av 6kg

Chicken Breast Fillet Gold 80%

£7.99/kilo M292618

£15.00/kilo M297841

10kg

£43.99 M119728

Standard Pork Ribs 10kg

£30.99 M018187

Flora Plant Butter Unsalted/Salted Block 12x200g

£16.49

Butterific 1x2kg

£4.49 M293919

M294857/ M295177

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

37

SERVICE w ENERGY BUYING CLUB

MAKE MORE AND SAVE MORE WITH BOOKER Did you know that Booker can help you make more money and save more money in a wide variety of ways thanks to its Added Value Services platform?

DOWNLOAD OR VIEW OUR ONLINE SERVICES BROCHURE

38

SERVICE w ADDED VALUE SERVICES

As 2026 gets underway, it’s the perfect time to take five minutes to look at how you could make more and save more with Booker. Our range of Added Value Services offer fantastic opportunities to save money right across your business on everything, from waste

Waste Management  Easy and hassle-free service.  Discounts on waste collection.

management and food labelling to energy bills and staff tips management. Booker has worked with many partners to provide exclusive solutions and discounts that can help you make more and save more every day of the week. To find out how, read on…

Quality Guaranteed Butchery Service  Booker has 20% of the UK’s IOM Master Butchers  Cut and prepared the way you want

Free Oil Collection  Earn on every 20 litres you recycle.

Minimum collection 60 litres.

Energy Support  Free advice and guidance on energy supplies and price comparisons.

Allergen & Menu Support  Enjoy access to Erudus, the marketleading source of accurate allergy, nutritional and technical product data.

Business Credit

JustTip  Our platform makes it easy to pay and receive tips quickly, fairly and transparently. We help businesses stay fully compliant with tipping legislation, automate tip distribution and become tax efficient

Labl.it  Kitchens using a Labl.it label printer benefit from a safer and faster way to manage food labels.

Worldpay

 Options to set up credit and payment facility.

 Worldpay powers businesses of all sizes to make, take and manage payments.

Top Up At Tesco

TNT Sports

 Use Tesco branches for last minute or specialities and still earn cashback.

 Show premium live sports at your commercial premises.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

39 39

SERVICE w ENERGY BUYING CLUB

SAFE AND SUPPORTED Shining the spotlight on the great work of the LGBTQ+@ Booker Colleague Network.

Over the last few months, we’ve been taking a closer look at the inner workings of Booker’s fab four Colleague Networks – the valuable safe spaces which strive to create a supportive environment and drive meaningful change for Booker colleagues from all backgrounds and walks of life.

Run by members of the LGBTQ+ community and allies, the Network offers a dedicated, inclusive space for LGBTQ+ colleagues and allies to come together, share experiences, learn from each other, build connections, and foster understanding across the organisation.

We have introduced you to Women at Booker, Race and Ethnicity at Booker and Disability at Booker – and now we look at the LGBTQ+ at Booker Colleague Network.

It also offers a wide range of support, including helping to connect Trans+ Colleagues to a wider virtual Trans+ Colleague Space, which offers monthly meetings and support.

Created in 2023, LGBTQ+ at Booker’s overriding aim is to make sure that everyone, regardless of their sexual orientation or gender identity, feels welcome at Booker and that Booker is a place where all LGBTQ+ Colleagues can thrive.

40

The network is also on hand to offer help and support with any issues faced by LGBTQ+ Colleagues and encourages them to reach out if there's anything they’d like assistance with.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

BOOKER NETWORKS w LGBTQ+

LGBTQ+ at Booker also runs sessions to help allies understand how they can best support our LGBTQ+ Colleagues and has created an inclusive language guide, available on the Our Booker website, which helps allies to champion LGBTQ+ inclusion locally and have meaningful conversations with Colleagues.

It’s all made possible thanks to the hard work of passionate Network Chairs and three dedicated teams: Events & Planning, Engagement, and Inclusion – who all pull together in a bid to achieve the Network’s goals, meeting every two weeks to discuss actions, plan events and tailor support.

For example, the summer of 2025 saw the Network explore how it could use an external benchmarking tool to assess LGBTQ+ inclusion at Booker.

By combining a tool from Stonewall with Colleague feedback from our Pride event, the Network was able review what Colleagues wanted – and see where the biggest differences could be made.

Going forward, two key areas it plans to tackle are engaging Band 1 + 2 Colleagues and providing better training and support for Colleagues to understand the LGBTQ+ community. So stay tuned as we seek to drive change in these areas in 2026!

AN ABSOLUTELY SUPERB EVENT! A HUGE THANK YOU TO THE NETWORK. I HAVE CERTAINLY COME AWAY WITH ACTIONS TO IMPLEMENT FOR ME AND MY TEAM TO TAKE ANOTHER STEP FORWARD IN ALLYSHIP.” BOOKER COLLEAGUE

The Network also seeks to celebrate the LGBTQ+ community with a range of events throughout the year, as well as supporting key national events such as LGBTQ+ History Month in February – and Pride Month in June.

LGBTQ+ at Booker is currently hard at work planning a range of in-person events for LGBTQ+ History Month – as well as supporting colleagues who are hoping to run their own local events.

We're also planning to re-launch Pride in a Box to help Colleagues create their own Pride displays after the brilliant work we saw last year – so watch this space!

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

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BOOKER NETWORKS w LGBTQ+

LGBTQ+ COMMON TERMINOLOGY Language is inherently complex and continuously evolving – and terminology associated with the lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, and queer+ (LGBTQ+) community is no exception.

Here are some common terms you may encounter when in conversation with people from within this community.

Cisgender: Describes a person whose gender identity aligns with the sex they were assigned at birth.

Gender dysphoria: Marked and persistent incongruence between a person's experienced gender and assigned sex at birth.

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Intersex: Describes a person with one or more innate sex characteristics (such as genitals, internal reproductive organs, or chromosomes) that fall outside of traditional conceptions of male or female bodies.

Nonbinary: Describes a person who experiences their gender identity and/or gender expression as outside the binary genders of man and woman.

Transgender: Describes a person whose gender identity differs from the sex they were assigned at birth.

Transition or gender affirming care: The process a person undertakes to bring their body and/or gender expression into alignment with their gender identity; may involve social, medical, or legal transitions. Note: A person is not required to transition socially, legally, or medically to be considered transgender. Transitioning is a unique experience for each individual and may involve all, none, or some of these processes.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

BOOKER NETWORKS w LGBTQ+

Social: May include going by a different name, using different pronouns (e.g., she, he, or they), and dressing or otherwise presenting themselves differently.

Medical: May include hormone replacement therapy and/ or one or more gender confirmation surgeries.

Legal: May include changing one's name or sex on legal documents such as a passport or bank account.

LANGUAGE TO AVOID Referring to a person as "biologically/genetically" a man, woman, boy, or girl.

"Lifestyle" or "sexual preference" to refer to a person's sexual orientation.

Calling a person "homosexual" who identifies as lesbian, gay, bisexual, pansexual, or queer.

JANUARY/FEBRUARY 2026

I THOUGHT THE DAY WAS FANTASTIC. AMAZING CONVERSATIONS BETWEEN COLLEAGUES THAT WE WOULD NEVER GET TO SPEND TIME WITH OUTSIDE OF THE EVENTS, HELPS US SEE THINGS FROM ALL DIFFERENT PERSPECTIVES TO SHAPE CHANGE REQUIRED FOR THE FUTURE. DRAG ACTS WERE A FANTASTIC END TO CELEBRATE WITH EVERYONE. WELL DONE ON A MEMORABLE AND AMAZING EVENT!" 43

Think you’re using the best? *

Designed for busy kitchens No allergens to declare^ Gluten & Lactose free 35% less sugar than competitors

Case M303567; Unit M303568 Tomato Ketchup 4.8kg

Free pumps available, speak to your local Booker representative for more details

*vs UK food service best selling ketchup, 62% of 445 consumers agree, UK based taste study by N2O Ltd - March 2025. For more information see www. unileverfoodsolutions.co.uk/product/hellmanns-tomatoketchup-jerry-can-4-8kg-1-EN-1247001.html#product-info ^This product does not contain allergenic ingredients which require declaration under EU regulation 1169/2001

Easy Pour