Catering@Booker Issue 2 - February 2022

CATERING @ BOOKER

A cut above 2 0 2 2

THE GLASGOW STEAKHOUSE WITH A TURKISH TWIST

F E B R U A R Y

P R OFILE

CHOI CE . P RI CE . SE RV I CE

P L U S

W I N N I N G W I T H W I N E , T H E H U M B L E C H I P A N D S M A R T B U Y I N G

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E

HIGHLIGHTS l CONTENTS

07

Catherine Marston, Booker Sustainability Manager

“More than 16,000 caterers already use the Booker Used Cooking Oil recycling service, earning a 20p voucher towards their next purchase for every litre collected and recycled. So far, almost 80 million litres have been recycled.”

08

Catherine Marston, Booker Sustainability Manager

“We’ve received lots of positive feedback from our network of charities collecting food through Booker and the colleagues in Booker branches are building strong relationships with their local community thanks to this programme.”

65 COVER SHOT

Jason Kelk, Booker Group Drinks Development Controller

“If you want to add interest and excitement to your range, Bookers’ Direct Delivered service gives you access to hundreds of products that you won’t find in a branch – just look out for the ‘Direct Delivered’ blue flash on the website.”

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Mahony Akkurt offers a unique Turkish twist on the steakhouse.

CATERING@BOOKER SHARE YOUR NEWS If you've got news, tips or feature ideas, get in touch with us 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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FEBRUARY 2022

CONTENTS

12

16 RANGE FOCUS

NEWS 7

22

36

Used Cooking Oil service More than 16,000 caterers already use

saving money by buying smart.

40

Booker’s recycling service to save Quality Food Awards Booker own

Win with wine Grow sales and profits with Booker’s exclusive wine

time and money.

9

Buy smart, cut cost Top tips on

range.

44

brand products shine at prestigious

Meet the Team Say hello to greengrocer Lorraine Jex.

food and drink awards.

PROF I LES 12

PRICE 48

Mahoney’s Steak House Turkish

Chef’s Essentials No gimmicks, just low prices every day.

twist in a Glasgow steakhouse.

16

With Veganuary fresh in the memory after long and sustained growth

22

in consumer interest in vegan and

hit for special events and occasions.

S ERV IC E

Elite Catering Restaurant quality

52

26

Greensky Contract Catering

great value products available from

Swindon business cleans up with

Booker. Covering virtually every category

help from Booker.

Get social Great advice on making more of social media.

delivered to customers’ doors.

vegetarian dining, we take a closer look at the extensive range of high quality,

Number 10 Hotel Classic cookery a

56

Mix it up Cocktails are a great way of driving footfall, sales and profit.

across every dining occasion, the vegan range even includes beers, wines and

F EATURES

ciders and allows you to offer your customers fantastic choice and a very special dining experience.

60

32

50

Hygiene matters Everything you need to maintain an efficient hygiene regime.

FEBRUARY 2022

REGULARS Own brand update Chips may be humble, but they’re vital too.

60

Range review Vegan products in the spotlight.

5

BOOKER NEWS

BOOKERNEWS NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS BOOKER

SAVE TIME, SAVE MONEY, HELP THE PLANET Booker’s used cooking oil recycling service lets you save time and money.

With over 96% of customers who use Booker’s

Caterers can arrange for their used oil to be

Used Cooking Oil collection and recycling

collected on a set rota – every two weeks, for

service saying they would recommend the

instance – or can choose to order collections as

service to other Booker customers, caterers

required.

INBRIEF

AVOIDING THEFT

There have been reports of thefts of used cooking oil from customers’

are being reminded of this invaluable service which helps them save money and meet all of

So far, Booker has collected and recycled almost

their legal obligations when disposing of used

80 million litres of used cooking oil – enough to

cooking oil.

fill 32 Olympic sized swimming pools. The service is also the simplest way for caterers to ensure

The service has been running since 2008 and

that they are meeting all legal requirements

more than 16,000 catering customers already

around the correct disposal of used cooking

take advantage, earning a 20p voucher towards

oil. Caterers using Booker’s service receive

their next purchase for every litre collected and

formal certification that their used oil has been

recycled. That means participating caterers earn

collected and recycled after every collection.

a £4 voucher for every 20 litres recycled, bringing

The minimum collection is 60 litres and Booker

the price of a KTC 20ltr drum to *£21.99.

can provide 60 litre barrels if desired, with a deposit payable.

premises.

To reduce your risk of falling victim to crimes like this, it is important to: l Keep your used cooking oil secure before collection l Booker partners with Wastecare, Vegetable Oil Management and, in Northern Ireland, BioGen. Make sure you check the Booker

The used oil is collected direct from your

paperwork before

premises by a Booker’s collection partner and

To register and book your collection, contact

handing over the used

is then processed and turned into biofuel which

Booker Recycling by phone on 0345 120 4545,

oil.

makes up the diesel blend used in Booker’s

by email at info@bookerrecycling.co.uk or by

HGV fleet, helping the planet as well as saving

visiting www.bookerrecycling.co.uk

caterers money.

*Price correct at time of printing

If you believe your used cooking oil has been stolen, please report it

“Fantastic, efficient and hassle-free service that is of real benefit to my business and a nice perk that helps reduce our cooking oil costs.”

immediately to the police.

Iain, Tantrum Doughnuts

What are you doing to save time and money and make your business more profitable while enhancing your sustainability credentials? Let us know by dropping us a line at catering@booker.co.uk

FEBRUARY 2022

7

BOOKER NEWS

BOOKER PROVIDES ONE MILLION MEALS FOR NEEDY Booker has redistributed enough food to provide the equivalent of one million meals through FareShare’s network of charities.

Working with FareShare, the UK’s biggest

said: “This is such an incredible milestone,

charity fighting hunger and food waste,

as one million meals is an enormous

Booker has redistributed enough food

amount of food. We’re absolutely thrilled

to provide the equivalent of one million

about the impact our partnership with

meals for communities across the UK since

Booker and FareShare is having - both

April 2021.

on the local community and the climate and we look forward to saving many more

Booker

is

the

first

wholesaler

to

millions of meals together.”

redistribute food directly to FareShare’s network of charities through the FareShare

Catherine Marston, Head of Sustainability

Go programme and the free sharing app

at Booker said: “We are delighted that our

OLIO and its ‘Food Waste Heroes’ who

Lindsay

at

teams across the whole Booker business

collect food directly from Booker and

FareShare, said: “Thank you to Booker

have worked so hard with their local

Makro branches, which is then added to its

for working with FareShare and OLIO to

partners to reach this fantastic milestone.

app for people in the local area to collect.

redistribute the equivalent of one million

Not allowing any edible food go to waste

meals. This food is needed now more than

is something that everyone at Booker is

Through FareShare Go, Booker sites are

ever and is making a huge difference to

passionate about and we are proud to

matched with charities and community

people in need across the country.

be the first wholesaler to work in such a

Boswell,

Chief

Executive

groups in the local area that collect the

collaborative way with FareShare and

items and turn that into food parcels or hot

“We’ve received lots of positive feedback

OLIO.

meals for the people they support.

from our network of charities collecting

0.15% of total food handled which is

food through Booker and the colleagues

market-leading. We are off to a great start

The food redistributed by Booker includes

in Booker branches are building strong

with this partnership and I’m really looking

a range of large catering size packs,

relationships with their local community

forward to building on this success.”

vegetables, deli and sandwich fillings, as

thanks to this programme.”

Our food waste represents just

well as smaller packs of meats, fish and fruit.

Tessa Clarke, Co-founder & CEO at OLIO,

WOMEN IN MEAT AWARDS Booker Regional Training Manager, Lindsay Murphy was honoured at the recent Meat Management Women in Meat Awards 2021.

Lindsay secured not one but two awards, winning the category for Wholesale and also the prestigious Meat Businesswoman of the Year Award - a remarkable achievement.

The awards are designed to recognise the important contribution that women make to the meat sector.

The judges praised Lindsay’s passion and hard work in managing Booker’s Butchery Training Programmes, which support colleagues’ development right through from starting a career in

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Butchery to becoming a Master Butcher.

Lindsay said: “The Butchery Training Programmes sit at the heart of Booker’s exceptional butchery offer to catering customers so I am proud to play my part in ensuring we offer an outstanding range and service to our customers, and I’m delighted to have been recognised for my efforts and achievements.”

FEBRUARY 2022

BOOKER NEWS

BOOKER PRODUCTS SHINE AT QUALITY FOOD AWARDS The outstanding quality of Booker’s own brand products has been recognised at this year’s Quality Food Awards.

INBRIEF ALLERGY LABELLING CONSULTATION The Food Standards Agency (FSA) has launched a consultation to gather views from businesses and consumers on precautionary allergen labelling (PAL) and

The quality of Booker’s range of own brand

Booker Catering Sales Director Simon King

products has been recognised once again at

said: “The Quality Food Awards are highly

information.

this year’s prestigious Quality Food Awards

respected thanks to their very rigorous judging

The online survey will

which recognise and reward the finest food and

process so to win five awards and a highly

cover topics including: the

drink products on sale in the UK.

commended is a powerful endorsement of our fantastic own brand products.”

The Quality Food Awards are renowned in the

provision of precautionary allergen information to consumers; improving guidance and advice for

industry for their rigorous and stringent judging

businesses on how and

process. The awards are judged by a variety

when to use the labelling;

of food experts who bring their knowledge to

ensuring compliance

the process, making winning an award a great

with regulations; and

achievement.

standardising risk-analysis for allergen cross-

Booker products collected five winners awards

contamination.

as well as two highly commended awards, while

The responses will

the Chef’s Larder Belgian Style Waffles won the

help inform the FSA’s

Cakes & Desserts category and was shortlisted

next steps in making

for the ultimate Foodservice Product of the Year

a workable system for

Award.

businesses to put into practice that consumers

Also among the winners was Crunch Extra Mature Cheddar which came out top in the Dairy / Non-Dairy category for the second consecutive year while Blackgate Signature Pork & Three Chilli Sausages claimed the hotly contested and highly coveted Meat category

WINNERS: l Chef’s Larder Belgian Style Waffles (Cakes & Desserts) l Crunch Extra Mature Cheddar (Dairy / Non-Dairy) l Chef’s Larder Premium Super Skinny Gourmet Julienne Fries (Meal Accompaniments)

understand and trust.

The FSA said: “We know that precautionary allergen labels such as ‘may contain’ can be problematic and in order to understand how we

award.

l Blackgate Signature Pork & Three Chilli Sausages (Meat)

Chef’s Larder Premium Super Skinny Gourmet

l Chef’s Larder Premium Sourdough Pizza Pucks (Savoury - Pizza, Pies & Pasty)

PAL, we need to hear

COMMENDED:

The consultation will be

Julienne Fries won the Meal Accompaniments award and Chef’s Larder Premium Sourdough Pizza Pucks emerged victorious in the Savoury Pizza, Pies & Pasty category.

FEBRUARY 2022

l Chef’s Larder Ready To Serve Devon Custard (Dairy / Non-Dairy)

can improve the use of from you.” open until 14 March 2022.

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UNIQUELY WELSH. IT’S IN THE TASTE. There is lamb and then there is Welsh Lamb. Natural, versatile and packed with outstanding flavour gained from centuries of traditional farming practices. Tasty, sweet and delicious; this is lamb as it should be.

Our farmers tend and care for the land using traditional practices that have been passed down the generations which is why the ingredients of Welsh Lamb are: grass, rainwater and a whole lot of pride. The wild weather and rugged terrain don’t lend hemselves to producing many types of food, but Wales’ green hills and abundant rainfall create the perfect environment for producing delicious and natural Welsh Lamb.

Choose quality.

Choose Welsh Lamb.

Scan here for recipe: Herb crusted pulled Welsh Lamb shoulder

hcctrade.com

BOOKER NEWS

INDUSTRYNEWS NEWS, ACHIEVEMENTS AND OPINIONS FROM ACROSS THE INDUSTRY

CUSTOMERS ‘TURNING TO WINE AND SPIRITS’

INBRIEF

A new report says British on-trade customers bought more wine and spirits during lockdown, but less beer, a trend that has continued after the re-opening of hospitality.

RATES RELIEF IN WALES Welsh Finance Minister Rebecca Evans has

Sales of wines and spirits grew significantly in

categories accounting for 33% of total alcohol

announced that Welsh

2020 due to lockdowns, a trend that has been

sales.

hospitality business are

reflected in the on-trade in 2021 after the reopening of hospitality.

eligible for 50% business

Over the same period, spirits’ share of the

rates relief for 2022-23.

market grew by 2% to 26%.

The news was announced

That’s one of the major findings of the new

alongside the Welsh

British Beer & Pub Association (BBPA) 2021

The shift in drinking habits, says the

government’s three-year

Statistical Handbook.

BBPA, was the enforced closure of pubs,

Budget and is funded by a

but these newly learned shopper

£116m package which it is

During the lockdowns of 2020, wine’s

habits are having an impact through

hoped will support more

share of the total alcoholic drinks market

2021 and represent an important

grew by 2%.

opportunity for caterers to respond to the growing demands for wines and

What that means is that British consumers

spirits.

bought as much wine as beer with both

than 85,000 properties in total.

Another £35m has been allocated to allow for the freezing of the nondomestic rates multiplier for 2022-23, which means

‘ONE IN THREE’ CHOOSING LOW OR NO ALCOHOL

that there will be no

UK drinkers are increasingly choosing low and no alcohol products all year round and not just for

paying during the period.

increase in the amount of rates businesses are

Dry January, according to the fourth annual online study by drinks watchdog The Portman Group, carried out in December.

Carried out by YouGov, the report found that almost one in three (32%) UK drinkers now ‘semiregularly’ consume low and no alcohol products compared to one in four (25%) in 2020. A fifth (20%) of those who have tried low and no alcohol say they are more likely to drink these products now compared to a year ago, almost double the number saying this in last year’s survey (11%).

The most popular reason given is ‘being able to drive home from social events’ (33% of respondents) while healthier consumption concerns were cited by 22% of consumers. Some 12% said they alternate between low/no products and regular strength alcohol to moderate their overall

What are you doing different to stand out?

Share it with us and your fellow Booker colleagues at catering@booker.co.uk

consumption.

FEBRUARY 2022

11

PROFILE l MAHONY’S BISHOPBRIGGS, GLASGOW

FIRING ON ALL CYLINDERS Mahony’s Steakhouse is setting Glasgow alight with it’s sizzling new take on the steakhouse concept.

Turkish born Mahony Akkurt knows a thing or two about

restaurant that would offer diners a real experience to

steak. He also knows a thing or two about the catering

remember,” Mahony says.

trade, having launched a network of successful cafés, kebab shops and Italian restaurants since arriving in

And judging by sizzle and spit of flames from the

the UK just over 20 years ago.

steak-charged open grill and the even louder roar of happy diners, he’s certainly achieved that.

But it’s his newest venture: an open fire grill steak house with a temping Turkish twist in the north of Glasgow, of

“This project has been at the back of my mind for a

which he’s most proud. So proud in-fact that the ultra-

great number of years, it was something that needed

stylish wood-clad establishment in Bishopbriggs has

a great deal of careful planning because it had to be

his name above the door.

right.

THE LOWDOWN

Mahony’s

Steakhouse

MAHONY’S

Bishopbriggs

first

times aside!) diners have been

something to rush.”

Outlet Mahony’s Bishopbriggs, Glasgow Format Steakhouse Covers 130 Owner Mahony Akkurt Time as a caterer 20 years Staff 14

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in

“I was always very clear on the type of look and feel

for

that I wanted to achieve and I knew that getting there

business in 2017 – and (lockdown

would require a lot of time and money – it wasn’t

opened

passing through the classy glassclad entrance in greater and greater

Mahony’s careful and considered approach to the

numbers ever since.

steakhouse design saw him travel to Turkey on numerous occasions in a bid to source an array of

“I’ve been in the catering business

authentic fixtures, fittings and equipment, with which

for more than 20 years and owned

to bring his dream to life.

and operated a variety of different types of outlets but it’s always

“The restaurant needed to look, feel and smell the

been my dream to open a proper

part. From the counters to the grill covers, pizza ovens,

FEBRUARY 2022

PROFILE l THE COTTAGE INN, FILLONGLEY, COVENTRY

lighting and beyond, everything had to be perfect. I

“Quality produce had to be at the heart of it all – the

spent weeks visiting different factories in Turkey to

steaks had to be the best.

ensure that we only had the best.

“I went to Booker and asked them: ‘what’s the absolute “A great deal of the fixtures and fittings were made

best steak that you do?’ I was more than prepared to

bespoke, including the restaurant’s burned wood

pay a price premium for the absolute best. I explained

signage and stunning copper-plated oven. And what

my vision to them; the fact that I wanted to do

he couldn’t have made, Mahony created and crafted

something unique and really special and they listened

himself.

with open ears and genuine excitement.”

“I had a very clear vision of how I wanted the interior

“All of the steak comes from Booker. We get two

lighting to look so I decided to design and make it all

deliveries a week and that includes pretty much all the

myself - with the help of an electrician of course!

other produce for the restaurant. I do tend to visit my local branch at least once a week too though.

“It was an exhausting process because so much of it was done from scratch and required such a high level

Nothing beats an in-person branch visit, it’s always

of input from me personally. I was literally working

good to see the range for yourself and talk with

night and day in the months leading up to opening.

the butchers and other staff about trends, pricing,

It was my dream, it was my name above the door so it

whatever you want.

could be nothing less than perfect.

“I particularly like the Blackgate steak range, it comes “Fortunately I had a great support network of people

to me at 28 days aged and then I age it further myself.

to call on and of course I had Booker who I had been working with for years as a result of my previous

“I know my steak, I’m a perfectionist and when we

businesses.

were designing the restaurant, I knew that having my

FEBRUARY 2022

13

PROFILE l MAHONY’S BISHOPBRIGGS, GLASGOW

MAHONY S SPECIAL BOARD A CUT ABOVE Quality is everything, especially when it comes to steak

own dry ager would take our offer to the next level.

“Like most things in here, the dry ager also had to be custom-made so as to work with the size of the restaurant. It was a four-month wait for it to be crafted

PICTURE PERFECT Presentation is crucial, a plate needs to look as good as it tastes

but boy was it worth it!”

In addition to propelling the meat’s flavour and tenderness to next-level excellence, the dry-ageing fridge also serves as a key feature of the restaurant

BE REAL Authenticity is so important and diners can

see it for what it is. Don’t be tempted to cut corners

and is one of the first things that diners see when they enter.

“It’s clear from the moment that our diners walk in that this is a place that is serious about steak, serious about quality and serious about ensuring that they leave

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FEBRUARY 2022

PROFILE l MAHONY’S BISHOPBRIGGS, GLASGOW

“I’m also the lead grill chef, cooking the steaks is another real passion of mine, the fire, the smoke, the smell, it’s amazing. The diners know that it’s me cooking for them and I think that also adds to our uniqueness.

“I have also created a couple of signature dishes which are very popular. The Rob Roy Steak is a homage to our Scottish heritage and features a 5oz fillet, topped with a slice of haggis, topped with another 5oz fillet and a slice of black pudding on the top.

“Another popular signature dish is the Mahony’s Tower. It’s a tower of steak, featuring a slice of toasted bread, a 5oz fillet topped with a jumbo king prawn which is then followed by another 5oz fillet, topped with shell on prawns and a creamy saffron sauce.

“Both are incredibly popular especially for special occasions. As a restaurant we attract a huge amount of celebration trade. Every weekend over the Friday, Saturday and Sunday we probably host around 20 birthdays.

One Saturday in 2021 we hosted 25 birthdays, it was incredible and I think it speaks volumes about the type of establishment we are and how well we have been received.

utterly contented and wanting more.

“We do all different kinds of steaks from Bone-In-

SPECIAL DELIGHT MAHONY’S

Ribeyes, T-Bones, Tomahawks, Filet, the menu is very large.

TURKISH TWIST

“Chateaubriand is also really popular, we use the

Mahony’s sets itself apart from other steakhouse concepts with a unique

Blackgate meat for that dish. It comes to me from

and utterly authentic Turkish twist.

Booker already aged by 28 days but then I put it in my

Mahony himself visited Turkey on multiple occasions while planning the

dry ager for another two weeks.

restaurant in a bit to source entirely authentic equipment, fixtures and fittings.

“I also butcher a lot of the meat myself, much of it

His trips also helped him to garner further culinary inspiration for now

comes to me whole from Booker and I then prepare

popular dishes such as its Ottoman Special.

it. It’s something I love to do and I’m very particular

Much of the restaurant’s equipment, including its grill, copper-plated oven

about it.

and dry ager were made bespoke.

FEBRUARY 2022

15

PROFILE l THE NUMBER 10 HOTEL

A CLASSICAL APPROACH

Traditional flavours and classic cookery have helped The Number 10 boutique hotel in Glasgow become a firm favourite for special celebrations and events “I started off in the catering industry as a young junior

THE LOWDOWN

chef in this very same building, before working my way

THE NUMBER 10 HOTEL

up the ladder to head chef and beyond that to where I am now,” William explains.

Outlet The Number 10 Hotel, Glasgow Format Boutique hotel and function venue General Manager William Sloan Time as a caterer 34 years Kitchen staff 8 Operating Hours Sunday to Saturday – 12pm until 10pm

“I’m a perfect example of what this industry can offer in terms of employment opportunities for young people.

I went into catering as a young kid with no idea what expect but I had the right attitude and ethic, and it’s worked so well for me.

“In this industry commitment goes a long way and can result in incredible opportunities to move up the ladder.”

Today, that ladder has seen William climb to his current position: general manager of The Number 10 boutique hotel in Glasgow – a stunning 26-bedroom hotel, with a keen focus on functions and events, just a stone’s throw away from Hampden Park football stadium.

Inside, the hotel features a large function suite, as-well as a smart candle-lit cocktail bar, which doubles as a restaurant with seats for 36 diners.

The menu, as William explains, offers those diners a “classical” experience, with traditional products and

William Sloan has worked in the catering industry, and indeed, in the same establishment, his entire professional life, or as he puts it from “man and boy.”

And while the name above the door of the beautiful Victorian sandstone building, which has been William’s place of work since he was aged just 18, has changed a number of times, his mind-set, drive and ambition certainly haven’t.

16

The hotel hosts an average of 40 weddings a year

flavours.

“We change the menu about four times a year, in-line with the seasons, but no matter whether it’s spring or winter, that focus on classical, traditional flavours remains.

“That’s what our diners want. It’s food for special occasions, birthdays, anniversaries and weddings, that

FEBRUARY 2022

PROFILE l THE NUMBER 10 HOTEL

will suit people of all ages and generations.

Blackgate steaks are fantastic and the advice and support I get from the butchery team at my local

We don’t really get ‘walk in’s here, it’s mainly a place

branch in Glasgow is over and above.

that people book well in advance.

“I’ve been going to the same branch since I was just “We offer fantastic fillet steaks, wonderful traditional

18. Back in those days I couldn’t drive and my old

steak pies, braised lamb and one of our signature

manager used to take me. What’s lovely is that many

dishes which uses a feather-blade of beef. We braise

of staff in the branch started out around the same time

the beef for 10 hours in the oven, then we season it,

as me, so I’ve known them for years and years.

wrap it and chill it down before slicing it. The effect is just out of this world, it’s so tender that you could cut it

“The butcher John in particular, I’ve known since my

with the back of a teaspoon, it melts like butter.

late teens and we have a fantastic relationship. Those kinds of relationships count for so much. Over the

One item that I never take off the menu and is an all-

years I’ve seen staff and managers in my hotel change

time favourite is chicken stuffed with Haggis and a

but Booker has remained a constant.

black pepper sauce. It’s important to keep the Scottish theme strong, it’s such a big part of our identity.

“The branch is only a few miles down the road so I tend to drop by in person at least a couple of times

“We keep the menu tight, it’s very much quality over

a week to top up on odds and ends, see the samples

quantity, so we do six starters, eight mains and about

and chat to the staff and my fellow caterers about

four or five deserts.

how their business are doing and any trends they’re noticing. A trip to branch can be a real knowledge-

“It’s all very fresh produce focused and I get the

gathering exercise

vast majority of my butcher meat from Booker. The

FEBRUARY 2022

17

PROFILE l THE NUMBER 10 HOTEL

DESTINATIONVENUE THE NUMBER 10 HOTEL

Special Occasion venue Number 10 Hotel is what William describes as a “special occasion” venue with facilities for large celebrations as-well-as more intimate anniversaries.

“We don’t really get ‘walk in’s here, it’s mainly a place that people book well in advance.”

“We change the menu about four times a year, in-line with the seasons, but no matter whether it’s spring or winter, that focus on classical, traditional flavours remains.

“That’s what our diners want. It’s food for special occasions, birthdays, anniversaries and weddings, that will suit people of all ages and generations.

“We offer fantastic fillet steaks, wonderful traditional steak pies, braised lamb and one of our signature dishes which uses a feather-blade of beef.”

“I try to give Booker as much of my business

took off over the summer and autumn so

as possible, so we get the majority of our

we actually went up to daily deliveries

fresh produce from there but also all the

during that time.”

ambient food products for the pantry plus the janitorial and housekeeping goods.

about making more of it,” William says.

“The garden has always been there but it wasn’t as accessible as it is now and there

A big driver of Number 10’s summer of

were lots of attractive but impractical

sales has been the creation of a brand new

stone pillars dotted around which made

“As a special occasion venue, we also get

‘beer garden’ within the hotel’s spacious

the space more challenging to use.

though large quantities of champagne

grounds.

and I’ve just this minute placed an order

That’s all changed now though and the

with Booker for three cases of Bollinger

With easily accessible entrances from the

garden has been transformed into a large

and four cases of Moët & Chandon which

side of the hotel and its function suite

and truly beautiful space for people to

should see us through a few more days!

the spacious garden now offers an area

sit, drink, eat and celebrate with lots of

of different dining areas, with seating

different zones.

“We also buy vast amounts of stock in

available across its lawns, patios, raised

bulk, especially on the ambient side: the

decking, and under the cover of its newly-

We have also launched a new garden menu

dried canned foods for the pantry such

built and heated wooden gazebo.

with some popular snacking favourites

as pulses, spices, baked beans, it’s really worth it from a price point of view.

such as handmade burgers, and of course “The pandemic made us think differently

a large selection of bottled and draft beer,

about our outside space and to be honest

Champagne, cocktails, gins, whiskies and

“We were on three deliveries a week at

we didn’t realise quite how much of it

more.

the start of the year but the business really

we actually had until we starting thinking

FEBRUARY 2022

19

PROFILE l THE NUMBER 10 HOTEL

We also offer a great value priced afternoon tea, which includes freshly made sandwiches, sausage rolls, cakes and ‘chef’s choice canapé for just £12.95 a person.

I’m expecting those to do really well in the warmer months too as we have such a lovely setting for things like baby showers.

As part of the garden makeover, a stunning new garden pavilion was also constructed, giving the hotel a second function room, perfect for weddings, special events and occasions.

“The pavilion is absolutely beautiful, the real jewel in the garden’s crown,” William says.

The newly refurbished garden can hold as many as 600 people “It’s all made from glass and beautiful Scandinavian wood, with great high ceilings and sliding glass doors

WILLIAM’S SPECIAL BOARD

out into the garden so it’s perfectly suited to weddings.

“Weddings are a really big focus for us and last year we hosted 40! I’d hope to see that number rise even

KEEP IT CLASSIC Our customers come to us because we offer

classical menus with traditional flavours, many of which have a Scottish focus. It’s important to keep the Scottish theme strong.

further in 2022, restrictions permitting, as a result of the new pavilion.

“I’m really looking forward to a good spring and summer with the garden. We’re determined to remain optimistic because, while the remaining winder months will undoubtably be challenging, in the blink of an eye

FRESH APPROACH We get daily deliveries during our busy summer

season but I also visit the branch at least three times a week to ensure that our produce is as fresh as can be.

QUALITY NOT QUANTITY We keep the menu tight, it’s very much quality

over quantity, so we do six starters, eight mains and about four or five deserts.

FEBRUARY 2022

it will be spring, and thanks to our newly-refurbished garden we have a wonderful setting for outdoor dining and events. We’ve got Easter, Mother’s Day and Communion season, which is quite a big opportunity in Glasgow, all to come, so there are certainly lots of reasons to be excited.

“In the summer garden can now take up to 300 people, plus all the extra space in the pavilion, meaning that we can cater for almost 500. We’ve got a great team and we’ll all pull together to give those guests an experience to remember!”

21

PROFILE l ELITE CATERING, GLASGOW

A CUT

ABOVE

For caterer Alan Olone, delivering restaurant-quality food in a takeaway format is proving to be a real recipe for success

Alan Olone is one of life’s doers: if he wants something done, he generally gets it done. Having known since childhood that he wanted to be a chef, Alan took the earliest opportunity to begin and by the age of 21 he had already been appointed head chef in a well-known Italian restaurant in Glasgow.

Fast-forward a few years, and today Alan is the proud owner of his own vibrant restaurant and takeaway business spanning three sites in and around Glasgow. “My intention had always been to own my own restaurant and three years ago I got there when I opened my first place: Macarico in Glasgow,” Alan explains.

THE LOWDOWN

ELITE CATERING, GLASGOW Business Elite Catering, including brands: Macarico, Bistecca and The Snack Box Format Restaurant/takeaway Owner Alan Olone Time as a caterer 20 years Staff 47 including delivery drivers Opening hours Bistecca: 12pm-9pm Macarico: 11am -10pm The Snack Box: 8am-3pm

22

FEBRUARY 2022

PROFILE l ELITE CATERING, GLASGOW

Offering restaurant-quality food in a takeaway format,

Alan on takeaways

the Macarico concept proved to be a rapid success.

Alan opened a second Macarico site in Airdrie town-

“If you shape your takeaway offer properly, it can thrive.”

centre during lockdown in 2020 and is now launching the Macarico brand as a franchise.

Meaning ‘blowtorch’ in Portugese, Macarico boasts a menu includes a variety of flavoursome dishes, including peri-peri chicken and home-made burgers, all finished with the use of a blowtorch to achieve a unique charred effect.

“My first site was a new-build retail unit that didn’t have gas so my only option was to use a blowtorch to help cook the food and get that lovely charred effect.

That’s where the name came from,” Alan explains.

“The majority of the recipes were developed around that concept.

“We’ve pushed the theme further by incorporating it into the interior design, so we’ve blow-torched a lot of



with open pipe work and feature lighting.”

The kitchens are also open so that customers who opt to eat in the 20-seat restaurant, as well as those popping in for collections, can watch every stage of

90%

the theatrical cooking process.

of produce is ordered from Booker

they work. It’s an open and friendly environment where

the interior wood and the rustic feel is complemented

“Customers can see and even speak to our chefs as the customer is included,” Alan continues. “In most restaurants, the chefs are sweating away at the back and don’t get to interact with the customers at all. I always feel that restaurants with open kitchens create a better atmosphere.

“It provides more of a show and it sits well within the growing consumer trend towards provenance and

ALAN’S SPECIAL BOARD

consumers wanting to know more about where their

USE YOUR OWN INITIATIVE

While the site does offer a dining-in option, around

Trust your own ideas and don’t just try to

replicate other concepts. Customers appreciate true USPs.

food comes from and how it was prepared,” Alan adds.

70% of sales are takeaways, rising to 80% at Alan’s second Macarico in Airdrie town centre.

“Our food is restaurant-quality that you can have fun with and enjoy together,” says Alan. “Our unique style,

GET SOCIAL Social media is such a powerful tool, brush up

on your social skills for more impactful social engagement

quality and service has really resonated with people.

Flavour is key, and many of our signature dishes, such as ‘Salt and Chilli Chicken’ for example, feature big bold flavours.

“One of our biggest USPs is that we cook everything

HONE YOUR TAKEAWAY OFFER Takeaway is here to stay. Caterers who are able to adapt their offers with a quality takeaway format stand to win big

fresh. I have chefs in my kitchens, not just people throwing together pre-prepared dishes.”

“I try and buy everything through Booker. When I change my menu seasonally, I aim it at the products Booker is using. I’ve even adapted my menu just to

FEBRUARY 2022

23

PROFILE l ELITE CATERING, GLASGOW

enable me to buy more from Booker. “The Blackgate meat brand for example: it’s excellent and we also use lots of Blackgate products like steaks, pork and minced meat in my two Macarico sites. We make our own burgers from the mince, meatballs from the pork. I have a great relationship with the branch butchers and they’ll grind my pork mince for me to order as I want it.

“When I opened my first site, I was shocked by how much Booker could do for me. I had just thought of Booker as a cash and carry

Alan on Booker’s support

“I never realised the extent of Booker’s offer and the quality is honestly exceptional.”

but it’s so much more than that. I never realised the extent of the offer and the quality is exceptional.” ways. I’d by far rather get everything from Booker, it makes it so But it’s in Alan’s third site, an Italian Grill steakhouse called Bistecca

much simpler for me.”

that he opened a couple of years ago in 2019 in the neighbouring Glasgow suburb of Rutherglen, that Booker’s butcher meat is

“When I opened my first Macarico and went out into the big bad

really made to shine.

world of business on my own, I was a bit sceptical about a few things, but with Booker I couldn’t have asked for better support.

“Bistecca is all about steak, although we do have other family

The branch managers didn’t know if I was just some guy who would

favourites like freshly made pasta and pizzas and our popular

spend a couple of hundred quid every few weeks, but none of that

pasta-stuffed garlic bread cones! Most people come for the

mattered, and I was given so much support from the get-go. As it

steaks though. From filet to sirloin, ribeye, rump, I get all of the

turns out, we worked out the other week that I spend £400,000 a

steaks from Booker.

year with Booker now!

“On the rare occasions that there have been things I’ve wanted

“As soon as turned up I was made to feel welcome and to this day

on the menu that Booker hasn’t supplied, I’ve taken my invoices

the branch staff continue to go above and beyond. As an example:

to Booker and given them the option of onboarding new products

I’m very specific about the type of skin-on chips I buy. If I’m ever

and to be fair they have done so which is great. At the end of

short the branch will send out to other depots and they’ve even

the day, if I’m spending £1,200 on a certain product a month, that

gone as far as driving to those other depots in their cars to get

£1,200 is money that Booker could be getting, so it works both

those chips to.”

24

FEBRUARY 2022

PROFILE l ELITE CATERING, GLASGOW

The summer months have seen Alan invest further in his Bistecca restaurant with a revamped garden area to make more of the dining in opportunity.

“While Bistecca is a very takeaway-focused business, that changes on weekends when it’s more like 30% takeaway and 70% dining in.

“We do events on the weekends that appeal to family groups and parties such as live music and we’ve renovated the outdoor eating area with new decking, patio heaters and pretty lighting as well as a huge outdoor TV.”

Social media has also played a key role in shaping the

 100% of food is freshly cooked

wider businesses’ success. “Social media plays a huge role, we post every day with pictures and videos of freshly cooked dishes, promotions and events we are holding. However, when you big yourself up like that you have to be sure that you can deliver, in every sense of the word.

“We also pride ourselves on the speed and quality of our own home delivery service. We have our own methods, our own routes and use all our own drivers.

“Location is key too. Some sites just don’t work well for a takeaway but our Glasgow Macarico, for example, is perfect. The motorway slip-road is right behind the shop. It means we can get to areas that are five miles away in just five minutes.

“We deliver to 14 postcodes and we are mobbed! A lot of people come in for collection too and lunchtime is very busy, especially among workers from the nearby industrial estate.

“The takeaway trend is here to stay. There is so much choice now and the months of lockdown have changed consumer mindsets. People like that they don’t need to get dressed up and go out to have a fantastic

TOP NOSH ELITE CATERING, GLASGOW

quality meal. That really appeals to families with young children. If you can get the takeaway concept right, like we have, you’re on to a winner.”

Alan’s confidence in the concept has driven his

Restaurant-quality food delivered Quality produce and cookery skills define both the Macarico and Bistecca offer.

Everything is cooked fresh by real chefs with an armory of skills, including flame-grilling at Macarico and an open grill at Bistecca. Alan buys the vast majority of all his produce from Booker including fresh meat and all steaks from filet to sirloin, ribeye and rump.

“The Blackgate meat for example is excellent quality,” he says. “Fresh, flavour-packed homemade food is our USP, and customers really can taste the difference. We make all our own burgers from Booker’s butchery mince and meatballs from the pork. I have a great relationship with the branch butchers in Glasgow and they’ll grind my pork mince for me to order as I want it.”

FEBRUARY 2022

ambition to launch his Macarico brand as a franchise.

“The franchise idea has always been there and now is the right time to execute it,” Alan adds.

“I’ve had more than 100 enquiries already and that’s only a month since launch so it’s looking promising.

I’ve shared the plans with Booker and they are offering me lots of support and advice. It’s incredibly exciting but I’m trying to remain as level-headed about it as possible.

“It’s going to be a lot of hard-work, but everyone who knows me knows I’m not afraid of that.”

25

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PROFILE l GREENSKY CONTRACT SERVICES

THE SKY’S THE LIMIT Booker-supplied Green Sky Contract Services is cleaning up after successfully pivoting operations to meet changing customer needs.

From retailers to caterers, and all manner of other industries in-between, the impact of the global pandemic has been keenly felt across the business spectrum.

For Swindon-based facilities management and cleaning company Green Sky, the pandemic has made its mark in variety of different and entirely unexpected ways, prompting the team to think fast and react flexibly in order to meet new and changing customer demands.

Operations

manager

Mike

Banfield

explains: “The company was established by our managing director Kevin Clancy, who has operated cleaning companies for upwards of 30 years and has a wealth of experience in this field.

“Cleaning forms the core part of our business and we deploy our services across a range of different sites, from small offices right up to vast warehouses.

THE LOWDOWN

GREEN SKY CONTRACT SERVICES, SWINDON Established June 2018 Areas of expertise Professional cleaning, facilities maintenance and management, electrical and plumbing works, waste management.

Operations Manager Mike Banfield Staff 25

28

FEBRUARY 2022

PROFILE l GREENSKY CONTRACT SERVICES

TOPPLANNER GREENSKY CONTRACT SERVICES

Mike’s Mechanics

“More recently, we’ve expanded our

and Bristol areas.

services yet further and now offer those same businesses full facilities management

Assisting Mike in his quest for perfection

solutions, including maintenance work,

is Booker, through which Greensky buys all

repairs and conversions.

of its consumables: the key cleaning and maintenance products which it uses to

“We wanted to be able to offer our

deploy its services.

customers a one stop shop. We didn’t Spreadsheets are my best-friend.

want to just clean the taps for them, but

“The cleaning side of the business uses a

My top tip for anyone managing lots

repair the taps too if needs be, re-paint the

vast amount of consumables, from floor

walls, build new ones, everything we could

and toilet cleaners to antibacterial sprays,

do to help them to look and perform at

paper products, hand soaps, and much

their very best.”

more and we buy all of those products

of mini projects, in whatever field that might be, is write it down and establish a proper flow, so that you can clearly see how you are going to get from A to B to C. It’s the only way you can truly know where everyone

from Booker.

“We manage upwards of 30 sites now including large distribution warehouses,

“The bulk of the products come from

keep it all in your head or you’ll never

head office locations, and academic

Booker’s CleanPro range which includes

get a minute’s peace, it will constantly

settings, all in and around the Swindon

products

and everything is. Don’t ever try to

that

can

help

to

combat

be running in your head.

“The handwashing message has clearly got through.

Consumers are so much more aware of the need to live more hygienically and we are suppling our customers with far more hand soap than ever before.”

FEBRUARY 2022

29

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PROFILE l GREENSKY CONTRACT SERVICES

Covid-19 such as viral cleaner, washroom cleaner and disinfectant, alcohol hand gel, antibacterial wipes and floor gel.

“The

products

also

feature

helpful

colour-coded labels for each area of use, from warehouse washing to washroom, floorcare and kitchen.

“Booker offers prices and deals that other suppliers just can’t match. Booker’s Swindon branch is also just a short drive from our head office so it’s ultra-convenient too and I probably visit in person at least three times a week in addition to scheduled deliveries,” Mike says.

“I’m actually going to the branch in the next hour to get 20 packs of Mini Jumbos and 20 packs of centre-fold towels. I’ll load it all onto a van and then take it directly to the site where it’s needed.

“The lead up to Black Friday for example was manic – we were sending out huge amounts of stock in the run up to and over shopping period, which was then of course followed by the equally busy Christmas period.”

“The pandemic has changed the way in which we buy from Booker slightly and I now visit the branch in person more

always take advantage of them.”

keeping piles of stock in our own site store

Unsurprisingly,

which is what we used to do pre-Covid-19.

has had a major impact on the types of

“We do always keep a decent amount

and we are also suppling our customers with far more hand soap and other hand-

regularly to collect what I need, rather than the

global

pandemic

washing products than ever before.

consumables that he buys and the volumes

“Interestingly, demand of actual hand

in which he buys them too.

sanitiser has fallen in recent months. At the start of the pandemic, hand sanitisers

of surplus stock though just in-case of an emergency or if one of our sites suddenly

“Well, for one thing, we never used to buy

demand was through the roof and we

runs out of something for some unforeseen

facemasks at all and now, we get through

could barely get it out to our sites quick

reason.

them like nobody’s business.

enough but in recent months that has

“Booker’s Swindon branch is like a store

“The amount of gloves that we buy has

for us. Price plays a key role too and there

also soared too.

slowed and been replaced by much higher

“Customers are clearly adopting very

are some good deals when you buy by the case.

demand for hand soap.

We’re also buying vast quantities of paper

good and regular hand washing regimes,

towels compared to 2019 and that’s all

as opposed to simply sanitising. The hand-

Booker does a really great deal on bleach

because people are washing their hands

washing message has been heard loud

for example. We regularly buy three five-

so much more than they were before.

and clear and it shows in the volumes.”

which offers a good saving compared to

The hand-washing message has clearly got

“Fortunately for us Booker has been

individual containers. There are quite a

through. Consumers are so much more

brilliant at helping us to adapt to the new

few very good case deals like that and we

aware of the need to live more hygienically

state of play.”

litre containers of bleach for just £10.29

FEBRUARY 2022

31

PROFILE l GREENSKY CONTRACT SERVICES

That “new state of play” has also affected the volumes of stock and intensity of services that Greensky has needed to supply at its different sites.

“With the rise in home working, some of our smaller office sites have needed less stock than in pre-pandemic times, products like Mini Jumbo toilet roll for example, were being used in much lower quantities, as there simply hasn’t been the same number of people working in the buildings.

When it comes to our warehouse sites though, the opposite has been true.

“We do the cleaning and maintenance for three big warehouses and because of the boom in online shopping seen over the past year, their requirements have been much higher.

“They’ve had huge amounts of staff in to deal with the online demand, which in turn means they have been in need of far greater volumes of the consumables that we supply, such as the paper products and soaps.

BRAND CONFIDENCE GREENSKY CONTRACT SERVICES

“The lead up to Black Friday for example was manic – we were sending out huge amounts of stock in the run up to and over the Black Friday shopping and shipping period, which was then of course followed

Clean Like a Pro

by the equally busy Christmas period.”

“The next few months are something of

Cleaning products can be a bit of a minefield so it’s best to stick to trusted, reputable

unknown quantity as the nation continues

brands that will not just perform to the very best-standards but will also conform to the

to battle the new coronavirus variant, we

relevant British Standards.

may see yet another spike in demand from

Green Sky uses a vast number of products from Booker and Makro’s CleanPro range,

our warehouse sites as online shopping

which offers a comprehensive professional cleaning system for all areas of business,

continues to boom, especially if any

from kitchen to housekeeping, warewashing, floorcare, bathrooms and bar and cellar.

further restrictions are imposed. Whatever the outcome, we’ll be ready though!”

FEBRUARY 2022

33

SERVICE l HYGIENE

HYGIENE MATTERS

Maintaining a welcoming, safe and hygienic environment for your customers and your team has never been more important.

CLEANPRO+ RANGE Booker’s CleanPro+ range offers everything you need to keep your business safe and clean.

l l l l

Over 150 products Conforms to relevant British standards Independently tested Exclusive to Booker and Makro

The CleanPro+ range 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 l Housekeeping l Floorcare

While the quality of the food and the warmth

all of your hygiene and cleaning requirements.

of the welcome will always be paramount to your customers, there’s little doubt that hygiene

Not only does the system include over 150

has now become a vitally important issue for

professional quality and fully compliant

many people – so it’s critically important that

products, it also features a full web-based

you maintain a visibly clean, safe and hygienic

Hygiene Manual that you can access 24 hours

environment.

a day from anywhere on your PC, tablet or smartphone.

This is just as important for your team as it is for your customers with hygiene probably more

The CleanPro+ product range is exclusive to

front-of-mind for everyone that comes into

Booker and Makro and has been independently

contact with your business than it has ever been

tested to ensure that it conforms to all relevant

before.

British Standards. Among those 150 products, you’ll find everything you need for every area of

As well as keeping everyone safe, maintaining

your business: kitchen, housekeeping, floorcare,

high cleanliness standards is also a great way of

warewashing, bar & cellar and washroom. All

helping ensure that you are maximising footfall,

products are colour-coded (see panel on left)

sales and profits.

for each area of your business, so it is quick and easy to find the products you need.

l Warewashing

CLEANING UP

l Bar & Cellar

Booker’s exclusive CleanPro+ Professional

For example, all ‘Kitchen’ products are green.

l Washroom

Hygiene System has been developed specifically

Icons also feature on all labels showing the areas

with the demands of a professional kitchen and

where the products can be used and whether

the rigors of a catering establishment in mind

the product is concentrated or ready to use.

and offers a one-stop comprehensive solution to

34

FEBRUARY 2022

76

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

The range also includes products that specifically help combat enveloped viruses: antibacterial alcohol hand gel, Antiviral Cleaner & Disinfectant and thick bleach.

SUPPORTING YOU To help you make the best possible use of this range, the CleanPro+ Hygiene Manual provides invaluable advice

WHAT OUR CATERERS SAY

TOTAL CLEANING SOLUTION

PETER BUNN LEISURE

CleanPro+ is much more than just a

“CleanPro+ has offered me the complete professional cleaning solution for our business. The new app has made everything simple and easy to follow.”

cleaning solution complete with a full

range of high quality products, it is a total online hygiene manual offering expert support and advice for every area of your business.

and information on every area of your business, outlining which products to use where and highlighting exactly how each product should be used.

KEITH ETHERIDGE THE COTTAGE INN, FILLONGLEY

• ONLINE and on your MOBILE This system delivers consistency of

cleaning operations across your business and helps you keep up to date with

“Hygiene is more front of mind for customers than it has ever been, so it’s vital that we create a safe, welcoming, hygienic environment so that they can focus instead on enjoying their experience while they are here with us.

A highly visible and frequent cleaning regime is important in showing customers that you are looking after them.

They need that confidence and when you have their confidence, you can concentrate on delivering a memorable dining experience.”

SUPPORT WHEN AND WHERE YOU NEED IT... relevant hygiene guidance, providing a

one-stop solution for chemicals, cleaning

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

Mike, productsGreenSky of proven capability.

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

This system helps you deliver a

consistently effective cleaning operations right across your business – all in one place.

The solution features a full web-based Hygiene Manual that caterers can access 24 hours a day from anywhere on their PC, tablet or smartphone.

The intuitive and easy to use manual covers all of the key elements of your business.

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.

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.

Scan the QR code below or visit the website for more information.

Total Cleaning Solutions Everything you need on line: Scan the QR Code to get instant access on your phone or tablet to the CleanPro Hygiene Manual and Advice and Information on Covid-19.

Total Cleaning Solutions

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

AUTUMN 2021

FEBRUARY 2022

35

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

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FEATURE l CUTTING COST

BUY SMART TO CUT COST There are many ways to cut your costs by buying smarter. Catering@Booker offers a few helpful hints and tips to reduce your spend and increase your profits.

01

As all caterers know, there are two main way of increasing profits. The first is by growing sales and the second is by cutting costs. Growing sales is invariably a tough challenge, particularly in the current uncertain times, but cutting costs is something that may be achieved by taking a fresh look at certain areas.

One of simplest ways of cutting custs, and therefore increasing profits, is by buying smarter. There are lots of relatively straight forward ways of doing so, some of them requiring caterers to take a longer-term view and some of them simply involve getting a little more creative with how your do you buying.

THINK BIGGER! One great way of saving money instantly is buying bigger, bulk packs of products that you use every day. Rather than buying small format packs of products like salt, sugar and sauces, why not buy bulk product and decant as required into serving containers that sit on table or are made available for your customers?

Catering@Booker offers a few suggestions to help you buy smarter, save money and grow your profits.

For very little extra effort, you can make big savings over the course of a year. For example, the Chef’s Larder range of sauces

BUY ANY 5 CASES

24 X 330ML VARIETIES AS STOCKED. EXCLUDES PRICE MARK PACKS.

includes 20 different sauces all in one litre bottles and all for just £1.99. That works out at just 5p per serving.

02 CASH IN ON DEALS! There are huge cost savings to be had by keeping an eye out for the many outstanding deals that Booker runs regularly throughout the year. Promotions help you save money and increase margins.

A great example is the forthcoming offer of a free case of 24 x 330ml Coke Zero every time

GET COKE ZERO 24 X 330ML

38

FREE

you buy any five cases of an extensive range of Coke, Fanta, Sprite and Dr Pepper 330ml cans.

On lines as fast-moving as these, this deal is a no-brainer so look out for the offer in the very near future to help you cut costs and drive up 24 X 330ML M063724

profits.

FEBRUARY 2022

FEATURE l CUTTING COST

03

04

OWN BRAND OPTION •Q U Y •Q U A L I T Y

A

100%

ITY

ALIT

MONEY BACK ALIT

U •Q

•Q U

AL

ITY

ALITY • Q UAL • QU

ITY

caterers that can help them reduce their outgoings in every aspect

Y •Q U A L I T Y

means that there are many fantastic own brand options available to

ALITY • Q UAL • QU

U •Q

The high quality of Booker’s extensive range of own brand products

Y LIT

LOCK PROFITS IN

of their business. Own brand products offer great value and can help

Securing profit margins

significantly grow profits. By taking a closer look at the Booker own brand range, you could

for the future is clearly

make savings across your business without any sacrifice in quality.

critical for caterers,

This applies across the board from Booker’s exclusive money-back guaranteed Blackgate meat range all the way to non-food items like tableware. Smart buying in all these areas can add up to big savings, which all means extra profits for you.

which is why Booker’s secured pricing strategy is so important. In the most recent period, over 100 of the most popular products at Booker had prices locked down for months, ensuring that

05

caterers could plan their menus with complete

TIME IS MONEY

confidence, knowing that their margins were safe.

Any work you can remove from your team helps reduce your staffing costs and free your team up

Keep an eye out for the

to focus on serving customers, so why not take

next issue of Booker’s

advantage of Booker’s many time-saving services

Catering Guide and

and products. Did you now, for instance, that

on the Booker website

Booker’s butchery team can prepare, trim and

where you will find more

pack products to your exact specification? This

products with pricing that

means the hard work has already been done,

has been locked down,

saving valuable time in the kitchen.

helping you maintain profits and plan with

You could also consider labour-saving products

confidence.

like Farm Fresh Peeled Garlic or Fresh Herbs, or Peka pre-prepared roasting potatoes or Mashed Potatoes. Time is money, after all.

06

07

KEEP IT FRESH

STAY EXCLUSIVE

One fantastic way of growing sales

Staying ahead of the competition is a proven way

and profits is by keeping your offer

of growing footfall, sales and profits and one of

fresh and up to date on the latest

the most effective ways of standing out from the

trends. Keep an eye on the latest NPD

crowd is by offering a differentiated range of

and buy early. Customers love exciting

products.

new products and Booker maintains a

Booker regularly introduces new Group exclusive

steady flow of fantastic NPD that will

lines which can really help drive footfall and

help you keep your offer fresh and

also offers a huge selection of exclusive food

engaging for your customers and help

and drink products, including an award-winning

grow your footfall, sales and profits.

range of exclusive wines. See p38 for more details.

FEBRUARY 2022

39

FEATURE l WINE

WINNING WITH WINE

Booker’s range of award-winning and exclusive wines has been carefully developed specifically to deliver exceptional quality and value while maximising footfall, sales and profits.

Wine is a fundamental part of the dining experience for many of your customers, so being able to offer them a fantastic range of award-winning, high quality

PATERSON’S GROVE MARLBOROUGH SAUVIGNON BLANC

and great value wines is key to maximising footfall

M247109 6x75cl

and sales – but it’s also critical that your wine delivers the best possible profits for your business.

The Booker exclusive wine range, specially developed by Booker for its on-trade customers, delivers on every front. This helps you set your offer apart with many consumers looking for something different and a little special when choosing a wine while dining out.

QUALITY COUNTS Many of Booker’s exclusive wines are award-winning, which is testament to the outstanding quality of the liquids. This helps guarantee that your customers are

DON PAVRAL RIOJA CRIANZA M247132 6x75cl

LOS PICOS DISTANTES MENDOZA MALBEC M248107 6x75cl

PROSECCO SPUMANTE EXTRA DRY M143786 6x75cl

getting a great tasting product which will enhance

PROSECCO SPUMANTE ROSE

their dining experience and complement the food

M262458 6x75cl

from your kitchen.

KEY BENEFITS The Booker exclusive wine range offers on-trade customers many attractive benefits: l Specially developed for the on-trade – you won’t see them in multiple retail stores l Award winning liquids - giving your customers a great product l Unbeatable value - making it profitable for you l Great looking packaging - looks and feels premium and customers are willing to pay more for it l Exclusive to group - better availability l Many lines are vegan / vegetarian friendly

40

CHAMPAGNE PAUL LANGIER BRUT NV M791384 1x75cl

FEBRUARY 2022

FEATURE l WINE

The entire range also features carefully designed packaging and

FOCAL POINTS

labelling to help reinforce the premium credentials of your wine

When building a strong, profitable wine range, it’s worth noting

range, meaning your customers are prepared to pay more for

that more than half of all wines sold in the on-trade in the UK are

their glass or bottle.

made using just seven grape varieties: l Pinot Grigio

Just because the wines are award-winning and fantastic quality,

l Sauvignon Blanc

that doesn’t mean they are expensive. The entire range delivers

l Chardonnay

exceptional value for money for diners, something that is critically

l Merlot

important with more diners than ever keeping a close eye on

l Shiraz

what they spend.

l Cabernet Sauvignon l White Zinfandel

Just as important, the range is great value for on-trade customers which helps optimise profits. Being exclusive to the group, the

With named varietals so important, it makes sense to ensure that

range allows Booker to have much more control over supply, and

your range includes wines featuring each of these grape varieties.

this helps ensure long term availability.

By doing this, you are making sure that you have something on your wine list that appeals to the majority of wine customers.

Trend watch Premiumisation is on trend at the moment, so don’t be afraid to add a few trade up options into your list to appeal to diners who are prepared to pay more for a more premium product, enhance your cash margins.

In terms of grape varieties, the ones to watch out for at the moment are Malbec (red) and Sauvignon Blanc (white). Both are in very strong growth at 52% and 24% respectively.

SIGN UP FOR NATIONAL PROMOTIONS By signing up for National Promotions, you can access the biggest lines and best prices and get notified on our best deals.

To sign up, follow these simple steps: l VISIT WWW.BOOKER. CO.UK l CLICK ‘MY ACCOUNT’ l CLICK INTO ‘CONTACT PREFERENCES’ l ENSURE ‘EMAIL AND POST’ ARE TICKED

(CGA On Trade)

FEBRUARY 2022

41

FEATURE l WINE

PREVIATA PINOT GRIGIO BLUSH ITALY

FREE WINE LISTS!

M245442 6x75cl

SAN ANDRES SAUVIGNON BLANC CHILE M223563 6x75cl

SCENIC RIDGE CHARDONNAY AUSTRALIA M144775 6x75cl

PREVIATA PINOT GRIGIO ITALY M245439 6x75cl

Booker offers a free wine list template service where you can access professionally designed wine menus then tailor them to your requirements and print them off for instant use.

Here’s how to do it… l VISIT WWW.BOOKER.CO.UK l SELECT THE ‘SERVICES’ TAB l SELECT THE ‘MENU AND EVENTS’ BUTTON l SELECT THE ‘MENUS AND TEMPLATES’ BUTTON l CHOOSE YOUR DOWNLOADABLE WORD FILE/

HIGHBRIDGE WHITE ZINFANDEL USA M179098 6x75cl

TEMPLATE l EDIT TO SUIT AND PRINT, OR SEND TO YOUR OWN PRINT PROVIDER.

SCENIC RIDGE SHIRAZ AUSTRALIA M144773 6x75cl

ENU W I N ET L E TMN A M E OU

SAN ANDRES MERLOT CHILE M223565 6x75cl

E RED WIN Merlot San Andres

INES WHITE W io e Pinot Grig Scenic Ridg

easyis a soft, and ely juicy, this smooth tannins. and ed and intens Deep-colour with lots of spicy fruit drinking wine | Bottle £14.95 175ml £3.75

CHILE

WH I TE WI NES

citrus flang with zesty Grigio is burstiAn hing Pinot This refres stone fruit. varietal. hints of ripe very popular Italian vours and take on the exciting new | Bottle £14.95 175ml £3.75

AUSTRALIA

San Andres

e Shiraz Scenic Ridg A AUSTRALI

ripe, soft flavours and on the finish.

Berry fruit touch of oak with a light

on Blanc

Sauvign

San Andres

nay

San Andres Sauvignon Blanc

Los Picos Dist

t Grigio Previata Pino

acidity and y fruit, citrusy pleaser. with crunch Crisp and fruityhing finish. A real crowd a long & refres Bottle £15.95

Scenic Ridge Chardo

Don Pavral

GNE CHAMPA

Crisp and fruity with crunchy fruit, citrusy a long & refreshing acidity finish.

G A real crowd pleaser. and LIN

ARK S P£15.95 &Bottle

te manPaters

Prosecco Spu

NES ROSÉ WI

on’s Grove Sauvignon Blanc Marlborough

s of lemon flower ling with notes and appea Fresh, lively NEW ZEALAND and ripe apple. | Bottle £18.95 A superb example 175ml £4.95 of quality Marlboro

ITALY

andel White Zinf

d erry and candie ripe strawb colour with a soft off dry finish.

Pale pink in flavours and watermelon

USA

ugh Sauvignon Blanc bursting with zesty gooseberry, passion fruit flavours and bright acidity. mante

é Spu Prosecco Ros 175ml £4.55 | Bottlenotes £18.95

Bottle £14.95

ITALY

with Prosecco Rosé A refreshing and strawberry. of citrus, rose

h

R OSÉ WIN ES Brut Paul Langier Champagne mousse FRANCE t with a lively and elegan freshHighbr idge finish.

White Zinfandel Delightfully mouth watering a toasty, USA

Bottle £15.95

by the glass Wines sold in 125ml if ble also availa above not stated

Vegan

delicious

Bottle £18.95

t, peach rs of aprico with flavou refreshing smooth finish.

Fruity and pleasantly erries and and strawb

ITALY

and

Vegetarian

A soft, mellow Cabernet Sauvignon with dark aromas. Ripe, fruity fruit flavours of blackcurra plum and a delicate nt and hint of spice create a beautifully balanced wine.

Bottle £14.95

finish.

Previata Pinot Grigio

Blanc AND h Sauvignon rs and y Marlboroug le of qualit n fruit flavou berry, passio A superb examp zesty goose bursting with . bright acidity | Bottle £18.95 175ml £4.55

NEW ZEAL

Dietary:

San Andres Cabern et Sauvignon

CHILE

nnay

This wine is packed with grapefruit, lime and melon flavours, all

bound up with a zesty, balance which cuts crisp citrus Rioja Crianza through to the

bright with Bottle rich and £14.9 a, SPAIN soft t Rioja Crianz emented by and elegan s fruit compl A smooth Silky ripe tannin and red cherry intense black a hint of peppery spice. and vanilla oak ng finish. with lingeri ITALY Bottle £18.95

lborough Grove Mar Paterson’s Blanc Sauvignon

t Grigio Blus Previata Pino

variety.

Bottle £14.95

AUSTRALIA

17.95 Bottle £17.95

ITALY

Scenic Ridge Shiraz

AUSTRALIA

Berry fruit flavours and ripe, soft tannins, with a light touch mingled of oak on the finish.

Bottle £14.95

Crisp and zesty Sauvignon Blanc with tropical fruit flavours and

bec a soft finish. An excellenta Mal doz example value of this popular grape

antes Men

rry flavours, A and bluebe ARGENTIN blackberry A long finish with complex with Elegant and and distinct cocoa notes. peppery spice h tannins. pleasing smoot

Bottle £14.9

NOTES:

CHILE

Deep-coloured and intensely juicy, this is a drinking wine with lots of spicy fruit and soft, and easysmooth tannins.

175ml £3.75 | Bottle £14.95

vign

Cabernet Sau

Bottle £14.95

lime and grapefruit, citrus packed with up with a zesty, crisp This wine is rs, all bound finish. melon flavou cuts through to the balance which

Highbridge

San Andres Merlot

s. fruit aroma non with dark and a delicate Cabernet Sauvig and plum A soft, mellow blackcurrant ed wine. flavours of ifully balanc Ripe, fruity create a beaut CHILE hint of spice

CHILE

AUSTRALI

M223567 6x75cl

R ED WI NE Grigio

This refreshing Pinot Grigio is bursting with flavours and hints zesty citrus of ripe stone fruit.

An exciting new take on the very popular Italian varietal.

175ml £3.75 | Bottle £14.95 on

Bottle £14.95

tropical Blanc with ue Sauvignon excellent-val Crisp and zestyand a soft finish. An y. rs grape variet fruit flavou this popular example of Bottle £14.95

CHILE

e Chardon Scenic Ridg A

SAN ANDRES CABERNET SAUVIGNON CHILE

Scenic Ridge Pinot

d tannins, mingle AUSTRALIA

£ Bottle £39.95

Previata Pinot Grigio Blush

ITALY

Don Pavral Rioja Crianza

SPAIN

A smooth and elegant Rioja Crianza, rich and bright with intense black and red cherry fruit complemented by soft vanilla oak and a hint of peppery spice.

Silky ripe tannins with lingering finish.

Bottle £18.95

C HAM PAG NE & SPA RKLI NG

Pale pink in colour with watermelon flavours ripe strawberry and candied and a soft off dry finish.

Bottle £14.95

Fruity and refreshing with flavours of apricot, and strawberries and peach pleasantly smooth finish.

Los Picos Distantes Mendoza Malec

ARGENTINA

Elegant and complex with blackberry and blueberry flavours, peppery spice and distinct cocoa notes.

A long finish with pleasing smooth tannins.

Bottle £17.95

Prosecco Spumante

ITALY

Fresh, lively and appealing with notes of lemon flowers and ripe apple.

175ml £4.95 | Bottle £18.95

Prosecco Rosé Spuma nte

ITALY

A refreshing Prosecco Rosé with delicious notes of citrus, rose and strawberry.

Bottle £18.95

Bottle £15.95

Champagne Paul Langie

FRANCE

r Brut

Delightfully fresh and elegant with a lively mousse and a toasty, mouth watering finish.

Bottle £39.95

Critically, wine has to taste and look great, and that includes the packaging and labelling. Many diners choose wines based on the label, so the eye-catching, premium labels that feature on Booker’s exclusive range of wines help drive sales.

To quickly access the templates, scan the QR code with your smartphone or tablet.

To check out the great pricing available on core Booker exclusive wine lines, visit www.booker.co.uk and why not sign up for Booker’s National Promotions for caterers to see the biggest lines and the best prices while you are there?

FEBRUARY 2022

*All prices are correct at time of print.

43

SERVICE l MEET THE TEAM

SAY HELLO TO...

LORRAINE JEX WHAT DOES A TYPICAL DAY LOOK LIKE FOR YOU?

ABOUTLORRAINE GREENGROCER, BOOKER PETERBOROUGH

I work full time and like to get in early so

IT SOUNDS LIKE YOU ENJOY WORKING WITH YOUR CUSTOMERS?

that I have plenty of time to prepare. The

Yes, I absolutely do. If I can help to make

first thing I do is paperwork, checking

our customers’ lives that little bit easier

in all the orders and then doing all the

then I’m certainly going to try and the

temperature checks before getting started

customers know that. I give my phone

on putting the orders away that have come

number out to customers so that they

in overnight. From then on it’s basically a

know they can call me whenever, if they

constant process of keeping the offer

need an order or if they need to make a

looking as good as possible, putting out

change. I think they really appreciate that.

reductions and crucially, preparing orders.

I’ll also always help to pick orders for any

I personally pick orders for quite a few of

customers who need a bit of help. I pride

our catering customers and over time I’ve

myself on the service that I deliver.

built up really strong relationships with under her belt, Lorraine Jex has

develop over the years. The bonds that

HOW HAVE CUSTOMER NEEDS CHANGED IN RECENT TIMES?

become a key and popular figure at

I’ve built with so many of our customers

The pandemic was obviously challenging

Booker’s Peterborough branch.

really means something to me and to be

for the catering trade so it has been so

honest it’s one of the best parts of the job.

wonderful to see so many familiar faces

With more than 18 years of service

them. I’ve seen their businesses grow and

coming back into branch when everything

Having started out on tills, before

re-opened. Customers are more price

branch has seen her try her hand at a

HOW HAS YOUR ROLE AS GREENGROCER WITH BOOKER EVOLVED?

range of different disciplines, earning

Dramatically! When I first started on fruit

rather than one or two big ones because

and veg it was all ambient. Sales were good

they are nervous about what lies ahead,

but we knew there was plenty of room for

but we’re happy to work with them like that

growth, for both us and our customers.

and help them make the best decisions

It’s worlds away from where we are now.

for their businesses. Equally, quality is

We now have a dedicated chilled room

becoming increasingly important which is

and sales are up about 400% on where we

great news for us as the quality of our offer

were before. The offer has evolved almost

is something that we really pride ourselves

beyond recognition and as a result so too

on.

moving onto frozen, chilled and later the buying office, her time at the

her a rich cache of knowledge and experience.

But it’s her time as the branch’s greengrocer, the role that she has held for the last 10 years, where Lorraine has truly flourished – and the branch’s offer has flourished with her.

conscious than ever before and are also choosing to make more smaller orders

has my role, and I love it!

44

FEBRUARY 2022

SERVICE l MEET THE TEAM

WHAT LORRAINE’S HEARING...

If I can help to make our customers’ lives that little bit easier then I will certainly try and the customers know that.

VALUE FOR MONEY, LONGEVITY AND QUALITY

HOW DO YOU MAINTAIN THE QUALITY AT SUCH HIGH LEVELS? Well it starts with great produce. I buy all of our stock and it truly is of great quality! But there’s also a great deal of work that goes on behind the scenes to ensure that it stays that way. Getting the deliveries put away into the chilled room as quickly as possible is key and from then on in I’m constantly monitoring stock to check that everything is in perfect condition.

TELL US ABOUT THE ROLE THAT IMPULSE SALES PLAY? Even though most of our customers come into the chilled room with a clear order in mind, impulse sales still play a key role.

That’s why it’s so important to me that I keep the room looking as neat and tidy as possible. A great-looking display could certainly prove inspirational – last month a customer came in and ordered ten cases of butternut squash simply because they looked so good.

DOES WORKING IN A CHILLED ROOM FOR MOST OF THE DAY PRESENT CHALLENGES? Well, thermals are certainly a must! The room is constantly chilled between 3 and 5 degrees but it’s actually a reasonably physical role so you warm up pretty quickly and thanks to all the unloading and moving of pallets and stock, you tend to stay pretty warm too!

HOW IS THE FUTURE LOOKING? I’m not thinking very far ahead but this is a brilliant industry and I love this job. I care deeply about our customers and the offer that we provide them with. Over time they become a bit like your extended family. I’ve also started training people when they join

Customers are more focused on value for money than ever before but that’s not to say that it’s coming at the cost of quality.

Quality and product life is a real focus. Caterers want products that will last them as long as possible and actually, while price is very important, they will pay a few pennies more for products of truly great quality and won’t wilt or go mushy within a couple of days. Consumers are being pickier about where and what they eat so the quality really is important. Fortunately for us that’s a key strength.

the branch. I love that side of things. Standards are so important to me and I want us all to be the best that we can.

FEBRUARY 2022

45

®

p ro d u c t

®

p ro d u c t

PRICING l CHEF’S ESSENTIALS

NO GIMMICKS JUST LO The Chef’s Essentials range delivers fantastic value and great quality on products that caterers rely on every day.

Striking the right balance between delivering the value for money that many consumers are looking for while also maximising profits is a key challenge for caterers. Value is important for diners, but so too is quality, which is where the Chef’s Essentials range comes into its own.

Chef’s Essentials is Booker’s entry-level range of every day products and offers caterers approximately 70 great value,

CHEF’S ESSENTIALS BREADED SCAMPI BITES

SINGLE

1.8KG £14.49 M210399 CASE

6 X 1.8KG £86.89

essential products that help them cut costs and grow profits.

The range has been professionally developed and quality benchmarked – so it’s no surprise that it is trusted by more than hundreds of thousands of catering customers.

M210398

In line with all of Booker’s own brand products, the Chef’s Essentials range

CHEF’S ESSENTIALS QUARTER POUNDER BURGERS

SINGLE

40 X 113G £15.99 M147178

contain: l No Artificial Colours l No GM (Genetically Modified) l No HVO (Hydrogenated Vegetable Oil) l No MSG (Monosodium Glutamate) l No MSM (Mechanically Separated Meat)

CHEF’S ESSENTIALS BATTERED CHICKEN NUGGETS 2KG

SINGLE

2KG £8.49 M232919 CASE

5 X 2KG £42.45 M232917

l No Phosphates (in raw meat, bacon and gammon) l No Non-Meat Proteins

70

PRODUCTS APPROXIMATELY IN THE RANGE

HUNDREDS OF THOUSANDS OF CATERING CUSTOMERS USE THE RANGE

l No Added Water (in fresh/frozen whole meats or products with the appearance of fresh meat). Excludes bacon and ham.

In addition, Booker is committed to only sourcing products from

CHEF’S ESSENTIALS STRAIGHT CUT CHIPS

SINGLE

4 X 2.27KG £6.75 M266306

BRC approved factories and to legally compliant labelling that clearly shows nutrition, ingredients and allergen information.

Booker is also committed to reducing salt, sugar and calories without compromising on taste and on reducing unnecessary packaging and removing all non-recyclable / non-compostable packaging.

48

FEBRUARY 2022

PRICING l CHEF’S ESSENTIALS

OW PRICES EVERY DAY CHEF’S ESSENTIALS 48 WHITE PLAIN BAPS

SINGLE

CHEF’S ESSENTIALS PEELED PLUM TOMATOES 2.5KG

SINGLE

CHEF’S ESSENTIALS UNSMOKED RINDLESS BACK BACON

5 X 2KG £37.45

CHEF’S ESSENTIALS WASHING UP LIQUID 5 LITRES

SINGLE

CHEF’S ESSENTIALS MILD CHEDDAR

SINGLE – WHITE

48 X 87G £5.99 M218828

2.5KG £2.29 M270949 CASE

6 X 2.5KG £9.99 M270948

M147174

BRIAN STIRLING JR FOODS, BLANTYRE “The Chef’s Essentials range is fantastic for us. It’s outstanding value and is really good quality. I use 14 or 15 bags of Chef’s Essentials cheese a week and it’s perfect for us. The Chef’s Essentials bacon is also great quality with very little fat on it. Great products, great value and it helps us grow our profits.”

5 LITRES £3.99 M254133

JOHN ELKINS, UGLY MUG, WELLINGBOROUGH, NORTHANTS

5KG £4.49 per kg

M152679

SINGLE – COLOURED

5KG £4.49 per kg

M153093

FEBRUARY 2022

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY

“Chef’s Essentials is an invaluable range for all those products that you get through on a daily basis where you need to be able to trust the quality and you need to know that you’re getting great value products that still deliver for shoppers.

Keeping cost at a minimum is critical in driving profits and the Chef’s Essentials range lets me do that.

49

FEATURE l CHIPS

THE UBIQUITOUS CHIP The humble chip is a critically important ingredient in many popular dishes so it’s vital that you are getting the best quality and value to suit your business.

Award-winning chips Here are just some of the awards won by Booker’s own brand chips range: Chef’s Larder Premium Super Skinny Gourmet Julienne Fries– Quality Food Awards 2021 Chef’s Larder Premium Sweet Potato Fries - Quality Awards 2018 Chef’s Larder Premium Extra Chunky Gourmet Chips - Chef’s Choice Awards 2018 and 2017

They’re often described as humble, but in reality there’s very little humble about chips.

They probably adorn more dishes than any other accompaniment which makes them a vital, high volume ingredient for caterers.

And when you’re buying so many of them, it’s absolutely critical that you are buying the best quality and best value chips to suit your business needs.

Thankfully, quality and value is guaranteed with Booker’s extensive range of multi awardwinning own brand chips.

50

FEBRUARY 2022

FEATURE l CHIPS

CHEF’S LARDER PREMIUM EXTRA CHUNKY GOURMET CHIPS 4X2.5KG M182765

CHEF’S LARDER PREMIUM SUPER CRISP SKIN ON GOURMET FRIES 4X2.5KG M248235

Grade A chips 19mm extra thick cut Triple cooked for a soft fluffy centre Crispy coated to retain heat for longer Dual cook - oven or fry Freeze chill 12 portions a bag

Grade A chips 19mm extra thick cut Triple cooked for a soft fluffy centre Crispy coated to retain heat for longer Dual cook - oven or fry Freeze chill 12 portions a bag

Whether you’re looking for skinny, chunky, extra chunky, straight,

This range is perfect for event caterers, vans and other

crinkle cut or steak chips, the Chef’s Larder range has the perfect

areas where space is at a premium and cost per portion

product for you. All products can be cooked in the oven or fried,

starts at just 17p.

making them versatile and convenient.

CHEF’S LARDER PREMIUM GOOD, BETTER, BEST

Like the standard range, the Chef’s Larder Premium range comes

The Booker range offers great ‘good, better and best’ solutions

in a variety of cuts. Again, all products in the range are from Grade

to cater for all tastes and budgets, starting with Chef’s Essentials

A potatoes and fried in sunflower oil.

range where caterers can buy a case of 4 x 2.2kg Chef’s Essentials Straight Cut Chips for just £6.75, a cost per portion of just 10p. The

The Premium range, however, has a coating on them which not only

Chef’s Larder standard range offers the caterer a variety of chip

makes them crispier but helps retain the heat for longer, making

cuts to suit their business and their specific needs. All products

them ideal for delivery. The coating is also gluten-free, making

in the range are cut from Grade A potatoes to ensure continuous

them perfect for customers with special dietary requirements.

high quality and fewer blemishes.

Cost per portion is from just 16p.

All are fried in sunflower oil and most of the range is

The Chef’s Larder range of chips provides great

‘freeze chill’ - ideal for caterers with limited storage

products at great prices, helping you deliver fantastic

space. The fries can be stored at 1°C to 5°C, in unopened

meals for your customers – and maximising your

bags, for up to four days.

profits.

SERVING IDEA

SERVING IDEA

GARLIC & PAPRIKA FRIES

CHILLI TOPPED CHIPS SELL PRICE £3.49

SELL PRICE £2.49

% PROFIT 78%

% PROFIT 85%

COST PER SERVING £0.67

COST PER SERVING £0.33

CASH PROFIT £2.43

CASH PROFIT £1.88

M263667

Chef’s Larder Premium Super Skinny Fries 4x2.5kg

M197149

Schwartz Chip Seasoning 300g

FEBRUARY 2022

M182765

Chef’s Larder Extra Chunky

M165997

Grant’s Chef’s Choice Chilli Con

Gourmet Chips 4x2.5kg

Carne 1.2kg

51

FEATURE l SOCIAL MEDIA

SOCIAL STATUS Social media is an immensely powerful tool for caterers, helping them reach new audiences, inspire their customers and grow footfall, sales and profits.

In many ways, the catering and hospitality industries are tailored-made for social media. Tempting dishes and drinks, beautifully presented in eye-catching environments with happy customers and cheerful staff. It’s the stuff of Instagram dreams.

And there’s also no doubt that social media can play a hugely important role in helping you grow your business, attract new customers, boost sales and maximise profits. Best of all, it can be completely free of charge. All that’s required is a little time and effort.

With millions of users interacting daily with platforms such as Facebook, Twitter and Instagram, social media is part of everyday life, particularly among younger customers.

One caterer making fantastic use of social media is Alan Olone who runs the Glasgow-based Elite Catering business. Alan runs three outlets under the Macarico and Bistecca brands offering a mix of restaurant and home delivery to his customers.

Elite specialises, says Alan, in “offering restaurantquality food in a superior takeaway format” promising

KEY CONSIDERATIONS

customers the quality of food they would except in a restaurant but delivered to their door, or available for pickup.

l Post regularly to keep consumers and potential consumers engaged. l Make sure you put some time aside each day to update your page and respond to shopper queries. l Be patient as you may not attract huge attention quickly, unless you are investing money in advertising.

Social media has been instrumental in helping Alan establish and grow his business. “Social media is such a powerful tool so it’s vital to brush up on your social skills for more impactful social engagement,” he explains.

l Don’t forget that in using social media you are also opening up a channel for customer dialogue and that can include complaints, so your social

How has Alan leveraged the huge power of social

media feeds should be monitored frequently and with care.

media? “It’s not rocket science,” he says. “But social media plays a huge role in how we market our

52

FEBRUARY 2022

FEATURE l SOCIAL MEDIA

“One video of a freshly made pizza and loaded fries that I posted over the summer got more than three million views.”

business. We post every day with pictures and videos

social media to be a fantastic way of spreading the

of freshly cooked dishes, any promotions that we may

word and drawing customers from further and further

be running and any events that we are

afield, customers who may never have

holding.”

come to his restaurants to dine-in.

Social channels have proved particularly

“Our social media channels have let

successful around new dishes. Alan

us reach a much bigger audience,” he

explains: “We’ve had a couple of posts

says. “Every post that’s liked or shared

featuring new dishes that went viral.

brings us into contact with potential

One video of a freshly made pizza and

new customers.”

loaded fries that I posted over the summer got more than three million

Alan does have a word of warning,

views. It’s the perfect way to deliver our

however, when it comes to social media.

message of restaurant quality food in a

He says: “When you big yourself up on

convenient takeaway format.”

social channels you have to be sure that you can deliver, in every sense of the

Operating a business with a large home

word.”

delivery element and delivering to 14 different postcodes, Alan has found

FEBRUARY 2022

53

FEATURE l COCKTAILS

COCKTAILS DRIVE SALES! Cocktails have been in huge growth since the reopening of hospitality and represent an opportunity not to be missed.

The Top 10 cocktails account for

70%

of total cocktail sales

Many licensees will have noticed the massive surge in popularity of cocktails over the last few months – and it’s a trend that looks set to continue, according to the latest market data. Granted, it’s not a new trend as cocktails had been growing strongly prior to the

TOP 10 COCKTAILS

pandemic, but since hospitality reopened last year,

DID YOU KNOW THAT THE TOP 10 COCKTAILS SOLD IN THE UK ACCOUNT FOR OVER 70% OF TOTAL COCKTAIL SALES? OR THAT MORE THAN ONE IN EVERY FIVE COCKTAILS SOLD IS A PORNSTAR MARTINI?

the growth of cocktail sales in the on-trade has been spectacular.

Cocktails rate of sale grew 61% in the first 10 weeks after the reopening of hospitality in April and by October had accounted for 9.9% of all drinks sales,

Top 10 best selling cocktails*

up from 6% the previous year, according to the CGA

#

1

#

2

#

3

#

4

#

Mixed Drinks Report Q3 2021. Around 7.4 million

5

consumers drink cocktails out of home, around 15% of the entire adult population, spending almost £300m in

Pornstar Martini

Mojito

Sex on the Beach

Long Island Iced Tea

Daiquiri

21.1%

8%

7.9%

6.9%

5.8%

the process.

Also worth noting is that consumers say they

#

6

#

Espresso Martini 5.6%

7

#

Piña Colada 4.4%

8

# Spritz 4.1%

9

#

10

are prepared to pay £8.96 for a cocktail – and an overwhelming 62% say they have a ‘go to’ cocktail.

Woo Woo

Zombie

3.5%

3.3%

Source: CGA Mixed Drinks Report, Q3 2021 v Q3 2020

Some 43% of consumers drink cocktails at least weekly and over a fifth – 21% - are drinking cocktails more often then they were in 2019.

So it’s a sales and profit opportunity not to be missed.

But where to begin?

54

FEBRUARY 2022

FEATURE l COCKTAILS

BIG HITTERS A great place to start when building a cocktail list that will deliver maximum footfall, sales and profits is with the Top 10 selling cocktails in the UK. Why? Well, these

one selling cocktail – the Pornstar Martini – accounts

Cocktail specials

for 21.1% of all cocktails sold. In other words, one in

BOOKER HAS DEVELOPED A RANGE OF SPIRIT

every five cocktails ordered is a Pornstar Martini.

PRODUCTS THAT ARE PERFECT FOR CREATING A

10 cocktails alone account for more than 70% of all cocktails sold in the UK on-trade. In fact, the number

TASTY AND PROFITABLE COCKTAIL MENU: So it’s worth checking out the Top 10 list within this feature and making sure that you have most, if not all, of them on your cocktail menu.

According to the latest Funkin Cocktails Report for 2021, it’s particularly important to ensure that you feature strong cocktails, which include more than one spirit, on your menu as these are the ones in largest growth. Here we’re talking about mixed drinks like Pornstar Martinis, Mojitos, Long Island Ice Teas, Daiquiris and Sex on the Beach.

Additionally, the latest data shows that the cocktail consumer demographic is now younger with almost three-quarters of all cocktail drinkers now aged between 18 and 44.

This is worth bearing in mind when creating your cocktail menu, as is Funkin Cocktails’ advice to make your cocktails as Instagram-friendly as possible, to encourage consumers to share their experiences in

M271995 Alfred Button London Dry Gin £12.99 M271978 Alfred Button Smooth Vodka £12.49 M271975 Alfred Button Vanilla Vodka £12.49 M272059 Alfred Button Passion Fruit Liqueur £8.99 M273418 Strobe Sour Apple £7.99 M273424 Strobe Sour Cherry £7.99

1 in 5 cocktails sold is a Pornstar Martini

cocktails at home and a huge 59% have stopped making cocktails at home because they can’t make them taste as good.

This clearly demonstrates the importance of using good quality ingredients and top-quality glassware.

The heart of any cocktail is the spirit (or spirits) upon which the drink is built and CGA data shows that there are three spirits driving all of the growth in cocktail making in the on-trade: vodka (up 2.6%), white rum (up 0.4%) and golden rum (up 0.2%). Interestingly, given its

your business on social

starring role in recent years, gin’s share of the cocktail

media.

market fell by 8.4% over the same period, although the traditional G&T remains a fundamentally important

To help you achieve the

drink for many businesses.

look, a professional, high quality glassware range is

PREMIUM VALUE

available on the Booker

As with all drinks categories, a key balance to strike

website and helps ensure

when building a cocktail list is making sure you have

your cocktails look their

something that appeals to all consumers, whether they

best.

are looking for top end premium cocktails or options more focused on value.

SPIRIT OF SUCCESS The CGA Mixed Drinks

Doing this is relatively straightforward as the CGA

Report also reveals that

report highlights how the market is broken down into

a

of

three almost identically sized sub-sections: 33% are

make

looking for premium quality cocktails, 33% are looking

significant

consumers

17%

never

FEBRUARY 2022

55

M996430 M762560 M996370 M070732 M095955 M252242 M261759

Kenco Smooth Kenco Rich Kenco Decaf Kenco Smooth Coffee Sticks Kenco Decaf Coffee Sticks Kenco Cappuccino Kenco Flat White

750g 750g 500g 200x1.8g 200x1.8g 750g 1000g

FEATURE l COCKTAILS

Easy ktai make inCmioc nutes ls

Funkin Peach

LOOKING FOR INSPIRATION? Want to freshen up your cocktail menu? You’ll find plenty of exciting, profitable cocktail recipes on our website menus and events support section!

Scan the code at the bottom of the page to go there now.

SELL PRICE

£7.00

COST PER SERVING

Bellini

£0.94

% PROFIT

84%

CASH PROFIT

£4.89

Funkin Spiced

SELL PRICE

£7.00

COST PER SERVING

Pineapple Daiq

£0.97

% PROFIT

83%

uiri

CASH PROFIT

£4.86

Easy Coc ktails make in mi nutes

M146554 75cl Chef & Somm Sublym Flute elier 21cl £24.99 6s 1012242

M975813 70cl

M117534 1kg

M148128 1kg

Funkin Waterm SELL PRICE

£7.00

COST PER SERVING

elon Margar

£1.74

% PROFIT

70%

ita

CASH PROFIT

£4.09

Broadway Sherb

et Stem £37.49 12sGlass 25cl 1018304

M101250 70cl

Fun Funkin kinRas Raspbe pberry rryMoj Mojito ito £7.00 SELL PRICE

COST PER SERVING

£1.71

% PROFIT

70%

CASH PROFIT

Chef & Somm elier Champagne Cabernet Saucer 30cl £29.99 6s 1012421

£4.12

Chef & Somm

elier Aska Hi £20.99 6s Ball 35cl 1012407

M810713 70cl

M184882 1 Litre

INSPIRED

BY

M190608 70cl

1011327 70cl

M117542 1kg

Phil, Peac

ock Lounge

“We have bee extensive coc n able to offer a more lots of prepar ktail offering, without ation.”

54

SEE WWW .BOOKER AUTUMN 2021

.CO.UK FOR FULL REC IPES Prices

& COSTS

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

INSPIRED

BY

M181227 1 Litre

Vinay, Wag

gon &

Horses “Booker intro duced me to Funkin Pur allow me to ées and they offer top qua lity cocktai easily, giving ls, quickly great custom and er satisfaction .”

SEE WWW .BOOKER

.CO.UK FOR FULL REC IPES & COS TS

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

55

l Cocktails are a fantastic and simple way to grow margins and spend per visit.

The Ponstar Martini is by far the biggest selling cocktail in the UK, accounting for one in every five cocktail sales. Try this recipe for a fresh twist on the modern classic: The classic recipe uses vanilla vodka and passion fruit liqueur so try introducing Alfred Button Vanilla Vodka instead which is packed with vanilla flavour for fantastic aroma and mouth feel and is great to cut through in a mixed drink. Then add Alfred Button Passion Fruit Liqueur, the perfect partner for vanilla vodka.

l Cocktail consumers pay 38% more per a cocktail vs a single serve of G&T.

Ingredients: l 35ml Alfred Button Vanilla Vodka l 15ml Alfred Button Passion Fruit Liqueur l 100ml Funkin Passion Pre-Mix

l Cocktail consumers tend to drink 2-3 cocktails per visit.

Method: Shake with Ice and serve.

Cost per serve: £1.27 Sell for £7 POR: 76%

for value cocktails and 34% are looking for a mixture of both.

Whatever it is that you choose to serve to your customers, one key factor is to ensure that you serve great quality cocktails, regardless of the price. If served what they believe to be a sub-standard cocktail, half of all consumers say they would be unlikely to order another cocktail in that venue again and half of consumers say they would be unlikely to order that particular cocktail again.

MAKE IT EASY With so much pressure on your team’s time these days, one simple way to grow cocktail sales with a minimum of fuss and effort is by using the Funkin Pro range of pre-batched cocktails and cocktail purées. Available in a huge range of the most popular cocktail flavours, all you and your bar team have to do is add the spirits.

Or, to make things even simpler, why not try Funkin’s range of pre-mix ready-to-drink canned Funkin Nitro cocktails, part of the Direct Delivered range, that let you serve great tasting, high quality cocktails with absolutely no effort. *All prices are correct at time of print.

Check out the Booker Catering Guide for profitable recipe ideas.

FEBRUARY 2022

ini Pornstar Mart with a twist

INCREASE MARGIN AND SPEND

l On average, cocktail drinkers spend £104 per month on eating and drinking compared to the £85 GB average Source: CGA Mixed Drinks Report Q3 2021

Add value and improve presentation with garnish: half a passion fruit and a shot of Prosecco.

Check out our range of Martini and Coupe glasses via www.booker.co.uk

57

RANGE REVIEW l VEGAN PRODUCTS

CASH IN ON VEGANISM The continued growth of consumer interest in vegan and vegetarian dining presents a great opportunity for caterers in the year ahead.

VEG CATEAN GUID RING E J ANUA

RY 20 2

2

CHOIC E PRICE SERVIC E

www.b

ooker.c

o.uk Prices

held unt

il 25th

Januar

y 202

2 unless stated VEGAN GUIDE

SERVING SUGGESTION 1

Beetroot & squash Wellington

The recent Veganuary

Beetroot & Butternut Squash Lattice Wellington 12x190g

festival has become

M272166

part of the annual calendar and is

Peka Roasting Potatoes 2kg

attracting a growing

M248162

WHAT IS VEGANUARY?

number of people every year. But

SELL PRICE: £7.99

what exactly is it?

COST PER SERVING: £2.13

Veganuary is an annual challenge

% PROFIT: 70%

run by a UK nonprofit organisation that “promotes and educates” about veganism by encouraging people to follow a vegan lifestyle for the full

The rise and rise of veganism and

more frequently to meat-free or plant-

month of January.

vegetarianism won’t have escaped the

based options and that includes when

Since the event began in 2014,

attention of many caterers over the last

they are dining out.

participation has more than doubled

few years and that trend is reflected on

each year. More than half a million

menus everywhere. The growth of interest

Kantar data suggests that one in five

people signed up to the 2021

in plant-based diets has been huge and

British households has at least one

campaign.

Kantar now says that the plant-based

member following a ‘meat avoidance’ or

food category is now worth over £1.2bn.

‘meat reduction’ diet.

40% 58

Veganism has gone mainstream – which Veganuary participants planning to stay vegan [Source: Veganuary]

presents an enormous opportunity for

VEGAN SPIKE

caterers to grow footfall, sales and profits.

The recent Vegan festival traditionally sees a huge spike in vegan diets as

Even many diners who aren’t strictly

consumers are challenged to follow a

vegan or vegetarian are turning more and

vegan lifestyle for all 31 days of January.

FEBRUARY 2022

RANGE REVIEW l VEGAN PRODUCTS

While this festival helps spark interest in

years, a trend that caterers might want to

vegan and meat-free eating, the effects

bear in mind as they prepare their menus

of the festival are increasingly felt all year

in 2022.

7.2 million people follow a meat-free diet

round.

The number of people who registered to take part has more than doubled each year since it was first launched in 2014 with around 2 million people taking part last month.The charity behind the festival, however, says that data from Kantar suggests that each year 10 times more people actually participate and try a vegan diet in January than register through the Veganuary website.

Moreover, 93% of participants say they are likely to try veganism again in the future and 40% say they are planning to stay strictly vegan.

Whatever the numbers look like this year, it seems certain that this is a very large market that will be looking for vegan offerings over the coming months and

£1.2bn

Value of plantbased food category in 2021 [Source: Kantar]

CENTRE PLATE

SERVING SUGGESTION

Vegan Burger with classic slaw

M247898

Moving Mountains Vegan Burger 20x113g £24.49

M257205

Moving Mountain Vegan Hotdog 5x155g £7.99

M271717

Garden Gourmet Sensational Burger 2kg £29.99

M271720

Garden Gourmet Vegan Balls 2kg £19.99

M271723

Garden Gourmet Sensational Fillet Pieces 2kg £24.99

M271543

Taste & Glory Vegan Burgers 18s £15.99

Garden Gourmet Sensational Burger 2kg

M271438

Taste & Glory Vegan Sausages 48’s £9.99

M271717

M272166

Beetroot & Butternut Squash Wellington 12x190g £19.99

M231214

The Fat Chef Bangkok Bad Boy Burger 12x150g £7.79

Americana Brioche Style Grill Marked Bun 48x82g

M237668

The Fat Chef Mediterranean Vegetable Tart 12x260g £13.49

M256946

M250094

Ramonas Falafel 1kg £5.39

M233914

Finnebrogue Artisan Vegan Spicy Bean Burgers 4’s £2.79

M241255

Finnebrogue Artisan Vegan Pumpkin Seed & Chestnut Roasts 4’s £4.49

M273654

Finnebrogue Plant Based Bacon 150g NEW £2.00

FEBRUARY 2022

SELL PRICE: £11.99

COST PER SERVING: £3.34

% PROFIT: 69%

59

FOR PERFECT PLANT-BASED DISHES

M 256204 1 x 2.62L

DISCOVER SIMPLE INGREDIENT SWAPS & RECIPE INSPIRATION FOR YOUR PLANT-BASED MENU: UFS.COM/PLANTBASED

RANGE REVIEW l VEGAN PRODUCTS

THINK VEGAN It’s clear that, to attract the widest range of consumers and drive footfall to your business, having a great choice of vegan dishes is essential.

The great news is that Booker has an extensive range of vegan products available, many of them highlighted in a special Vegan Catering Guide for this month. You can find a copy in-branch or

93% Veganuary participants likely to try veganism again in the future [Source: Veganuary]

on the Booker website.

BAKERY & SIDES M239774

Clay Oven Bakery Authentic Spicy Naan Breads 2’s £1.09

M249187

Clay Oven Bakery Authentic Plain Naan Breads 2’s £1.09

M239769

Clay Oven Bakery Garlic & Coriander Naan Breads 2’s £1.09

M251965

Chef’s Larder 12” Plain Tortilla Wraps 96’s £9.99

M243596

Chef’s Larder Pizza Dough Pucks 60x185g £14.19

M267337

Chef’s Larder Premium Sourdough Pizza Pucks 44x250g £14.99

M256946

Vegan Brioche Style Grill Marked Bun 48x82g £12.99

M143537

Jus-Rol Shortcrust Pastry Block 1.5kg £3.19

M598664

Jus-Rol Puff Pastry Block 1.5kg £3.19

M136652

Jus-Rol Ready Rolled Puff Pastry Sheets 2x320g £2.69

M248162

Peka Roasting Potatoes 2kg £2.99

M197026

Chef’s Larder Lightly Seasoned Potato Wedges 2kg £2.99

WHAT OUR CUSTOMERS SAY CHOCS AWAY DINER “Working with Booker and the Catering Guide, we now have a fantastic well liked vegan menu.”

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

FEBRUARY 2022

GROCERY M270574

Chef’s Larder Vegan Mayonnaise 1 ltr £1.99

M256204

Hellmann’s Vegan Mayonnaise 2.62 ltrs £12.49

M268815

Hellmann’s Vegan Mayo 200x10ml £16.99

M068666

Chef’s Larder Sweet Chilli Dipping Sauce 1 ltr £1.99

M068664

Chef’s Larder BBQ Sauce 1 ltr £1.99

M605394

Chef’s Larder Tomato Ketchup 1 ltr £1.99

M080305

Chef’s Larder Hot Chilli Sauce 1 ltr £1.99

M141296

Chef’s Larder Piri Piri Sauce 1 ltr £1.99

M109085

Chef’s Larder American Style Mustard 1 ltr £1.99

M070329

Chef’s Larder Burger Relish 1 ltr £1.99

M605428

Chef’s Larder Brown Sauce 1 ltr £1.99

M218527

Chef’s Larder Salsa 1 ltr £1.99

61

CADBURY

Mini Eggs Vanilla Cheescake

METHOD 1.

SERVES 10

TO CHILL OVERNIGHT

PREP TIME 25 MiNS

Ingredients

3.

For the Ginger Nut base: • 100g Ginger Nut biscuits • 25g butter, melted

4.

For the filling: • 300g Philadelphia • 150g 0% fat Greek yoghurt • 50g caster sugar • 1 tsp vanilla extract

5.

• 1 sachet powdered gelatine • 4 tbsp hot water • 100ml double cream • 80g Mini Eggs

ESTiMATED COST PER SERVE

£3.13

M241313 M190983

2.

82%

ESTiMATED GROSS MARGIN MARGiN PER PER SERVE SERViNG

86% 86%

RSP PER SERVE

£2.80

82%

ESTiMATED

CALORiES PER MARGiN PER SERVE SERViNG

6.

7.

Line the base of a 20cm loose-bottomed or springform tin with baking parchment.

Crush the ginger nuts with a rolling pin and stir in the melted butter. Press down into the base of the lined tin and level the top. Chill in the fridge while you make the filling.

In a bowl, beat the light soft cheese with the yoghurt, sugar and vanilla extract.

In a clean, dry bowl, beat the cream with a handheld electric whisk until it stands in stiff peaks.

Sprinkle the gelatine over the hot water and stir well. Leave for 2–3 minutes, stirring occasionally until completely dissolved and clear. Stir into the soft cheese mixture and then gently fold in the whipped cream.

Place the Mini Eggs in a sealable plastic bag and smash them roughly with a rolling pin or meat mallet into medium and small pieces.

Arrange most of the crushed Mini Eggs over the biscuit base and pour the cheesecake mixture over the top. Chill in the fridge overnight until set.

Sprinkle with the remaining crushed Mini Eggs and serve cut into slices.

204 KCALS 86%

A serving of this recipe should be seen as a treat - best enjoyed occasionally as part of a balanced diet.

CADBURY

Mini Eggs Hot Chocolate

METHOD

Ingredients

• 2 tsp (12 gram) - Cadbury Drinking Chocolate • 150ml Semi Skimmed Milk steamed to approx. 60˚C • 4 Cadbury Mini Eggs • 10g Spray Cream

ESTiMATED COST PER SERVE

£0.35

82%

ESTiMATED GROSS MARGIN MARGiN PER PER SERVE SERViNG

86% 86%

1.

2.

3.

4.

5.

Roughly chop half the Mini Eggs.

Place 2 tsp of Cadbury Drinking Hot Chocolate into a suitable mug.

Pour cold semi skimmed milk into a metal pitcher, and steam to approx. 60˚C. Please note: this should increase the 150ml of milk to around 200ml once steamed.

Pour the milk into the 200ml mug/ glass and stir well.

Top with squirty cream and Mini Eggs.

RSP PER SERVE

The #1 Drinking Hot Chocolate*

£2.95

82%

ESTiMATED

CALORiES PER MARGiN PER SERVE SERViNG

264 KCALS 86%

M468991 M690313

M241313

A serving of this recipe should be seen as a treat - best enjoyed occasionally as part of a balanced diet. *Source: Sales Out, One View, 52W, data up to 9th November 2021

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

WSP £19.99 RRP £3.50 POR 71.4%

MIDAS CODE: M271887

Enjoy Responsibly @BIRRIFICIOPORETTIUK

GUEST COLUMN l DIRECT DELIVERED SERVICE

BOOKER GROUP DRINKS DEVELOPMENT CONTROLLER JASON KELK HIGHLIGHTS HOW BOOKER’S DIRECT DELIVERED SERVICE CAN HELP YOU GROW FOOTFALL, SALES AND PROFITS.

LET BOOKER HELP WITH DRINKS AND COCKTAILS

If you are looking to add interest by extending your range of more unusual drinks products, it’s as easy as looking for the blue ‘Direct Delivered’ tab on the Booker website.

The drinks market is

gins, popular flavours, own brand value lines and

continually evolving

1.5l options. But if you are keen to add some more

and presenting

unusual craft gins, then Direct Delivered is a great

fresh opportunities

option. Deliveries are free on all orders over £75.

for licensees to grow their businesses by offering customers on-

As well as an additional range of spirits, Direct

trend, high quality, great value drinks.

Delivered also gives you access to a much bigger range of syrups and juices - perfect for cocktails.

The latest market data indicates that

And don’t forget, search ‘bundle’ on the website

premiumisation and increased choice are important

and you will see Booker’s latest deals and bundle

to lots of consumers – but don’t forget that lots

deals which offer free glassware for premium serves

of your consumers are still looking for the leading

and high-quality POS that help bring your offer to

brands that they trust and enjoy.

life.

Booker stocks the best-selling brands in all major

The direct delivery service is great for ensuring

drinks categories with completely transparent

regular supply and for emergency top-ups.

pricing. The price you see on the web is the price you will pay.

EXCLUSIVE OPTIONS Another way to set your

DIRECT DELIVERED

offering apart from the

But if you are looking to add interest and

competition is with

excitement to your range, then the Booker Direct

Booker’s own brand and

Delivered service is a fantastic way to gain access to

Group exclusive lines;

a hugely extended range of premium and specialist

Alfred Button, Vodka,

drinks and glassware.

Vanilla Vodka, Passion

LOOK OUT FOR THE ‘DIRECT DELIVERED’ BLUE FLASH.

Fruit Liqueur and London Direct Delivered offers hundreds of products that

dry Gin. Offering a unique

you won’t find in a Booker branch, but which you

range can help grow footfall and

can order through the Booker website – just look

spend as well as profits.

MIX IT UP Cocktails are a great way to drive footfall, spend and profits – and demand for them has grown enormously since hospitality re-opened.

Around 7.4 million consumers drink cocktails out home, about 15% of the population - spending almost £300m on them.

Creating a profitable cocktail menu can be simple, particularly as just 10 cocktails account for over 70% of all cocktails sold [CGA Mixed Drinks Report].

You can see that Top 10 in our feature on p56.

out for the ‘Direct Delivered’ blue flash.

For further information contact For example, gin continues to be a huge category

your local Catering Development

and Booker branches stocks a great range of the

Manager.

biggest selling lines: big name brands, premium

FEBRUARY 2022

65

Cream Teas just got even better

Look no further than Craigmillar for top quality scone mixes Craigmillar Scone Mix

CSM Ingredients UK Limited Stadium Road I Bromborough I Wirral I CH62 3NU I 0800 054 1228 I www.csmingredients.com

Code

Product

Pack Size

M100614

Craigmillar Scone Mix

4x3.5kg

Offer Price

YOUR SHOUT

YOURSHOUT

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

CUTTING COST It has been a challenging period for the hospitality sector but one thing we can all do to improve profits is cut costs where possible. Do you have any suggestions on how we can quickly and easily do that?

Thomas Durnion, The Newdigate Arms,

KEEP YOUR DRINKS RANGE FRESH

Bedworth

Simon King, Sales Director – Catering, said: “While we’ll always

We’ve been seeing big interest over the last year in more unusual drinks and also in cocktails. We’ve been working hard to create

trade customers stocking an extended range of

exciting options for our customers but I don’t

spirits that they can both sell to customers and

always critical to ensure

really want the hassle of having to go to lots of

use in cocktails. The simple and easy way to

that you cut costs where

suppliers to find drinks that are a little different

extend your range is by making use of Booker’s

you can – but not at the

to attract new diners. Do you have any advice?

Direct Delivered service. If you look out for

expense of quality. There

Keith Etheridge, The Cottage Inn, Fillongley

the blue ‘Direct Delivered’ tab on the Booker

be focused on growing footfall and sales, it’s

are many easy ways to reduce your costs and therefore boost your profits. Turn to p36 for some great ideas.

website, you’ll find hundreds of drinks products Jason Kelk, Drinks Development Controller

that you won’t find in a branch – and it will all

Booker Group, said: “We know that cocktails

be sold by Booker as usual, so is completely

have seen huge growth since the re-opening of

hassle-free. Deliveries are free on orders over

hospitality and we’re seeing interest from on-

£75.”

HOW BIG AN OPPORTUNITY IS VEGANUARY?

Even at a steakhouse, the number of people buying vegan or vegetarian options from the menu has grown steadily in recent times, even among people who I know are not strictly vegan. With Veganuary happening this month, is this a big opportunity? Mahmut Akrurt, Mahony’s Steakhouse, Bishopbriggs Simon King, Sales Director – Catering, said: “Veganuary has become an important part of the catering calendar since it first launched in 2014. The number of people who take part has doubled every year since with almost 600,000 getting involved in the 2021 festival. Plant-based foods are now very important which is why Booker has continued to grow its range across all categories. It’s certainly worthwhile making sure your menu features some high quality options for those looking to avoid meat and dairy.”

FEBRUARY 2022

67

THE PROPERLY IMPROPER GIN, uniquely distilled with blueberries and blackberries for a distinctive balanced flavour

Increased brand awareness in 2021, thanks to the launch of the ‘Properly Improper’ outdoor advertising campaign.

Outperforming the market, in double digit growth*

Mischievously poured over a generous portion of ice and topped with premium tonic water, preferably unflavoured, Followed with a twist of pink grapefruit in the vicinity of the glass and finished with two exquisite blueberries.

MIDAS code: 131477

*Source: ACN Mult Grocer MAT Data to 20th November 2021