Booker continues development of own-brand catering portfolio

Booker is continuing the development of its own-brand catering portfolio with the relaunch of its sauces and dressings.

This follows the introduction of new branding and three price tiers: Chef’s Essentials, Chef’s Menu and Chef’s Premium. The first category to go live was frozen chips and fries, and now Booker has revamped its sauces and dressings.

Bulk products will be offered across all three tiers, while all one-litre sauces and dressings will be consolidated under the Chef’s Menu brand.

The products feature improved recipes, clearer packaging, simpler product names, and essential front-of-pack messaging such as vegan/vegetarian and chilli ratings.

Booker’s own-brand sauce range also sees the introduction of three new products, designed to tap into emerging flavour trends: Korean Style BBQ Sauce, Buttermilk Ranch Sauce, and Coronation Mayonnaise.

In addition to the new lines, key recipes across the core Chef’s Menu range have been reformulated and improved. Products such as Tomato Ketchup, Brown Sauce, Vegan Mayo, French Dressing and Caesar Dressing have all been benchmarked against market-leading brands to ensure Booker customers receive high-quality, great-tasting options at competitive prices. Sweeteners have also been removed from all Chef’s Menu products to align with customer preferences and clean ingredient trends.

Karen Poole, head of own brand & product at Booker, said: “This is another big milestone in our journey to revitalise our own-brand offer. With the sauces range relaunch, we’re building on the momentum of our Chef’s brand rollout – giving our catering customers the high-quality, versatile and trend-driven products they need, while making it easier than ever to shop and serve.”

Last month, Booker also relaunched its own-brand frozen desserts offering, with all lines – including 15 new ones – available in branch now for the busy festive season.

The new desserts range has been selected to balance classic favourites with on-trend flavour combinations. For example, with pistachio continuing to trend, the Salted Pistachio Semifreddo and Pistachio, Raspberry & White Chocolate Roulade, both under the Chef’s Menu brand, have been added to the range.

Poole said: “Desserts are a hugely popular category and our new range offers chefs and caterers versatile and convenient frozen options that reflect both modern lifestyles and current flavour trends. The tartelettes, tortes, traybakes and puddings give chefs the confidence that they are offering premium quality, on-trend, showstopping desserts that diners will love, enjoy and come back for.

“We’ve timed the launch to land in the run up to Christmas – the ultimate time for indulgence and sweet treats.”