Booker invests £5m in new value initiative

Booker has launched a major £5m investment in a pricing initiative focusing on value for caterers, chefs, foodservice operators and hospitality venues.

The wholesaler’s new ‘Value Hero’ campaign is designed to give Booker customers essential products at ‘an outstanding’ price point.

Running throughout the course of 2026, the campaign focuses on key profit-driving lines across multiple categories – both branded products and Booker’s own brand lines. There will be 221 products under the scheme at launch, including milk, chicken, bacon, napkins and blue roll.

Visually, Value Hero will feature distinctive new branding to signpost included products. It will be implemented across all the wholesaler’s 190 branches, on its website and across all marketing communications and digital channels, ensuring clear communication to customers and encouraging new customer sign-ups.

Full branch takeovers will help highlight the proposition – from car park banners, bollards and posters to freezer vinyls, pallet wraps and shelf edge tickets. 

Sheila Gallagher, Booker’s chief commercial officer, said: “With this investment, we’re doubling down on our commitment to quality, value, service and ensuring our foodservice customers can access the products they use the most, at prices that support their profit margins.

“We’ve listened to customer feedback and are responding to the changing needs of the sector. It’s a challenging marketplace with cost pressures from all angles, and we’re here to support our customers throughout the year – from pubs and restaurants to chip shops, takeaways and cafés.

“They’re busy running wonderful businesses, so we want to make purchasing decisions as easy as possible – with Value Hero we’re assuring them they are getting outstanding value on purchases that work the hardest for them, strengthening our pricing position to give customers consistently competitive prices.”

Last year, Booker introduced its World Cuisines sub-brand, featuring Greek, Turkish, Italian, Indian, African-Caribbean and chicken shop products.

This followed Booker’s Venus Wine and Spirits Merchants division opening a distribution centre in Birmingham.

The wholesaler acquired the drinks firm in 2024.