Booker’s own brand repositioning

Leading wholesaler Booker overhauled its own brand catering portfolio as part of a major refresh. It repositioned its ranges under three new tiers alongside a bold packaging refresh to deliver clear product differentiation and brand recognition. 

Our job was clear - to generate  buzz within the catering trade press for Booker’s refreshed own brand chips and desserts ranges. Activity was to drive customers from a top-up shop to a full trolley of purchases by educating them on the value, quality and versatility of the products.

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Combining an earned and paid media approach, we worked with key journalists and media outlets to share the story of Booker’s new own brand identity with customers via the hospitality trade press. 

Our strategy focused on educating customers about the three-tiered pricing structure and showcasing the quality and versatility of products to encourage a greater basket spend.

The campaign aimed to amplify the perception of Booker as a dynamic, progressive catering wholesaler, while highlighting the quality, versatility and convenience of Booker's own brand Chef ranges - specifically chips and desserts.

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Chips are a staple for most hospitality outlets but are especially pertinent for pubs, QSRs and takeaways, so we devised a media strategy that put these audiences at the forefront of our activity. 

To announce the re-launch of Booker’s best selling own-brand range of chips, we first took an earned media approach and shared the news with the full hospitality trade media landscape, securing coverage in top tier titles such as Bar, Fast Food Professional, FRY magazine and The Grocer. This was underpinned by a feature submission programme to maintain the presence of the range within key media and ensure continuity of messaging around the wider brand refresh.

We also ran a bespoke newsletter campaign; first, with Morning Advertiser, enabling us to communicate range benefits to 11,000 decision makers within the pub trade and then with Restaurant Industry News, reaching almost 75,000 restaurant decision-makers. We booked a newsletter takeover with Propel Hospitality, reaching over 20,000 subscribers within the restaurant and foodservice sectors, and with Fast Food Professional, targeting QSRs and takeaways.

Alongside this, we delivered a depot activation at Bookers St Pancras branch where customers could sample trending loaded fries, showcasing the range in action. The sampling station provided an opportunity to capture rich content for Booker’s owned and social channels. 

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For the desserts campaign one thing we know is true - We eat with our eyes. This is especially true when it comes to indulgent desserts which informed our strategy to lead with delicious visuals to bring the dessert range to life. We aimed to inspire chefs to use Booker desserts in their kitchens by highlighting quality, versatility, convenience - and excellent taste credentials. 

First, we took the story to the full suite of hospitality trade media, landing coverage in titles such as The Caterer, Wholesale Manager, British Baker and more. We also published a DPS advertorial with Cafe Life, specifically targeting over 10,000 coffee houses and cafes.

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We then partnered with OOH magazine (rebranded to Quick Serve in 2026), the leading trade publication for the £17bn food-to-go sector, reaching over 30,000 industry professionals. The dessert range was featured in the magazine's 'Road Test' series, where Bills Restaurants Development Chef independently evaluated the products in an authentic commercial kitchen setting.

This editorial-style coverage with candid video content showcased product aesthetics and demonstrated versatility and quality while providing Booker with full usage rights to all content for its own promotional activity.

We secured widespread coverage across the catering and hospitality media landscape, both as standalone news articles and within new product roundups. 

Following this, to maintain a media presence, we secured commentary within key trade features. The ranges were positioned as top quality catering essentials, with Booker spokespeople offering industry insights on key topics to cement its market-leading position.