Box Clever!

Booker, one of the UK’s leading food and drink wholesalers, has announced the launch of CaterPro - a new own-label professional packaging range designed to meet the evolving needs of caterers across the hospitality sector.

Rolling out across all Booker branches nationwide from mid-June, the CaterPro range features 255 professional-quality disposable packaging and catering essentials. 

CaterPro was developed to meet the needs of the rapidly expanding food-to-go sector – forecast to reach £24bn in 2025. The range provides operators with practical packaging solutions that reflect evolving consumer expectations for restaurant-quality food on the move. With packaging playing an ever more critical role in maintaining food integrity, presentation and customer satisfaction, it has been specifically designed to support takeaways, cafes, food trucks, event caterers and high-volume grab-and-go businesses across the hospitality sector.

The new range includes everything from self-folding boxes for sandwiches, baguettes and wraps, to poke bowls, street food and pizza boxes, ice cream and fruit tubs, flip lid boxes for cakes and pastries, and cups for hot and cold drinks. It also includes compostable options and Bagasse hinged lid burger boxes, chips and churros trays, bowls, pizza plates, as well as square and round food boxes in multiple sizes with compartments, wooden cutlery and stirrers, and paper smoothie straws.   

There are three flexible pricing tiers, graded as CaterPro Essentials, CaterPro and CaterPro Premium. 

All products are food grade and sourced exclusively from BRC Grade A suppliers, ensuring quality, safety and consistency. All items display clear information on the outer casing about the materials used and disposal instructions to help customers and their diners make informed choices in an increasingly complex area. A prominent tick-list system on the front of the packaging provides recycling guidance.

Ian Haywood, category manager at Booker, comments: “Today’s consumers expect much more from their out-of-home eating experience than just speed and convenience. They want restaurant-quality food on the go, and packaging plays a vital role in delivering that experience – from ensuring temperature control and product integrity to maintaining visual appeal and reducing leakage or spillage.

“As such, in today’s fast growing and highly competitive food-to-go sector, operators can’t afford for their packaging to let them down. This range has been developed to ensure that this doesn’t happen, providing a high quality and comprehensive packaging range with flexible options and three-tier pricing structure. Products in the range also feature clear and transparent guidance on responsible disposal, helping both operators and their customers make informed decisions.”

Austen Dack Chippy Chat Editor tested out some of the new packaging recently when he had some food products delivered. "The food arrived very fresh, and the packaging was looking good with no signs of any spillage." he said.

To find your nearest Booker branch or to find out more about CaterPro, visit https://www.booker.co.uk/ 

About Booker 

Booker is the UK’s leading food and drink foodservice wholesaler with 190 branches across the UK. It serves over 400,000 catering customers with a range of products and services, including a dedicated butchery and fishmongery service, fresh, chilled, frozen and ambient foods, snacks, beers, wines and spirits, soft drinks, store cupboard items, dry goods and non-food supplies. Its brands include Chef’s Essentials, Chef’s Larder and Chef’s Larder Premium, Farm Fresh and Lichfields. 

Website: https://www.booker.co.uk