Booker's catering sales break through the £1bn barrier

Booker, the food and drink wholesaler, has reported catering sales in excess of £1bn for the first time.

Total turnover for the year to March 26, 2010, rose 6.5 per cent to £3.4bn, with like-for-likes up by the same figure.

Internet sales rocketed by nearly 63 per cent to £407m, while like-for-like sales to caterers were up nearly seven per cent.

Booker said its final quarter total sales rose by 3.8 per cent on the same period last year, with total like-for-likes up by 3.6 per cent. Non-tobacco like-for-likes rose by three per cent, with like-for-like tobacco sales up by 4.6 per cent. Fresh departments did particularly well with fruit and vegetables up 61 per cent and meat up 16 per cent.

Ron Hickey, Booker's catering sales director, said: "This is a great set of results. Booker is now a £1 billion catering business, with more caterers choosing us and also existing customers spending more.

"Despite the last quarter being a very challenging time, we have lowered the price on more products and locked them down through to the end of September. Providing this certainty has proved popular with caterers and we are looking forward to helping them grow their business through the busy summer season."

Booker announces full details of its results in May.