| Type | Public (LSE: BOK) |
|---|---|
| Industry | Retail catering |
| Founded | 1835 |
| Headquarters | Wellingborough, England |
| Key people | Richard Rose, Chairman Charles Wilson, CEO |
| Products | Cash and carry outlets |
| Revenue | £3,386.9 million (2010)[1] |
| Operating income | £66.6 million (2010)[1] |
| Net income | £47.6 million (2010)[1] |
| Website | www.bookergroup.com |
Booker Group plc is the United Kingdom's largest food wholesale operator, offering branded and private-label goods to over 400,000 customers including independent convenience stores, grocers, pubs and restaurants. The firm is listed on the London Stock Exchange and a constituent of the FTSE 250 Index and was the former sponsor of the Booker Prize for fiction which was established in 1968.
The Company supplies approximately 296,000 catering businesses and 72,000 independent retailers; it also operates from 172 cash and carry branches throughout the United Kingdom and operate a national delivery service.[2]
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The Company was founded by George and Richard Booker in 1835 when they bought their first ship and established the Booker Line.[3] It diversified into the distribution of goods rather than the mere shipping of them and gradually disposed of its fleet of ships: the focus was on food wholesale distribution and by 1978 the Company had over 100 warehouses across the UK and trading as Booker, McConnell Ltd[4]
Among other interests, it operated the sugar industry in Guyana (British Guiana before independence in 1966), running five Booker line ships, until it was nationalized circa 1970. After six months Booker was called back to market the sugar. Booker had a long history of exploitation of sugar workers through the indentured labour system during the 19th and 20th centuries. At its peak it controlled 75% of the sugar industry in British Guiana and was so powerful that a common joke was to refer to the country as 'Booker's Guiana'. In 1952 Jock Campbell took over the Chairmanship of the company and his Fabian social politics transformed it dramatically into a benevolent force providing major benefits for sugar workers. Jock Campbell was also instrumental in the setting up of the Booker's Author Division, which sponsored the Booker Prize, now sponsored by the Man Group plc.[5]
In 2000 Booker was purchased by Iceland Supermarkets, via its Big Food Group vehicle.[6] Then in 2005 Big Food Group was in turn bought by acquisitive Icelandic group Baugur,[7] which split Booker and Iceland again into different companies.[8] In June 2007 Booker reversed into AIM-listed wholesaler of groceries Blueheath, to form Booker Group plc.[9]
Baugur sold all its assets in Booker Cash & Carry in June 2008[10] only weeks after its founder was found guilty of accounting irregularities.[11] Baugur collapsed in February 2009 amidst the 2008–2011 Icelandic financial crisis.[12]
Booker began sponsoring the famous Prize for Fiction award in 1968 and although the award is now under different sponsorship and known as the Man Booker Prize the common name Booker Prize is retained to this day.[13]
The group also held the rights to Agatha Christie's extensive book collection until 1998 when it was sold to Chorion who bought Bookers' 64% stake in Agatha Christie Ltd for £10million[14].
In 1991 the company set up a short lived co-venture between the directors of Siriol Animation to created Kalisto Ltd. to develop a show called Space Baby, which eventually became Fantastic Max and The Little Engine That Could. Kalisto barely lasted a year before Bookers bought the rights back.[15].