Booker has promoted Stuart Hyslop to the role of Chief Operations Officer, recognising his three decades of service and strong track record in driving catering growth.
Hyslop, who joined the business as a checkout assistant in 1993, has steadily risen through the company, holding positions from branch manager to area controller, regional director and sales director. He led the turnaround of Makro after its acquisition in 2014, before taking on the role of Managing Director, Catering & Small Businesses in 2015.
In that post, Hyslop oversaw £2.5bn in sales to more than 940,000 catering and small business customers across 190 Booker and Makro branches.
Under his leadership, Booker’s catering arm delivered consistent growth: sales rose 25.2 per cent to £2.11bn in 2022-23, climbed a further 10.2 per cent in 2023-24, and notched 2.1 per cent like-for-like growth in 2024/25 despite wider market pressures.
The promotion comes as Booker rolls out a major relaunch of its own-brand catering portfolio, beginning with a 10-strong frozen chips and fries range across three new “Chef’s” tiers – Essentials, Menu and Premium. The rebrand, complete with bold packaging refresh and clearer product signposting, is designed to give caterers and operators better value and choice.
Karen Poole, head of own brand and product at Booker, said, “This is an exciting evolution for us as we’re embarking on a journey to refresh, reinvigorate and reposition our own-brand ranges under our three new Chef’s brands, with a bold packaging refresh to deliver clear product differentiation and brand recognition.
"We have undergone a major review with a tight focus on value, choice, quality, reducing food wastage and giving chefs the tools and ingredients they need to make their menus work harder.
“We strategically decided to lead our Chef’s brand overhaul with our frozen fries and chips core proposition, improving the formulations and coatings to ensure each variant has a satisfying crunch, fluffy centre, retains its heat and stays warmer and tastier for longer – however they are served.
“Chips and fries appear on so many menus, in various formats, sizes and styles so it’s crucial that chefs and caterers have the options they need to compile their menus to the highest standards at a price point that suits.
"Our customers can be confident that their chips will be served as crispy and as crunchy as when they left the kitchen – whether served at the table, eaten on the go, or transported in a delivery bag.”
She adds: “This is the first in a series of range reviews and we’re working on relaunching several other key categories this year. We’re keen to remain agile as a business, meet evolving consumer demand, and work with our foodservice and hospitality customers to give them the products they need to remain competitive.”