Vegetarianism and veganism have certainly made their mark in recent years but there’s no doubt that for many of your customers, nothing beats a top quality, perfectly prepared meat dish.

That’s precisely why Booker has dedicated so much time, energy and investment to building a fantastic butchery service where you can find everything you need to create fantastic dishes with a minimum of fuss.

Booker offers an extensive range of fresh and frozen meat products – and that includes halal and local specialities. All meat is meticulously sourced with full traceability from farm to fork and the range extends from exceptional value Chef’s Essentials products to premium Blackgate options.

Booker is so confident in the exquisite quality of its Blackgate meat that it offers a 100% money back no-quibble guarantee if you are anything less than completely satisfied. Thet tells you all you need to know.

Master butchers: It’s important to note, however, that Booker’s butchery offer extends way beyond just a superb range of products. You’ll find expert butchers in every branch and every butcher is trained to the very highest standards. Did you know that Booker and Makro employ 20% of all Institute of Meat Master Butchers in the UK?

More than 1,000 people have progressed through Booker’s award-winning training programme for developing butchers since it was first launched way back in 2008. The training programme was then enhanced in 2016 through a partnership with The Institute of Meat which resulted in the creation of the ‘Booker Craft Butcher’ programme.

This programme was created to help Booker Butchery Managers work towards the official Master Butcher Award – the highest award available to butchers.

As a result of the programme, more than 20% of all UK Master Butchers now work at Booker/Makro – helping to ensure those sky-high standards are not just maintained but constantly exceeded.

What that means is that Booker is uniquely placed to provide an unrivalled support service to your kitchen team in so many ways. The highly trained team can prepare and pack meat to your precise specifications, saving you time and helping you prepare dishes exactly the way you want to.

The expert team can also support you and your chefs with invaluable advice on everything from optimising your menu to suggesting alternatives like cheaper cuts to reduce cost while also advising on the best way to cook them for maximum flavour and texture.

Booker’s butchers can even visit your kitchens to sample, cook off and demonstrate meat preparation techniques.

Blackgate steak: Take Blackgate steak as an example. Literally every Blackgate steak from T-Bones to Tomahawks has been prepared by hand by Booker’s team of Master and expert butchers and then cut for use in professional kitchens.

All Blackgate steaks have been sourced from UK and Irish cattle breeds and all Blackgate steaks are also backed by Booker’s 100% Money Back guarantee.

That’s the sort of quality, detail and heritage that helps ensure you can buy Blackgate steaks in complete confidence, safe in the knowledge that you are giving your customers the quality and flavour they deserve.

Spring Lamb: With spring underway, it’s a great time to start thinking about incorporating lamb dishes into your menu – and Booker’s butchers can help you do just that.

They can offer expert advice on the key cuts to use, and how to use them. From slow cooked shoulder to grilled loin, from pan fried rack to stewed leg, the butchery team can help you chose the ideal option for you as well as providing all the tips and help you need to get the most out of the lamb dishes you want to put on your menu.

At just £8.99 a kilo, lamb is a fantastic option for creating succulent, delicious and profitable dishes.

And to help inspire you, we’ve included a few serving suggestions in this feature that you can use, or tailor, to create mouth-watering meals that will help drive footfall, sales and profits over the coming months.