Booker has acquired alcohol on-trade wholesaler Venus Wine & Spirit Merchants as part of a wider strategy from parent company Tesco to build on Booker’s existing on-trade capabilities and introduce a more premium offering in beer, wines and spirits.
Neil Jewsbury is currently leading the acquisition and will now join Venus as managing director. The family-run company will also continue to operate under the Venus brand, with colleagues joining the Booker team.
Andrew Yaxley, Booker chief executive said, “We’re delighted to welcome Venus into the Booker family and can’t wait to start working with them to bring their fantastic range to more customers across the UK. By combining the specialist expertise and premium products from the Venus team with Booker’s experience in providing food and drink nationwide, we look forward to offering customers an unmatched ‘Food and Alcohol’ proposition on the market.”
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Laki Christoforou, founder of Venus said, “I am incredibly proud of my team and the business we have built. This is an exciting opportunity for Venus to scale up and explore the growth potential across the UK. I am looking forward to working alongside Booker to realise the full potential that this partnership can bring.”
Neil Jewsbury, managing director of Venus, and Jason Godley, Tesco director of Beers, Wines and Spirits said, “Our ambition is to have the best Beer, Wines and Spirits offering across the Tesco Group and we’re very excited that Booker will be welcoming Venus into their team. Venus has strong expertise in the premium drinks space, which perfectly complements the growing On Trade offer that Booker can provide.”
