Booths receives prestigious Princess Royal Training Award

A Lancashire retailer's commitment to skills development has been recognised with a national award.

Booths, headquartered in Preston, has received a 2026 Princess Royal Training Award for its specialist training academies.

The chain's specialist cheese, butchery and fish academies are designed to develop colleagues’ knowledge and expertise while preserving traditional skills that have largely disappeared from the wider supermarket sector.

Booths chief brand officer Emma Booth said: “Receiving a Princess Royal Training Award is a tremendous achievement and fitting recognition of the care, ambition and commitment behind our craft and skill academies. They embody something fundamental to Booths - investing in our people, preserving and developing traditional skills, and giving colleagues the knowledge and confidence to deliver the exceptional service that sets us apart.

"Through the academies, we are safeguarding an important part of what makes Booths special and ensuring that expertise continues to thrive for generations to come.”

The Princess Royal Training Award, delivered by the City & Guilds Foundation, recognises organisations that demonstrate an outstanding commitment to learning and development and the positive impact training has on their people and business.

Launched in 2020, Booths’ internal academy programme has revitalised specialist skills, supported colleague development and preserved the expertise behind the retailer’s premium customer experience. It gives colleagues the opportunity to develop traditional craft skills alongside commercial expertise, product knowledge and the confidence to offer customers informed cooking tips, recipe recommendations and advice.

A total of 150 Booths colleagues have now completed the 14 week programme, contributing to exceptional customer satisfaction, improved colleague retention and increased progression within the business. The programme has also delivered significant commercial returns and strengthened the sharing of specialist knowledge across Booths’ stores.

Booths learning and development manager Louise Dunn said: “We are incredibly proud to receive a Princess Royal Training Award. This recognition belongs to everyone involved in the academies—from the teams who develop and deliver the training to every colleague who has embraced the opportunity to learn, share knowledge and preserve these important skills.

“The academies help our people grow in confidence and progress their careers while ensuring our customers continue to receive exemplary expertise and personal service they associate with Booths.”

The Princess Royal Training Awards are open to organisations throughout the UK and Ireland. Booths is one of just 56 organisations to achieve the award standard in 2026, with recipients representing a wide range of sectors and demonstrating the tangible value of investing in people.