Food services and management specialist Sodexo has entered into a five-year partnership with the Windsor Park football stadium in Belfast, Northern Ireland.
The £6m (€7m/$7.5m) agreement makes Sodexo responsible for providing food and beverage retail and hospitality services for all events at the ground. The company will also sell conference and event facilities through its Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events division.
Windsor Park hosts games played by the Northern Ireland national team and also serves as the home ground for club side Linfield. The venue has a current capacity of more than 18,000 after redevelopment work was carried out last year.
Following the renovation, Windsor Park now features four main function suites, 10 executive boxes and a museum for events, as well as other dedicated event spaces in the changing rooms, press room and players’ lounge. Sodexo will oversee the operation of all these spaces.
“The new stadium development gives us an opportunity to deliver a fantastic experience for match goers, and host a wide range of conferences and events on non-matchdays," Chris Bray, chief executive of sports and leisure at Sodexo UK & Ireland, said.
“At our other stadiums we have strong relationships with the local community, and the National Football Stadium at Windsor Park is no exception. We are already working with three Belfast suppliers: Keenan Seafood, Arnotts Fruit and the French Village Bakery. We look forward to bringing fresh, innovative, responsibly-sourced local produce to stadium visitors.”
Stadium director Louise Doyle added: “Sodexo will allow the venue not only to offer a high standard of food, refreshments and a variety (of) options in our public concourses but also the superb and innovative hospitality in our outstanding and unique corporate areas, all with a view of the iconic pitch.
“Sodexo are world leaders in their field, offering innovative ideas and offerings to Belfast both in terms of catering at the football matches held within the stadium but also promoting our new conference and hospitality business. There are exciting times ahead with this partnership and we look forward to a successful relationship over the next few years.”
Sodexo earlier this year extended a similar agreement with Scotland’s Hampden Park stadium.
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