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M&S Bank Arena steps up catering offering with £600k investment

Liverpool’s M&S Bank Arena has invested £600,000 (€709,000/$788,000) to enhance its food and drink offering for customers.

Three new catering units have been added, while the arena’s six existing kiosks have also been refurbished. Each of the new catering units will include bars.

A new menu will also form part of the investment, with guests now able to purchase buttermilk chicken, classic pizzas and seafood. A wider range of draught beer and cider will also be available, along with meal deals.

It is hoped the new developments will improve speed of service at the 11,000-seat arena, which hosts concerts as well as sporting events such as the Netball World Cup and Premier League darts.

Food and drink services at the arena are provided through Sodexo, whose UK & Ireland development chef Tom Beauchamp said: “Menus will be tailored to shows so for example for Mrs Brown’s Boys we offered Irish-themed menus.

“We are passionate about providing great tasting food and are pleased to be able to offer a much wider menu for customers before they head into the arena to enjoy a performance.”

The new food and drink concepts have been branded to reflect the arena’s waterfront location, including Clarence Fries, Albert Tavern, Gladstone BBQ and Victoria Grill, which have all been named after surrounding docks. As part of the project, the Ticket Quarter box office has moved from the arena concourse to a new building on the piazza.

Ben Williams, commercial director of The ACC Liverpool Group, which operates the arena, said: “We want all our visitors to have a fantastic experience when they come to watch a show at the arena which should start as soon as they walk through the door. It’s important that guests can relax with a drink and a tasty bite to eat and make a night of it.

“We have been working closely with Sodexo and have made a significant investment to open three new units on the arena concourse and refurbish existing kiosks. We have upgraded equipment so will be able to offer a wider range of food and drinks while improving service. We continuously look at how we can enhance the visitor experience and have further developments planned for the future.”

The new menu was launched ahead of Rod Stewart’s sell-out gig at the arena on Tuesday night.

Image: M&S Bank Arena