Major League Baseball (MLB) team the Los Angeles Dodgers and English Premiership rugby union club Northampton Saints have launched ventures designed to bring the matchday dining experience to fans watching games at home during COVID-19.
The Dodgers have built on a partnership signed in August 2019 with Postmates that brought in-seat concession ordering to Dodger Stadium. Fans can now get a taste of the ballpark experience delivered on-demand by ordering from Home Plates, which will bring stadium food directly to Los Angeles-area fans’ doorsteps launching exclusively on Postmates.
Home Plates will serve Dodger Stadium fan-favourites like Dodger Dogs, micheladas and garlic fries to go along with snacks, salads, bar and dessert options. In addition to premium Dodger Dogs, items specially produced by Home Plates include individual thin-crust Brooklyn-style pizza, carne asada helmet nachos and Dodger Blue Gelato. The full menu also includes family party pack and catering options.
Home Plates will initially launch in Los Angeles’ Hollywood and West Hollywood neighbourhoods with plans to expand throughout LA. Dodgers dishes created and packaged by Home Team Kitchens’ restaurants will be delivered with Postmates within the delivery radius for each restaurant.
“Following the launch of Postmates Live with the Dodgers last season, we are thrilled to be able to extend the stadium experience to fans at home,” said Eric Edge, senior vice-president of marketing and communications at Postmates.
“In partnership with the Dodgers and Home Team Kitchens, we will bring a unique experience to our customers’ doorsteps through this delivery-first concept when LA baseball fans need it most.”
Home Team Kitchens CEO Michael Jacobs added: “We’ve re-imagined ‘dine-in’ as a ‘dine-out’ experience, bringing the same quality and creativity to design, preparation and packaging for our in-home meals that fans expect from a stellar night out at the stadium.”
Meanwhile, the Saints have stepped up their association with catering company Burnt Lemon to launch ‘Saints Social’ for when the Premiership returns to action next month. Saints this month announced plans to utilise Franklin’s Gardens during the Premiership Rugby shutdown by launching a new pop-up restaurant experience at the stadium.
Working in partnership with Northamptonshire-based Burnt Lemon Chefs and Jelley’s Organic Vodka, the club has now launched a new ‘cookalong’ approach to matchday dining. The first Saints Social will take place before the team faces Wasps on August 16, and will see supporters able to order a hospitality pack to be delivered directly to their front door.
This pack includes all the raw ingredients needed to prepare a gourmet pre-match meal, with Burnt Lemon’s chefs, including the award-winning James Peck, and special Saints guests on hand via Burnt Lemon’s Instagram channel to guide fans step-by-step through the cookalong process. Jelley’s Premium Organic Vodka will also be included within the package, meaning Jelley’s mixologists will help fans prepare a series of cocktails to compliment the meal.
“Our Supper Clubs have been a great way of giving people a bit of contact with others during what has been a massively difficult period for us all,” said Peck. “We’ve used Instagram to make it as interactive as possible, with live cookalongs and the chance for guests to chat to each other throughout.
“This time we’ve raised the bar to mark the return of rugby. We want Saints supporters to join us for what should be a fantastic occasion in the build-up to the big game. We’ll have some fun, we’ll have a laugh and we’ll enjoy some fantastic food and drink.”
The Saints Social package is priced at £54.99 (€61/$71) per person including delivery cost, but a click and collect option is also available for £49.55 per person. A digital match programme will be included with both packages.
Image: Los Angeles Dodgers
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