Published by Neil ThompsonTwo of the biggest brands in the meetings and events market have signed a landmark agreement that will see Sodexo Live! become the businesses first-ever Official Culinary Partner.
Sodexo Live! are one of the global leaders in hospitality services in the events, sports and leisure industry and the five-year contract will see the company deliver an enhanced premium hospitality and event experience at Destination Emirates Old Trafford, home of Lancashire Cricket, across both match day and non-match day events.
As part of the partnership, Sodexo Live! plans to build a strong casual workforce of approximately 150 from the Greater Manchester and North West area, contributing to the local economy and community. The food will be overseen by Sodexo Live! executive head chef Andy Hare - as well as Emirates Old Trafford head chef, Nic Ashurst, who has worked at the venue for 37 years – and will work collaboratively to develop the club’s culinary offering.
Working together, Sodexo Live! and Emirates Old Trafford – which has undergone a £75 million redevelopment over the last 15 years - will introduce exciting and diverse menus designed to elevate the dining experience, across both hospitality and conference and events held at the venue. The teams will work together for the first time at this weekend’s sold out IT20 fixture at Emirates Old Trafford between England and Australia.
“I would like to welcome Sodexo Live! to our family of partners as The Official Culinary Partner of Lancashire Cricket and Emirates Old Trafford. Sodexo Live! is a worldwide hospitality brand, with a proven track record of enhancing the culinary experiences across sports venues, conference centres and global events. Over the past 12 years we have quadrupled in size and our scale now requires an enhanced platform to really focus on the next stage of our growth. We know there is an increasing demand for varied, creative and distinctive menus that are tailor-made for different audiences across a range of events that we hold at Destination Emirates Old Trafford. We believe Sodexo Live! has the expertise and vision to make a real difference to our food offering and enhance the whole event experience across cricket, conferences and concerts at the venue. This is a partnership that is incredibly exciting and we’re really looking forward to working with the team in the coming years to support us achieve our ambitious growth aspirations.”
Daniel Gidney, Chief Executive, Lancashire Cricket
"We are absolutely delighted to partner with Lancashire Cricket and Emirates Old Trafford. This collaboration represents a fantastic opportunity to bring our food expertise in event catering and hospitality to one of the most iconic global venues located in the North West of England. Furthermore, we feel incredibly proud to be selected as the Club’s first ever Official Culinary Partner in its 160-year history. We thank Lancashire Cricket for putting its trust in us as our Experience Makers plan to deliver a standout service. We are committed to creating an exceptional stadium experience for fans and visitors, ensuring that every match day and event is memorable for visitors regionally and from across the world. Our team is eager to begin this exciting journey and contribute to the continued success of Lancashire Cricket and Emirates Old Trafford."
Claire Morris, CEO, Sodexo Live! UK&I
New items on the menu will have a regional flare including ingredients from local suppliers across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and the North West. Example new hospitality dishes include:
Tandoori Spiced Cornfed Chicken
Bombay Spiced Fondant Potato, Glazed Garden Vegetables, Maharashtrian Butter Masala Sauce and coriander oil
Crispy hake ‘Kyiv’
Panko breaded line-caught fillet of hake, filled with wild garlic, caper and shallot butter, finished with sauteed Ormskirk ruby potatoes and watercress salad
Baked Keralan Aubergine
Tikka Spiced Vegetables, Paneer, Bombay Spiced Fondant Potato, Maharashtrian Butter Masala Sauce
Glazed Cardamom & Saffron Custard Tart
Nutmeg Chantilly, yoghurt sorbet, crushed pistachio
Social impact sits at the heart of Sodexo Live! and through its food offering it will make a difference by working with social enterprises such as Change Please and Half the Story Biscuits. Change Please is a well-established coffee brand that works with the homeless to give them employment and training opportunities to build a better life. Half the Story Biscuits is similar, where it creates job roles within its bakery for those who have also experienced homelessness.
Globally Sodexo Live! supports some of the most well-known and high-profile sports clubs, events, and stadia. In the UK it partners with Fulham FC, Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Newcastle FC, Nottingham Forest FC, and the home of Scottish football, Hampden Park as well as the prestigious Ascot Racecourse, to name a few. Internationally it delivers events such as The French Open at Roland Garros, the Tour de France, the Miami Open and F1 in Miami, Indian Wells Open in California, plus stadiums in the USA including the Hard Rock Stadium (home to the Miami Dolphins) and the Caesars Superdome, New Orleans, home to Super Bowl LIX in 2025.
