“Claire Morris (Managing Director of Sodexo Live! UK), Daniel Gidney (Managing Director of Lancashire Cricket) and Andy Hare (Executive Head Chef of Sodexo Live!)”
Sodexo Live!, a global leader in sports and leisure hospitality services, is excited to announce a new five-year partnership with Lancashire Cricket at Emirates Old Trafford. As part of the agreement, Sodexo Live! takes care of catering for conferences and events and hospitality on match days.
Sodexo Live! The aim is to establish a robust casual workforce of around 150 people from the Greater Manchester and North West region to support the local economy and strengthen community ties.
Food operations are led by Sodexo Live! head chef Andy Hare, who oversees the culinary training program for Lancashire Cricket’s current chefs. This initiative offers chefs opportunities to train and develop their skills at various Sodexo Live! partnership places where they can bring back fresh and innovative ideas. In addition, they may have the opportunity to visit the Sodexo Live!-owned Lenôtre Culinary School in Paris, which specializes in culinary arts, baking, pastry, restaurant management and sommelier expertise.
The new menu has a regional feel and features ingredients sourced from local suppliers across Greater Manchester, Lancashire and the North West. Examples of the new hospitality dishes are Tandoori Spiced Cornfed Chicken, Bombay Spiced Fondant Potato, Glazed Garden Vegetables, Maharashtrian Butter Masala Sauce and Coriander Oil, Maharashtrian Butter Masala Sauce and Coriander Oil and Nutmeg Chantilly, Yogurt Pistachio, Crushed Pistachio.
Social impact is a key part of Sodexo Live!’s mission, and through the food offering, the company aims to bring about positive change by collaborating with social enterprises such as Change Please and Half the Story Biscuits. Change Please is a well-known coffee brand that offers job and training opportunities to people experiencing homelessness and helps them build a better life. Likewise, Half the Story Biscuits creates job opportunities in its bakery for people who have experienced homelessness.
Sodexo Live! and Emirates Old Trafford, which has undergone a £75m refurbishment over the past 15 years, are working together to introduce exciting and varied menus designed to enhance the dining experience for both hospitality and conference and event guests. The teams will debut their partnership in this weekend’s sold-out IT20 between England and Australia at Emirates Old Trafford.
Claire Morris, CEO Sodexo Live! UK&I commented: “We are absolutely delighted to be working with Lancashire Cricket. This collaboration is a great opportunity to bring our culinary expertise in event catering and hospitality to one of the North West of England’s most iconic global venues.
“Furthermore, we feel extremely proud that we have been chosen as the club’s first official culinary partner in its 160-year history. We thank Lancashire Cricket for placing their trust in us as Experience Makers look to deliver a distinctive service.
“We are committed to creating an exceptional stadium experience for fans and visitors and to ensure that every Matchday and event is memorable for visitors regionally and around the world. Our team is eager to embark on this exciting journey and contribute to the continued success of Lancashire Cricket and Emirates Old Trafford.
Daniel Gidney, CEO of Lancashire Cricket added: “I would like to welcome Sodexo Live! to our partner family as the Official Culinary Partner of Lancashire Cricket and Emirates Old Trafford.
“Sodexo Live! is a global hospitality brand with a proven track record of enhancing culinary experiences at sports venues, conference centers and global events.
“Over the past 12 years, we’ve quadrupled in size, and our scale now requires an improved platform to really focus on the next phase of our growth. We know that during our events at Emirates Old Trafford, there is a growing demand for varied, creative and distinctive menus tailored to different audiences. We believe in Sodexo Live! has the expertise and vision to make a real difference to our food offering and enhance the entire event experience for cricket, conferences and concerts at the venue.
“This is an incredibly exciting partnership and we really look forward to working with the team over the coming years to support us in achieving our ambitious growth goals.”
Globally, Sodexo Live! provides support for some of the world’s most famous sports clubs, events and venues. In the UK, its partnerships include Fulham FC, Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Newcastle FC, Nottingham Forest FC, Hampden Park – the home of Scottish football – and the prestigious Ascot Racecourse.
Internationally, Sodexo Live! provides services to major events such as the French Open at Roland Garros, the Tour de France, the Miami Open, Formula 1 in Miami and the Indian Wells Open in California. It also manages Stadiums in the United States, including Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, and Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, which will host Super Bowl LIX in 2025.