Everton FC’s hospitality caterer, Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events, is toasting its success after the ground was named Sports Hospitality Venue of the Year 2016 at the Downtown in Business Work Hard, Play Hard awards.
Goodison Park beat off major rival Liverpool FC as well as Chester Racecourse, Aintree Racecourse and Formby Golf Course to lift the title last night (September 15).
The Work Hard, Play Hard awards are organised annually by Downtown in Business, one of the North West’s leading business organisations. They celebrate the businesses, people and venues which have helped make Liverpool’s visitor economy with £3.8bn.
Sodexo Prestige received its prize at an awards ceremony at Liverpool’s Hilton Hotel, attended by more than 200 businesses.
Debbie Slee, sales and marketing manager for Sodexo Prestige Venues & Events at Everton Football Club, said, “This is another fantastic achievement for all of the team at Everton FC, and follows a very successful year for us.
“To be even nominated for the Work Hard, Play Hard awards was an honour, but to win was absolutely amazing. We were up against some serious rivals and to have fought them off and beaten them to the title is a real coup for us.
“We are constantly striving to make Everton FC the best venue in Liverpool, and to be rewarded for our effort in this way proves we are doing something right. We are very proud of this award and look forward to raising our game even higher to ensure we remain the best.”
This latest award comes just three months after the Everton FC team racked up two major national accolades. In June, Gareth Billington, Sodexo Sports & Leisure executive head chef at Goodison Park, won the People’s Choice award in the Craft Guild of Chefs awards, and then the team was named Chef Team of the Year at the Stadium and Hospitality Awards.
