Amadeus has secured a contract with Stratford-on-Avon Racecourse worth £2.5m to provide exclusive catering services at the venue on race and non-race days.
The five-year contract will see Amadeus run all retail and hospitality catering at fixture race events along with providing conference and banqueting catering at the venue taking place on non-race days.
This new win adds to Amadeus’ growing portfolio which includes catering for seven million visitors a year as part of the NEC Group and over 30 venues across the UK including visitor attractions, exhibition and stadia venues. In addition, Amadeus caters for hundreds of private events every year and a number of prestigious sporting events including the Lawn Tennis Association’s Aegon championships, Aberdeen Asset Management Scottish Open and the IMG Ricoh Women’s Open Golf which the team has worked with for over 10 years.
The catering team at Stratford-on-Avon Racecourse will be headed up by Amadeus’ General Manager for Events, Samantha Bates, who has over 22-years’ experience with the business.
Kevin Watson, Managing Director of Amadeus, said, “Last year, Amadeus’ events team achieved record results under Sam’s leadership and she will bring unparalleled expertise to our partnership with Stratford-on-Avon Racecourse.
“With over 40-years’ experience in event catering, we understand the complexities of operating at outdoor sporting events, adapting our retail strategies to meet challenges such as fluctuating visitor numbers and unpredictable weather. In addition, we also understand the art of great conference and banqueting catering, constantly innovating and tailoring our menu offering based on delegate or visitor profile.”
Ilona Barnett, Stratford-on-Avon Racecourse Manager, said, “We are really looking forward to Amadeus bringing their unique style of catering to the venue. They have a fantastic reputation for delivering excellence at visitor attractions and sporting events and we were impressed by their innovative menus and retail concepts which will take our food and beverage offering to a new level for our customers.”
Over the last five years, Amadeus has seen phenomenal growth in its external venue and events catering business. The Stratford-on-Avon Racecourse contract marks the first new business win for Amadeus this year, with an exciting pipeline of opportunities in 2018.