“Claire Morris (Sodexo Live! UK CEO), Daniel Gidney (Lancashire Cricket CEO) and Andy Hare (Sodexo Live! Executive Head Chef)”
Sodexo Live!, a global leader in hospitality services for the sports and leisure industry, is excited to announce a new five-year partnership with Lancashire Cricket at Emirates Old Trafford. As part of the agreement, Sodexo Live! will manage catering for conferences and events, along with providing match day hospitality.
Sodexo Live! aims to establish a robust casual workforce of around 150 individuals from the Greater Manchester and North West region, supporting the local economy and strengthening community ties.
The food operations will be led by Sodexo Live! executive head chef, Andy Hare, who will oversee a culinary training program for Lancashire Cricket's current chefs. This initiative will provide opportunities for the chefs to train and develop their skills at various Sodexo Live! partner venues, allowing them to bring back fresh and innovative ideas. Additionally, they may have the chance to visit the Lenôtre Culinary School in Paris, owned by Sodexo Live!, which specialises in culinary arts, baking, pastry, restaurant management, and sommelier expertise.
The new menu will feature a regional flair, incorporating ingredients sourced from local suppliers across Greater Manchester, Lancashire, and the North West. Examples of new hospitality dishes include 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, yoghurt sorbet, crushed pistachio.
Social impact is central to Sodexo Live!'s mission, and through its food offerings, the company aims to make a positive difference by partnering with social enterprises like Change Please and Half the Story Biscuits. Change Please is a renowned coffee brand that provides employment and training opportunities to people experiencing homelessness, helping them build better lives. Similarly, Half the Story Biscuits creates job opportunities in its bakery for individuals who have also faced homelessness.
Sodexo Live! and Emirates Old Trafford, which has seen a £75 million redevelopment over the past 15 years, are collaborating to introduce exciting and diverse menus aimed at enhancing the dining experience for both hospitality and conference & event guests. The teams will debut their partnership at this weekend’s sold-out IT20 match between England and Australia at Emirates Old Trafford.
Claire Morris, CEO Sodexo Live! UK&I, commented: “We are absolutely delighted to partner with Lancashire Cricket. This collaboration represents a fantastic opportunity to bring our food expertise in event catering and hospitality to one of the North West of England’s most iconic global venues.
“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.”
Daniel Gidney, Chief Executive at Lancashire Cricket added: “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 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.”
Globally, Sodexo Live! provides support to some of the world’s most renowned sports clubs, events, and venues. In the UK, its partnerships include Fulham FC, Brighton & Hove Albion FC, Newcastle FC, Nottingham Forest FC, Hampden Park—home of Scottish football—and the prestigious Ascot Racecourse, among others.
Internationally, Sodexo Live! delivers services for 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 U.S., including Hard Rock Stadium, home of the Miami Dolphins, and the Caesars Superdome in New Orleans, which will host Super Bowl LIX in 2025.