The Randox Health Grand National starts today. Taking place between 6-8 April the festival celebrates its 170th anniversary and is set to draw over 150,000 racegoers and a TV audience in excess of 600m.
Peter Jardine, new catering general manager for Jockey Club Catering at Aintree Racecourse, is marking his first Festival by overseeing a team of 2,000, recruited from the local area and a further 200 chefs who will be preparing 12,000 meals for hospitality guests. The scale of the event sees the construction of two furlongs of temporary bars and 15 tonnes of ice is on order.
Show-stopping menus have been created across hospitality and public areas with a focus on seasonality and ingredients sourced from the North West's local larder.
This year Jockey Club Catering will serve (an estimated):
• 1.3 tonnes of beef sourced from Ladymoor Farm, Staffordshire
• 2,100 jars of homemade Jockey Club Catering chutney
• 700kg of cheese
• 500 sides of sea trout and 250 lobsters, sustainably sourced
• 3 tonnes of British potatoes sourced from East Anglia and Lincolnshire
• Specially blended Grand National coffee roasted by local independent supplier Crosby Coffee
A new food and drink app, Jockey Club - Click & Collect, will allow racegoers to order their drinks ahead of time and beat the queues at the bar.
Recent re-development and investment from Jockey Club Catering means the 15,000 spectators who gather at The Steeplechase Enclosure on Grand National day will enjoy new bars, new food offerings and live music to add to the Aintree atmosphere.
The new 1839 restaurant, named after the inaugural running of the Grand National Steeplechase and overlooking the parade ring, will offer an enhanced premium experience for owners and trainers. The à la carte menu will include local dishes such as; charred Barnsley chop, wild nettle and parsley puree, mutton dumpling, early spring greens and vegetables; or seared loin of cod, warm salad of barley, Morecombe Bay shrimp, fennel, citrus brown butter tartar.
Jockey Club Catering will be fundraising for local charity partner, Claire House Children's Hospice and is hoping to raise more than £7,000 over the course of the three day event.
Nick Campbell, managing director for Jockey Club Catering commented: 'The Randox Health Grand National is a highlight of the UK's sporting calendar with an unparalleled history and identity. We have worked closely with local suppliers and our supremely talented team at Aintree to create an exceptional offering that will enhance the guest experience over the three days of the festival. '
Jockey Club Catering is a joint venture between The Jockey Club, the largest commercial group in British racing, and Compass Group UK & Ireland. The partnership was launched in 2009 with the aim of providing premium quality catering at all 15 of The Jockey Club Racecourses.