Rugby Super League club Wakefield Trinity Wildcats is partnering with hospitality specialists, Lindley Venue Catering, as the club moves to expand the hospitality side of its business at the Rapid Solicitors Stadium.
The rolling contract runs until the club relocates to a new 12,000-capacity community stadium in 2015.
Lindley Venue Catering assumes responsibility for all of the match-day and non match-day catering which had been previously been managed in-house.
Lindley expects to generate an annual turnover of £400,000 from business at the stadium’s five function rooms which can accommodate between 50 and 200 guests.
Established in 1873 as Wakefield Trinity, the Wildcats’ rugby league heritage stretches back to it being one of the 22 founding clubs to form the Northern Union after the split from the Rugby Football Union in 1895.
The Secretary of State granted planning approval for the development of the new stadium’s 240-acre Newmarket site just north of Wakefield in June, and Wakefield Trinity Wildcats will become the primary tenant in time for the start of the 2015 season.
James Elston, Wildcats’ CEO, says: “We feel that the club could benefit from the experience and expertise of a specialist sports caterer, and Lindley Venue Catering is well-established within the sports industry where it manages a number of contracts.”
Lindley has contracts at grounds including Warrington Wolves and The John Smith’s Stadium at Huddersfield.
Jonathan Davies, The Lindley Group’s Sales and Marketing Director, says: “We will also be actively encouraging fans and local residents to think of the stadium as a ‘top box’ choice for their anniversary and other celebrations, and we will be organising events with the aim of getting more people to visit and take advantage of the facilities available at the stadium.”
The Stoke-on-Trent based Lindley Group caters for 300,000 people and has a turnover of £50m and employs 500 full-time and 15,000 part-time employees.
Pictured: L-R James Elston – CEO, Wakefield Trinity Wildcats; Jonathan Davies, Sales and Marketing Director, The Lindley Group; Davide Longo – General Manager Wakefield Trinity Wildcats.
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