English Premier League soccer side Southampton Football Club has announced it has reached an agreement in principle with Gather & Gather to enter into a new catering and events partnership.
Gather & Gather, which launched in 2013, is part of CH&CO, a specialist catering and hospitality company that holds a Royal Warrant for the provision of catering services to Her Majesty The Queen and works with prestigious clients, including Historic Royal Palaces and Kew Gardens.
The partnership is due to begin from July 1. Gather & Gather will provide catering and events services across the club’s sites; from food and drink concepts and service in both the concourses and hospitality suites on matchdays, to conferences and events at St Mary’s on non-matchdays, as well as catering for the club’s players and staff.
Gather & Gather, which has experience of catering for large-scale outdoor events, will also work closely with Southampton to identify additional ways to enhance the experience for supporters at the club’s games and for clients who visit the stadium for conferences and other functions.
Southampton Football Club’s chief commercial officer, David Thomas, said: “We conducted an in-depth and lengthy selection process as we looked at a new catering and events partnership, and it was Gather & Gather that emerged as the standout choice for us.
“It is not only a dynamic and agile brand, with a reputation for providing a first-rate service, but one that shares many key values with us, from its desire to challenge the status quo, to how it places innovation and people at the heart of everything it does.
“We are delighted to be working with such a fresh and exciting company, and we are looking forward to collaborating with them on enhancing an experience we are already proud of for both our fans and our clients.”
Rob Fredrickson, managing director, Gather & Gather UK, said: “We’re delighted to be working with Southampton Football Club. Putting brilliant food and drink experiences at the heart of every visit to the club was a consistent theme throughout the process, and we’re excited to be working with a forward-thinking partner that shares that aspiration. There was an immediate connection as we talked through our proposals with David and his team, with our vision, values and approach closely aligned.
“Together we will make a tangible difference to not only the matchday and non-matchday experience but, through our work with Saints Foundation, to the lives of the people and communities connected to the club.”
