Compass Group UK & Ireland has secured a deal worth in excess of £20 million to supply the catering at The Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (QEIICC).
The five-year contract will see Leith’s – a Compass sport, leisure and hospitality brand – work in partnership with the centre.
“This contract heralds a new era for catering at the QEIICC,” said QEIICC chief executive Mark Taylor. “We were looking for a caterer that we could work in close partnership with; a company that would work with us and our clients in a proactive collaborative and bespoke fashion.
“Although the centre has worked with Compass for many years, a European-wide tendering process was conducted and the contract was highly contested with a number of exceedingly strong tender returns.”
Based on market research and current food trends, the new concepts have been designed to appeal to the conference centre’s diverse customer base.
In designing the bespoke menus for the QEIICC, Compass will be working with Masterchef 2009 winner Steve Groves, now head chef at Roux at Parliament Square, which is operated by Compass’ executive dining business Restaurant Associates.
Delegates are promised a smart food menu, focusing on brain foods to boost concentration and productivity throughout the day.
“Our partnership with the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre spans over two decades and I’m thrilled that we have been given the opportunity to build on this longstanding relationship and excited about the plans we have in place,” said Compass sport, leisure and hospitality MD Colin Bailey.
“The conference and events market is extremely competitive; vital to the success of a venue is its ability to offer something different and I believe our new food concepts and chef partnerships coupled with the fantastic conference facilities at the QEIICC have enabled us to do this.”
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