Compass Group signs new £20m catering contract at QEIICC
Compass Group has won a new £20m catering contract at the Queen Elizabeth II Conference Centre (QEIICC), following a relationship with the venue that has lasted more than 20 years.
The five-year deal will see Leith's, one of the catering giant's sports, leisure and hospitality brands, introduce new food concepts and menus in a bid to enhance the experience of delegates visiting the venue.
The new concepts have been designed to appeal to the conference centre's diverse customer base, after market research into current food trends, with sample dishes such as ceviche of English coasted sea reared trout with avocado mousse; lemon verbena poached sprouting broccoli and cauliflower smoothie with toasted almonds; and soy and haricot bean salad with zucchini flowers.
Compass has also teamed up with Allegra McEvedy , the co-founder of restaurant chain Leon, who will mentor the culinary team to ensure an on-going focus on healthy eating and sustainability.
Colin Bailey, managing director for Compass sport, leisure and hospitality said: "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.
"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."
Mark Taylor, chief executive, QEIICC added: "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.
"Leith's/Compass has been selected again to work with the centre based upon a combination of their partnership approach, depth of delivery and flexibility, combined with exceptional service and innovation."