Amadeus Glorious Magazine Issue 06

Glorious 

The adventurous catering solutions magazine | Issue 06 

IN THE SUMMERTIME, WE INNOVATE 

Executive Chef for the NEC, Neil Ashton, on producing dishes which surprise 

FOR THE ENVIRONMENT 

Truly believing in a responsibility to help solve some pretty big problems

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Welcome 

• 

With new contracts, new award wins and new faces joining the team, 2018 has 

been a fantastic year so far for Amadeus – and with an exciting pipeline of events 

and opportunities coming up, there is no sign of things slowing down. 

For a quick overview of our recent successes, 

take a look at our Innovation News (page 6) 

section containing bite-sized updates, interviews 

and announcements from the team. Read on to find 

out how Amadeus are tackling the shortfall in staff in 

the hospitality industry by investing in apprenticeships. 

After a lot of hard work from the team I’m 

proud to say we’re on track to recruit and 

train 200 apprentices by 2020. 

Always looking to enhance the customer 

experience, on pages 18-19 you can read 

about our new cashless initiative at the 

Genting Arena which has helped 

speed up customer transactions by 

an impressive 20 seconds. 

In our regular chef feature, we talk 

to Neil Ashton, Executive Chef at 

the NEC, about how he stays 

ahead of industry trends and 

keeps his menus fresh for the 2.4 

million visitors that come to the 

venue every year. In addition, he 

shares with us a fantastic summer recipe (page 26) 

that is sure to be a hit with friends and family alike. 

On pages 34-37 find out about our newest catering 

contract with Stratford Racecourse and how we plan 

to raise the bar at the leading sporting institution, 

while on pages 42-44 you’ll find details of our 

new industry leading online menu selector 

created for one of our longest standing 

clients, the ICC. 

In this issue, you’ll also read about Amadeus’ 

commitment to sustainability and how we 

address environmental issues in 

unique ways, meet a number of 

our newest board members 

and have a chance to catch up 

with all the regular Glorious 

Magazine features. 

We hope you enjoy this issue, 

packed full with our most 

exciting updates and industry 

innovations. 

• 

Ellie Rance 

Editor 

info@amadeusfood.co.uk 

0121 767 3329 

amadeusfood.co.uk 

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@amadeusfood 

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in conjunction with EP 

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AMADEUSFOOD CO UK 3

IN THIS ISSUE READ ALL ABOUT IT 

Contents 

Issue 06 

Glorious 

The adventurous catering solutions magazine | Issue 06 

Hot 

topic 


Executive Chef for the NEC, Neil Ashton, on producing dishes which surprise 

FOR THE ENVIRONMENT 

Truly believing in a responsibility to help solve some pretty big problems 

REGULARS 

06 

46 

Food innovations 

The latest news from 

Amadeus and why they’re 

at the forefront of innovation 

Calendar of events 

The definitive guide to 

what’s going on over the 

next few months 34 

4 GLORIOUS

READ ALL ABOUT IT IN THIS ISSUE 

42 

FEATURES 

14 Apprenticeships 

Working with 

education to plug 

the chefs’ skill crisis 

18 Transforming 

arena catering 

Following a successful 

trial the Genting Arena 

has gone cashless 

20 

28 

30 

Food experience 

In the summertime, 

Neil Ashton and his 

brigade innovates 

For now and the future 

Working hard in being 

as sustainable as a 

catering business can get 

Innovation Hub 

Innovating for 

a better future 

34 

38 

40 

42 

50 

And we’re off! 

Catering for a leading 

horseracing track 

Plastic bandwagon 

The importance of taking 

time to work out what’s 

best for the environment 

Home and away 

Two senior appointments 

reflecting rapid growth 

Pic n’ Mix 

Creating a brand new 

online menu selector 

Amadeus made my day 

Catering Manager Irina 

Andrejeva at three of our 

venues in Belfast shares 

her positive thoughts on 

team work 

AMADEUSFOOD CO UK 5

NEWS FOOD INNOVATIONS 

News 

AMADEUS GAINS FOOD FOR THE BRAIN 

ACCREDITATION FOR SECOND CONSECUTIVE YEAR 

Amadeus have gained accreditation for the second 

consecutive year from Food for the Brain – an 

educational charity which promotes the importance 

of nutrition in mental health and well-being – for the 

ICC in Birmingham. 

After pioneering the ICC to become the first 

conference centre in the UK to gain the accreditation 

in early 2017, the team took a new, progressive step to 

introduce delicious new conference menus 

specifically designed to support delegates with the 

challenge of remaining alert, productive and engaged 

during the longest of days. 

David Titman, Food for the Brain Relationship 

Manager, said: “The successful implementation of the 

menu, positive feedback from clients and proactive 

training of staff around the specific benefits of the 

menu has played a huge part in the ICC being 

reaccredited for a second year. 

“Achieving accreditation status requires that a range of 

standards must be met across several criteria including 

the nutritional value of the menu, ingredient quality 

and cooking methods used. The team excelled across 

all the areas, achieving a 96% pass rate, when we only 

require 75%, for the second year. 

The new “Focus Food” menu packs were designed 

collaboratively with the Food for the Brain Foundation 

over a period of six months and provide a range of 

healthy options that help delegates maintain 

concentration throughout the working day as well as 

supporting general health. 

In the last 12 months, nearly 5,000 have sampled the 

accredited ‘Focus Food’ menu which features food 

and drink designed to keep delegates mentally alert 

by maintaining a balanced blood sugar level. Each 

course is served at the time considered best for 

boosting performance and concentration, while 

portion sizes are controlled so calorie intake is 

appropriate for that time of day. 

“We enjoy working with the ICC team and have been 

particularly impressed with how they have 

implemented a specific training programme that 

includes kitchen staff, front of house and sales staff so 

they know how and why the menus have been 

designed to get give delegates the best 

possible nutrition.” 

Craig Hancox, Amadeus General Manager for the ICC, 

said: “We are delighted to have been reaccredited by 

Food for the Brain, and thank David for the time he 

has spent with us over the last couple of years. 

“Across the industry, there is a growing expectation for 

healthier foods to be provided at conferences. 

06 GLORIOUS

nearly 5,000 have 

sampled the accredited 

‘Focus Food’ menu 

Delegates are no different to the everyday shopper – 

they want, and rightly expect, caterers at events to 

provide healthy options which can accommodate 

every allergen and dietary requirement. 

“We are extremely proud of our ‘Food Focus’ menu 

and have worked hard to design dishes that 

embodies both the methodology and nutrition 

recommended by Food for the Brain but also the 

philosophy that underlines the charity. 

“We have heavily invested in the training of our 

teams – appointing champions across the business 

– so they can inform clients and delegates of the 

benefits of the ‘Focus Food’ menu. The success of 

the initiative over the last year will see us look into 

other opportunities in the future such as adapting the 

menu for galas dinners and creating grab and go 

lunches for our busy delegates.” 

• 

> 

AMADEUSFOOD CO UK 07


PRESTIGIOUS ‘HEALTH AND NUTRITION' 

AWARD AT THE CATEYS 2018! 

Amadeus has scooped a prestigious award at the 

Cateys 2018, celebrating excellence across the 

foodservice and catering industry. 

The leading caterer was presented with the ‘Health 

and Nutrition’ award for its menu innovation within 

the conference sector and its pioneering work with 

education charity Food For The Brain. 

Working with the charity – which promotes the 

importance of nutrition in mental health and wellbeing 

– the Amadeus team recently took a 

progressive step to introduce delicious new 

conference menus to the International Convention 

Centre (ICC), specifically designed to support delegates 

to remain alert, productive and engaged during the 

longest of days. 

In the last 12 months, nearly 5,000 have sampled 

the accredited ‘Focus Food’ menu – each course is 

served at the time considered best for boosting 

performance and concentration, while portion sizes 

are controlled so calorie intake is appropriate for 

that time of day. 

08 GLORIOUS

“At Amadeus, we like to push the boundaries – 

the development of the ‘Focus Food’ menu is a 

real differentiator for event bookers within the 

conference industry. 

Winning this accolade 

is testament to the 

team’s hard work 

and commitment 

“So far the menu has attracted custom from many 

clients, in particular – but not limited to – organisations 

linked to the health care sector who are primarily 

motivated by the health message associated with the 

‘Focus Food’ menu. Due to the success of the menu 

at the ICC, Amadeus is now working with other 

conferencing venues within its portfolio to achieve 

the accreditation.” 

The biggest awards of their kind in the hospitality 

industry, the internationally renowned Cateys, 

presented by The Caterer in partnership with Bunzl 

Catering and Hospitality Division, recognise the 

strongest performers, latest emerging brands and 

highest flyers in the sector, as determined by the 

industry itself. 

• 

The ICC became the first conference centre in the 

UK to gain ‘Food for the Brain’ accreditation in early 

2017 following the introduction of the menus, and 

has gained the accreditation for a second consecutive 

year in 2018. 

The award was presented to Craig Hancox, Catering 

General Manager (ICC), Simon Hellier, Executive Chef 

(ICC) and Wayne Hall, Catering Operations Manager 

(ICC) at the prestigious ceremony held at Grosvenor 

House in London yesterday evening. 

Kevin Watson, Managing Director at Amadeus, said: 

“Winning this accolade is testament to the team’s hard 

work and commitment to innovation within the area 

of conference and events catering. 

INTERVIEW WITH 

SEAN HOPKINSON, 

SENIOR FOOD AND 

SAFETY OFFICER 

Sean Hopkinson is the Senior Food and Safety 

Officer for Amadeus. With over 15 years’ experience 

within the catering industry firstly as an operator 

before moving in to food safety including working in 

both the private and public sector, Sean is responsible 

for ensuring that Amadeus comply with all Food 

Safety, Food Standards, Health and Safety and Fire 

Safety Regulations. 

As part of the BHA food experts group Sean also 

helped shape the Industry Guide to Good Hygiene 

Practice: Catering 2016 and also regularly links up with 



the practical application of what we ask our teams to 

do and we always strive to make safe simple. 

Moving forward and no matter how Food Safety 

Legislation shapes itself or how it is regulated Food 

will still be our product and so food safety will still be 

our number one priority.” 

• 

THE LITTLE BOOK OF 

COCKTAILS TAKES 

AMPLIFY HOSPITALITY 

INTO SUMMER 

To kick off the summer in style, the Midland’s 

premium hospitality provider, Amplify, has launched 

a brand-new cocktail menu, designed by its awardwinning 

catering arm, Amadeus. 

the Association of Event venues (AEV) catering group 

to advise on Food Safety Legislation. 

Available in the Lakeside Lounge at the Genting 

Arena, ‘The Little Book of Cocktails’ is a 10-piece 

menu devised by Hospitality Bar Supervisor, Amdi 

Browne. Taking inspiration from his home island of 

Anguilla, the cocktails offer a wide variety of 

Caribbean flavours including rum, gin and brandy 

infused with fruits and other liquors – the perfect way 

to set off a summer’s evening. 

Sean said: “Food is our product and so food safety 

has to be our number one priority and we pride 

ourselves on our 100% 5 food hygiene ratings across 

all of our businesses. With a dedicated team of just 

two internal food and safety advisors it means our 

operational teams are key to our success. We actively 

encourage and involve our operational teams when 

creating, reviewing and implementing our food safety 

management system. Coming from a catering 

background before moving in to food safety was a 

blessing as it always made me stop and think about 

Speaking of his creations Amdi said: “I noticed 

there was a demand for a cocktail menu from our 

hospitality customers, so I’ve developed a range 

of beverages that offer a taste of home; from 

‘Smile’ that was inspired by Rainbow City, through 

to ‘Long Bay’, with colours representing the sea, 

sand and coconut trees on the beaches. My favourite 

is ‘Sunset’, a refreshing blend that symbolises the 

best time of day on the Caribbean islands.” 

General Manager for Amplify, Sally Walder 

10 GLORIOUS

I noticed there was a demand for a 

cocktail menu from our hospitality 

customers, so I’ve developed a range of 

beverages that offer a taste of home 

added: “This is a great addition to the extensive 

bar and dining options we have available at the 

Arena. Not only is it authentic, but has been 

exclusively designed by one of the in-house team. 

Amplify is always looking at new ways of enhancing 

the experience for customers, and touches like this 

can make our events that extra bit special.” 

Amplify is the premium hospitality provider 

for the Genting Arena and Arena Birmingham. It 

delivers a first-class service and exquisite dining 

experiences courtesy of award-winning caterer 

Amadeus. The Genting Arena is due to play host to a 

range of artists this Summer including Paul Weller and 

Britney Spears. 

• 

> 



CULINARY CHIEF 

JOINS THE NEC’S 

CATERING ARM 

Leading event and venue caterer, Amadeus, has 

appointed a new catering General Manager for the 

National Exhibition Centre (NEC). 

Kane Bridgman brings with him over 40 years’ 

experience within the foodservice industry, having 

previously worked in the contract catering, corporate 

hospitality and education catering sectors among 

others. A specialist in retail catering, Kane has acted as 

a catering consultant to a wide range of household 

brands including Merlin Entertainments, Premier 

League football clubs and Sainsbury’s. He joins 

Amadeus from Crystal Palace Football Club where he 

was the Head of Catering for two years overseeing 

retail and corporate hospitality. 

having doubled in the last 12 months as the venue 

continues to attract a more diverse client base. 

He will be responsible for delivering catering 

operations at the NEC – with ever climbing visitor 

numbers, the venue currently hosts over 500 events 

every year and welcomes 2.4million visitors annually. 

In a bid to improve the customer experience at the 

venue, Kane will continue the roll out of ‘The Edge’, 

Amadeus’ in-hall catering offer, to the NEC’s 20 

exhibition halls by 2020. To date, £5.5m has been 

invested in rolling out the concept– a move which is 

delivering £0.5m profit per annum for Amadeus. 

In addition to providing retail catering at exhibitions, 

he will be responsible for Amadeus’ live events 

portfolio at the NEC. This is a key area of interest for 

Amadeus with demand for live events at the NEC 

The exhibition and events market brings many 

unique challenges with it – challenges Kane plans to 

address head on. Kane said: “As with any retail 

catering environment, the main challenge for 

exhibition venues is how do we continue to deliver 

great value, quality and consistency to our customers. 

As caterers, we can’t afford to be complacent but must 

always react to market trends, creating new concepts 

and innovative products that work for our particular 

audiences and demographics. 

“Over the last few years the Amadeus team have 

taken Amadeus’ catering offer to new heights at the 

NEC – I hope to develop this further by enhancing 

12 GLORIOUS

SOCIAL SCOOP 

Kane Bridgman brings 

with him over 40 years’ 

experience within the 

foodservice industry, 

having previously worked 

in the contract catering, 

corporate hospitality and 

education catering sectors 

among others 

the venue’s artisan food offer, including its street 

food offer.” 

Kevin Watson, Managing Director of Amadeus, said: 

“Kane joins a diverse and committed team comprising 

some of the best talent in the industry. Over the last 

five years we have succeeding in raising the bar for 

exhibition catering – with Kane’s appointment we 

hope to take this even further, helping the NEC to 

stand out as a competitor for clients and customer 

alike due to its food and drink offering.” 

The appointments have been made following five 

years of impressive business growth under Managing 

Director Kevin Watson’s leadership. Since 2012, the 

company has evolved from a £25m – £47m business 

with a 239% growth in profit. 

• 


APPRENTICESHIPS WORKING WITH EDUCATION 

Apprenticeships 

WORKING WITH EDUCATION TO 

PLUG THE CHEFS SKILL CRISIS 

• 

Why Amadeus have set themselves the target of training 200 apprentices by 2020. 

There is no getting away from the fact that there is a 

skill shortage across the entire hospitality industry. 

This is especially prevalent in the kitchen where the 

sector is facing the challenge of both a shortage of 

skilled chefs but also chefs in general. Amadeus have 

recognised this and are working hard to combat and 

tackle this in a way which should make a difference 

for the business but also the overall industry. The 

large food service player is working with Solihull 

College & University Centre and University College 

Birmingham (UCB) to ensure they are supporting 

young talent who could become the leading chefs 

of the future. Already this year they have successfully 

recruited new apprentices and created 15 bespoke 

Level 2 Hospitality Team Member Apprenticeships. 

For those going through the forward-thinking 

apprenticeship scheme they are gaining practical, 

real-life experiences by working within the NEC 

Group venues. This is combined with practical 

training, provided in partnership with local 

educational institution (UCB). UCB, internationally 

renowned for its food and hospitality courses, have 

joined forces with Amadeus for the first time to offer 

bespoke Level 2 Commis Chef Apprenticeships. 

Working alongside professional chefs both within 

Amadeus and UCB, the recruited apprentices will 

learn how to develop and deliver high end menus 

and products. 

The candidates will work towards positions of 

permanent employment with Amadeus in a bid 

to help the company develop a strong pipeline 

of future talent, with additional apprenticeship 

drives taking place through the year. “People are 

the lifeblood of Amadeus – like all other large-scale 

caterers, we are constantly in need of new talent 

to help the company thrive. It’s no secret that 

hospitality leaders are struggling to recruit, and that 

businesses need to take innovative steps in order to 

attract and retain talent the sector needs.” Says Kevin 

Watson, Managing Director of Amadeus. He adds, 

“Amadeus have always invested in apprenticeships, 

but our ambitious targets demonstrate our 

commitment to building exciting and rewarding 

careers in hospitality and catering. By developing 

bespoke programmes in partnership with our local 

institutions, we are training up versatile individuals 

that understand the nuances of different types of 

catering we operate in – be that retail, hospitality 

or standalone banqueting.” 

14 GLORIOUS

Gail Tipper, Head of Apprenticeships at UCB, “Earlier 

this year we cemented our partnership with Amadeus 

– the deal is one of the first for UCB that reflects the 

government’s new apprenticeship regulations and we 

are excited to be part of Amadeus’ quest to bring on 

the next generation of top chefs.” 

Combining on-the-job training at the Amadeus sites, 

and learning at UCB’s state-of-the-art facilities in 

Birmingham’s city centre, apprentices have the 

opportunity to learn from an abundance of sources 

and can develop their practical skills at the same time. 

The hope is that those who go through the process 

will remain in the industry and plug the gap in skilled 

chefs. The combination of theory and practical should 

also provide the apprentices with the opportunity for 

career progression. They will be learning the ropes 

from a fantastic range of coaches, mentors and 

leaders and all combined should receive a very 

effective education and training. The hope is they will 

remain in the sector and this can only be of benefit 

for the industry. 

• 

Uniting to provide more 

apprenticeship opportunities 

Over at Solihull College & University Centre, Amadeus 

are introducing candidates to exciting apprenticeship 

“At the College we are 

constantly looking towards 

providing the best opportunities 

for our students in their career 

progressions. Our current 

initiative with Amadeus not only 

addresses the skills shortage but 

creates exciting roles and futures 

for our students. We are proud to 

partner with NEC group and look 

forward to a thriving future as 

apprenticeship partners 

” 

opportunities in hospitality. By joining forces to create 

15 bespoke Level 2 Hospitality Team Member 

Apprenticeships, candidates have the chance to earn 

while they train with a multi award-winning employer 

and first-class educational institution. Apprentices will > 


APPRENTICESHIPS WORKING WITH EDUCATION 

have practical experience within the NEC Group 

venues and combine this with theory-based 

learning. Candidates will work toward a hospitality 

team member apprentice standard and a 

permanent position of employment. Successful 

candidate’s may be given the opportunity to 

progress to a higher-level Hospitality Supervisor 

Apprenticeship where they can work toward 

becoming a team leader. 

Sara Sweeney, Head of School for Retail and 

Commercial at Solihull College & University Centre, 

said: “At the College we are constantly looking 

towards providing the best opportunities for our 

students in their career progressions. Our current 

initiative with Amadeus not only addresses the skills 

shortage but creates exciting roles and futures for 

our students. We are proud to partner with NEC 

group and look forward to a thriving future as 

apprenticeship partners”. 

Emma Cope, HR Business Partner for Amadeus, 

said: “With a pledge from the government to 

increase the number of apprenticeships to three 

million by 2020, this exciting new apprenticeship 

programme is part of a sustained effort to address 

the significant skills shortage in the UK catering 

industry, particularly for young people. The catering 

industry constantly needs new talent to grow and 

diversify – at Amadeus, we see apprenticeships as a 

way of building the talent of the future providing 

those who aspire to a career in hospitality the 

opportunity to learn from the very best.” 

• 

CASE STUDY 1: 

Alvaro Bastos, 34, Fully Qualified Chef 

Alvaro came to England from Portugal six years 

ago, and worked in a number of foodservice roles 

before moving to Birmingham and discovering 

Amadeus. He joined the business as a Kitchen 

Porter at the ICC . From day one, Alvaro’s talent 

shone through and Executive Chef Simon Hellier 

put him forward to take part in Amadeus’ 

apprenticeship scheme. Over 18 months, Alvaro 

trained as a Chef Apprentice, spending one day 

a week at Solihull College and University Centre 

where he gained his maths and English 

qualifications and attended theory sessions, the 

rest of the week was spent learning practical 

skills in the kitchen. 

Today, Alvaro is a fully qualified chef and hopes to 

stay with Amadeus gaining more skills and rising 

up the ranks. As part of his personal development, 

Alvaro is currently undertaking training sessions 

in a Michelin starred restaurant in Birmingham – an 

opportunity that opened up to him following his 

involvement with Amadeus. 

Alvaro said: “Amadeus is a great company to work 

for. The company puts a lot of effort into training 

16 GLORIOUS

and developing staff, so that they progress and gain 

more skills with Amadeus. 

“Training as a Chef Apprentice with Amadeus 

really appealed to me as Amadeus offers a great 

package – the pay is good compared to other 

industry apprentices and even staff on zero hour 

contracts like me still get to accrue great benefits 

like holidays. 

“Only the NEC Group can give you this level of 

experience, variety and excitement while training as 

an apprentice, and I truly believe if you can stand 

the pressure in the kitchen while working for 

Amadeus, you can stand it anywhere!” 

Abdul spent one day a week at Solihull 

College where he gained his maths and English 

qualifications and attended theory sessions. 

The rest of the week learning practical skills at the 

ICC, one of the UK’s busiest conference centres. 

While training for his qualification, he learnt skills 

such as serving dinners, plate waiting and money 

handling. In addition to these industry specific skills, 

he also gained lots of transferable skills such as 

time-keeping and organisation which are 

essential skills for any industry. 

Today, Abdul is a Duty Managerial Assistant 

following the successful completion of his level 2 

apprenticeship. Abdul plans to continue on to a 

higher level apprenticeship – this will be the 

hospitality supervisory standard at level 3 which he 

will complete with the support of Solihull College 

and University Centre. Abdul now has more 

responsibility and more emphasis is placed on him 

to get the job done to the very best standard he 

can achieve. 

Abdul said: “Working for Amadeus is amazing 

because you get vast experience working in this 

company. Every single day is different – in the 

same day you can go from serving at a small 

event for 10 to a banquet for 300! 

CASE STUDY 2: 

Abdul Rahman, 19, Duty Managerial Assistant 

At an early age Abdul decided full time education 

wasn’t for him as he needed to work and train at 

the same time to support his young family. He 

heard about the apprenticeship opportunities 

Amadeus was offering in partnership with Solihull 

College and University Centre and he decided to 

begin training towards his Hospitality and Catering 

L2 qualification. 

“In terms of my role, I see providing flawless 

hospitality as an art – when you get feedback 

from clients that the catering staff made the 

event go perfectly, it makes you very proud. 

“I love that you get real life skills on the job, rather 

than by just sitting in a classroom. Amadues and 

the NEC Group are well-renowned businesses 

– if you’ve worked at the NEC Group, and 

experienced all the different types of catering it 

does, you can work anywhere! You get lots of 

training and support to be your very best and 

there’s lots of job opportunities here once you’ve 

completed your apprenticeship.” 


CASHLESS TRANSFORMING ARENA CATERING 

Cashless 

TRANSFORMING ARENA CATERING 

• 

Amadeus have transformed the Genting Arena where all food and beverages has 

gone cashless. Following a successive trial, the service has been rolled out for the benefit 

of the customer and increase the speed of service. 

A pioneering initiative has seen the Genting Arena 

become the first UK arena to go ‘cashless’ across 

Amadeus’s food and beverage concessions. Trialled 

at the venue in early 2017, the Arena officially went 

‘cashless’ in November 2017 in a bid to increase 

speed of service for its customers, without 

compromising on quality. As part of the cashless 

drive, Amadeus has removed cash from all EPOS tills 

on F&B concessions to encourage customers to pay 

by card (contactless or chip and pin), with one mobile 

POS cash till per concession in reserve just in case 

customers could not pay by card. Prior to the 

initiative, 70% of F&B transactions were being paid for 

in cash – since November 2017, this has reduced to 

just 20%, with 80% of transactions being made on 

card. With cashless payments speeding up every 

transaction by around 20 seconds, this has helped 

to reduce queues, allowing customers to enjoy more 

time watching the main act or performer they 

came to see. 

Annie Monnox, General Manager for Amadeus at the 

Genting Arena, “Busy arenas bring with them unique 

challenges for caterers, including dealing with peaks 

in footfall and ensuring speed of service without 

compromising quality. At a typical event at the 

Genting Arena, Amadeus serves up to 15,000 

customers in a 90-120-minute window before the 

main act – so we need to make sure we are 

doing everything possible to ensure efficient and 

quick service. 

“Considering the fact that the majority of customers 

spend less than £30 on food and beverage at a show, 

we saw the potential benefits of getting more 

customers to pay by card – in particular, by using 

contactless technology – as opposed to cash. The 

results have been phenomenal and customers have 

really embraced the change.” 

Changing to a cashless model also has significant 

benefits for Amadeus in terms of labour cost and 

welfare. On average, staff saved 30 minutes ‘cashing 

up’ at the end of each event – the equivalent of 

£8,500 per annum for the Arena. In addition, 

18 GLORIOUS

anking costs have been reduced and less cash 

handling has resulted in Amadeus’ team leaders 

having more time to spend with both staff and 

customers, delivering a better visitor experience. 

Kevin Watson, Managing Director for Amadeus, “At 

Amadeus, we keep a close eye on consumer trends 

and invest in innovation that improves the customer 

experience. Our cashless initiative further cements our 

reputation as an industry leader with the Genting 

Arena the very first arena to offer cashless payments 

across all its F&B concessions.” 

Changing mind-set 

A successful marketing campaign designed to 

influence customer behaviour – and get visitors to 

leave their cash at home – has seen a dramatic shift in 

purchasing patterns. Whilst this was ahead of recent 

curves, it has worked successfully as customers are 

carrying less and less cash. Gone are the days where 

futurists predict a cashless future because consumers 

are already driving businesses to provide this sort of 

service. It is no longer exceptional to use cards and 

smartphones to make everyday purchases. 

Customers are the most important influential group 

for any food service business and by adapting their 

offer to suit the current demands, Amadeus are 

ensuring satisfaction is matched and exceeded. 

Due to the success of the Genting Arena, Amadeus 

are also looking to go cashless across all F&B 

concessions and rolling out the cashless model to 

all of the NEC Group venues. 

• 

Key 

• 

Advantages: 

Allows customers to enjoy more time 

• 

at the event or exhibition they came to visit 

Speeds up customer transactions by 

• 

approximately 20 seconds 

Listening to the customer: 80% of food 

and beverage transactions were being 

• 

made by card 

The Genting Arena can serve up to 

15,000 customers in a 90-120-minute 

window before the main act, so this 

enhances the customer experience 


FOOD EXPERIENCE IN THE SUMMERTIME, WE INNOVATE 

Food Experience 


• 

Every summer Neil Ashton and his brigade of top chefs press the pause 

button and go back to basics. They journey around the country exploring food 

trends, fill up the refrigerator up with inventive treats, fire up the ovens and start 

planning, creating and tasting delicious dishes. This is the time where the Executive 

Chef for the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) and team explore what the customer 

truly desires and produce dishes which surprise and exceed their expectations. 

The modest top chef is always one to praise his team first and whilst he has won 

numerous honours, Neil Ashton always wants to promote his brigade. The summertime 

is when he can truly test their creative abilities and each year he eagerly awaits the 

chance to tear up the rule book and create scrumptious dishes for all sorts of events 

and exhibitions. 

Neil Ashton is indispensable for Amadeus. He’s 

been with the leading food service provider for 

30 years. He is Amadeus in many ways - 

hardworking, humble, always there for others 

but also adventurous, proud and determined. 

He understands food, he knows the power it has, 

and he recognises the need for a strong team and 

culture. With these enviable traits combined, every 

summer Neil takes the time to evaluate how the last 

year has gone and crucially how they can improve 

the offer to exceed the every-increasing customer 

demands. This is how it should be. Chefs and food 

service providers should always take stock of the 

menu and really explore in depth what’s working and 

popular and simply what isn’t. What worked last year 

may not work for the next. Its sounds simple but this 

is a task seldom done. So many food providers pick 

and offer and expect it to do the work. This is where > 

20 GLORIOUS



Neil and his team really do stand head and shoulders 

over others, they are always asking ‘what trend does 

the customer want to taste, explore, enjoy’ – it makes 

all the difference. 

Neil explains why the summer season is the perfect 

time to do this, “Our peak season is really September 

to May and whilst its still busy outside that, we do 

have a bit more time to get down to street food 

markets and work on new dishes in the kitchen. We 

are always asking, throughout the year, what’s new 

and trendy, and then come the warmer months we 

look to update our offers to make them current and 

relevant but also innovate at the forefront.” 

With so many trends and fads around now, chefs 

must work out what’s best for the customer in the 

long term. A noticeable trend Neil has witnessed 

growing is dietary requirements which food service 

must adapt for. He explains, “Every visitor to our 

locations, no matter what the reason, should have a 

food offer which suits their diet and taste buds. It 

doesn’t matter if someone wants gluten free because 

they have coeliac disease, or if they are choosing this 

option for dietary reasons. We want to make sure it’s 

there, so they don’t have to worry about having 

something nice to eat. A noticeable diet we are 

seeing in recent years is flexitarian. This plant-based 

diet is increasing in popularity as customers look 

towards it for potentially healthy benefits, but they may 

also have views on animal welfare and care for the 

environment.” Neil is relaxed over the reasons why 

some choose diets over others, his focused is on 

people having a fantastic experience during their time 

at a site and having a lunch, snack or dinner which 

suits their requirements. 

It’s no secret that people are becoming more 

conscious of what they are eating and the impact it 

has on their mind, body and overall day. Neil has also 

recently been looking at how to reduce the amount 

of sugar which is high on the agenda for lots of > 

Every visitor to our locations, 

no matter what the reason, 

should have a food offer 

which suits their diet and 

taste buds. It doesn’t matter 

if someone wants gluten free 

because they have coeliac 

disease, or if they are choosing 

this option for dietary reasons. 

22 GLORIOUS



customers. Their deli cakes are all made in-house and 

the team have been looked at how to cut out sugar 

and replace with more natural choices which doesn’t 

dramatically affect the taste. “It’s actually a really fun 

process where we get the whole team together work 

review the choices. I love it when two of the senior 

chefs come together and present a new idea and we 

follow this up with a successful tasting session. I want 

them exploring and testing new ideas. Now not all of 

them will work but that’s a good thing. We want to 

make mistakes and learn from them. It should make 

us better at our jobs and in turn improves the 

eventual food offer for the customers.” 

Neil encourages his chefs to collaborate in this way 

wherever possible. The chefs may go and visit street 

food markets and sample the latest high street and 

retail trends, he wants them making this background 

research and improving their knowledge. Whilst he’s a 

modest man, this creativity stems from Neil who 

himself adventures into food markets to source tasty 

ingredients and is always on the look out for 

inspiration. This form of leadership empowers the 

team around him and allows the chefs, especially the 

younger ones, to explore and make a positive 

difference. “The beauty of it is giving them the 

ownership, one of the team may have one of their 

creations end up on the menu and that’s powerful.” 

Social media is also an area of inspiration for Neil and 

the team and often the chefs are keeping an eye on 

trends and seeing what’s resonating with people. “It’s 

about taking inspiration from different sources.” Neil 

explains, “We like to innovate and that motivation 

shoots from various places. What I love at the 

moment is that there are no rules. We recently 

created a Pear Tartlet with Stilton Cheese Sorbet – to 

be served as a cheese course rather than a dessert. 

It’s amazing to try this – puff pastry case with cheese 

sorbet – the rules have gone out the window and 

that makes it so exciting. Standard pairings of food are 

no more and even relevantly recent food trends like 

the growth in fusion (mixing two food cultures 

together) has started to fade out.” Neil believes this is 

being partly driven by customers who have 

developed their knowledge from 

television shows such as 

MasterChef and being more 

adventurous when eating 

out. They have their own 

opinions and tastes, but 

the chefs can at times 

dictate this. 

2018 marks an exciting year 

for Neil and Amadeus. 

It’s the biggest food 

offer the NEC has 

ever had. 

Known as the 

UK’s No 1 

24 GLORIOUS

venues for shows, exhibitions, meetings and events, 

the Birmingham venue also a large range of food 

offers. In June the venue hosted the BBC Good Food 

Show and Neil has to ensure the food was diverse 

enough to cater for this knowledgeable, foodie 

crowd. “The show is full of live entertainment, 

cooking inspiration, shopping and tasting and so we 

are always making sure we have exciting offers for 

this crowd. During the show we have our 300-cover 

restaurant and our Edge restaurants which includes 

four separate offers - Italian; EvViva, traditional British; 

Oak Kitchen, deli delights; Made Handcrafted Café 

and man vs. food offer; Butcher and Grill. We also 

have mobile concepts dotted around the venue 

and visitors can enjoy Big Cheese where we 

serve big posh cheese sandwiches – four 

different types of cheese with onion chutney 

or maybe pan-fried curry butternut squash, 

ham and mustard croc monsieur or our 

tasty chicken and pesto offer. What’s great 

about this offer is visitors can enjoy any time 

of the day – breakfast, lunch, as a snack or 

dinner. We also have Taco Fusion which includes 

tacos with Cajun salmon, slow cooked pork belly and 

different types of slaws or dressings. This is light and 

fresh and very popular so perfect for this time of 

year. The show is so large we also have Street 

Kitchen Brothers who are external, but we bring 

them in because its important to collaborate and 

support tasty offers. They provide Lebanese and 

Greek street food so its great for the visitors. As they 

journey around the NEC and take in the experience 

we feel we have something for everyone. A sit down 

formal lunch for around £26 all the way through to an 

affordable £ grab n’ go offer. Its good to have this 

choice as some people prefer two or three lighter 

meals during the day.” 

It’s a fine array of food offers and visitors are certainly 

spoiled for choice when it comes to picking 

something delicious to eat. Neil credits the 

hardworking team for having so many choices under 

one roof and is keen to ensure it’s a combined effort. 

“We believe its so important to praise our chefs and 

hold an annual internal award and also run an 

appraisal system – this includes overall chef of the 

year, best for food quality, best for food safety. Simply 

if you perform well you will be acknowledged. > 



This system of rewarding chefs is also why Neil 

believes they are able to retain their staff against a 

backdrop in the hospitality industry. The current 

standing of chefs is no secret, but Neil argues that 

they don’t have too much trouble holding onto 

people at the moment. “Recently we have 

promoted eight chefs internally and that makes a 

huge difference to morale. We want to reward those 

who work hard and today its very different to how it 

was when I first entered the industry. Back then we 

used to work split shifts with five hours over lunch 

and five again in the evening. Today is straight hours 

and I believe that’s easier. There is a concern over 

chefs wanting to get to the top so quickly because 

they want to be the next Gordon Ramsey or Jamie 

Oliver. That’s fantastic and its great to aim high but it 

has to be done in the right way. You don’t get to the 

top with ease and we teach this to all of our team 

from day one. We have apprentices working in 

various different departments for three months at a 

time and after a year they can pick what they enjoyed 

and go on to work in this area. They may prefer fast 

food or casual dining or fine dining. They have that 

choice and chance to try them. A great advantage 

for Amadeus is we have external venues too, so 

some of the team in the NEC can go and try external 

catering or work in Stratford Racecourse or other 

venue. The opportunities are there for those who 

want them, and they can develop their passion 

without our rewarding framework. 

Neil is clearly passionate about supporting talent 

and believes in the importance of a work life balance. 

For Neil he likes nothing more than clearing his head 

by cycling on his road bike or cheering on his 

beloved Leicester Tigers. Whilst disappointed they 

failed to finish in the top four for the first time in 13 

years Neil is able to take his mind away from this by 

cycling around the beautiful Malvern’s or Peak District. 

“Bit of time by yourself on the road” he adds. Looking 

to the future Neil believes menu developed is key 

and at the moment the chefs are all sitting down with 

Summer recipe 

At this time of year Neil believes one of the 

best dishes you can enjoy at the NEC is the 

pulled shoulder of pork in a sticky Korean 

Soy BBQ glaze. Created by Adrian Ford, 

Senior Head Chef, Hospitality, Live Events & 

Development at the NEC, on the side 

is a beetroot celeriac and red cabbage slaw 

and a tasty Bloody Mary and smoked chipotle 

ketchup. Finished with a leaf salad and pickled 

gherkins on an artic flatbread. 

A perfect dish for a family occasion as the 

host doesn’t need to spend time cooking in 

the kitchen as it can all be prepared in advance. 

Ingredients 

Pork 

Boneless shoulder of pork -3kg 

Branded BBQ sauce -500 

Soy sauce -75 ml 

Fresh ginger -100 gram 

Fresh garlic -25 gram 

Chilli flakes -5 gram 

A perfect 

summer dish. 

Slaw 

Red cabbage -500 gram 

Raw beetroot -300 gram 

Celeriac -300 gram 

White wine vinegar -50 ml 

Salt and pepper 

Olive oil -50 ml 

Bloody Mary ketchup 

Mayonnaise -250 ml 

Tomato ketchup -50 ml 

Chipotle tabasco sauce -10 ml 

Vodka -25 ml 

Mixed leaf, bread and garnish 

Gem lettuce -4 each 

Roquette lettuce -50 gram 

Gherkins -250 gram 

Artic flat breads -12 

the sales team to evaluate. It’s during these sessions 

where the chefs find out the feedback from the 

event bookers, clients and attendees. Neil believes 

this is of the upmost importance and following this 

the chefs work on ideas and hold tastings. This is 

voted on by committee safe in the knowledge that 

its what the customer really wants. His one to watch 

on a future NEC menu? Katsu Chicken – a delicious 

Japanese method. 

• 

26 GLORIOUS

Method 

Korean BBQ glaze 

Peel the garlic and ginger. Combine the BBQ sauce, 

soy, ginger, garlic and chill flakes together in a food 

processor and liquidise until smooth. 

Pork shoulder 

Cut into the rind of the meat approx. 1/2 cm deep all 

over the joint at 2cm intervals, this will allow the 

flavour to penetrate during cooking process and the 

rind to crisp up. 

Take 1/2 of the BBQ sauce and rub the pork all over 

pushing the sauce into all the slits with your fingers, 

this can be done in advance the day before and gets 

the best flavour. The remainder of the sauce will need 

saving as it will be heating up later to go back onto 

the pulled meat. 

Place the pork into a large roasting dish with approx. 

1" of water this will keep the pork moist during 

cooking. Cover the pork loosely with foil ensuring it 

does not stick to the meat, close the edges of the foil 

around the tin. 

Cook at 130° for 4-6 hrs, basting the meat every hour. 

For the last 45 minutes of the cooking process turn 

up the heat to 170° and remove the foil to crisp up 

the rind, cook until the pork’s flesh is tender and pulls 

away easily with a folk. Cooking times may vary 

slightly depending on style of oven. 

When cooked allow to rest for at least 20 minute , 

remove the rind and cut into smaller portion sizes. 

Using two forks shred the pork up and add the 

• PREP TIME: 25 MINS • COOK 4 HRS - 6 HRS • SERVES 12 • 

required amount of heated BBQ sauce that was saved 

to coat the meat. 

Beetroot, celeriac and cabbage slaw 

For best results make the day before. 

Cut the red cabbage into 4 removing the root 

then finely slice using a knife or food processor. 

Peel and grate the beetroot and celeriac. 

Mix the cabbage, celeriac, beetroot, vinegar, salt, 

pepper all together in a large bowl, work altogether 

so all is coated in the vinegar and salt mix. 

Cover with cling film and refrigerate overnight, 

drain the slaw mix in a colander to remove all liquid, 

add the oil and check for seasoning. 

Bloody Mary ketchup 

Into a bowl add the mayonnaise, tomato 

ketchup, tabasco and vodka, mix all together to 

form the sauce. 

Leaf and gherkin 

Cut the gem lettuce in two lengthways and then cut 

these two pieces in half again in the same way, then 

cut out the root. Add the gem to the roquette lettuce 

and wash and then dry thoroughly. 

Dry the gherkins and slice those lengthways. 

Assemble pork, salad and slaw on the flat bread 

and drizzle with Bloody Mary ketchup. A perfect 

summer dish. 


SUSTAINABLE CATERING 

For now and 

THE FUTURE, EVERYDAY 

• 

Whether compostable, recyclable or bio-degradable Amadeus are just about as 

sustainable as a catering business can get. The leading food service company has been 

working hard, long before the recent increase in the war on waste and truly believe in 

having a responsibility to help solve some pretty big problems. 

From their legacy of being the Olympic caterer, the 

Amadeus team are also supporting both the venues 

they work in and clients using their services, in their 

own pledges and actions for a better future. 

In recent years the food service company, based at 

the heart of the NEC Group but operating in over 

30 venues and delivering hundreds of events, has 

kept a relatively low profile on their remarkable 

achievements. They have worked with numerous 

clients to ensure they are aware of how venues can 

improve their waste streams. Despite the recent and 

needed rise in the awareness of waste, Amadeus 

have simply got on with the job – because it’s the 

right thing to do. 

their food and beverage suppliers are also small 

and medium sized enterprises. 

For the award-winning caterer this is just part and 

parcel of investing in our planet. Visitors heading 

to one of the venues Amadeus caters for won’t 

The stats are there in black and white, 98% of their 

disposable packaging spend is on sustainable 

products. In addition, 80% of their food and 

beverage suppliers can be found within a 30-mile 

radius of the venues they cater at – meaning the 

food you eat is not only fresh, but environmentally 

friendly. The leading player is committed to 

supporting local communities too – 60% of 

28 GLORIOUS

Whilst all of this is impressive Amadeus won’t 

be resting anytime soon and it will be exciting to 

watch the food service player continue to bring 

their passion for sustainability to the forefront. 

• 

always know that Amadeus has a such an impressive 

sustainability record. Looking to the future, Amadeus 

believe the customer has a desire to know about 

these initiatives so are also identifying where best 

to profile this for the many customers they caterer 

for every year. At the same time, they are actively 

speaking to their clients to ensure they are aware of 

the great things being achieved. It is all about trust 

and doing the right thing. 

“The stats are on there in 

black and white, 98% of their 

disposable packaging spend 

is on sustainable products. 

In addition, 80% of their 

food and beverage suppliers 

can be found within a 30- 

mile radius of the venues they 

cater at – meaning the food 

you eat is not only fresh, but 

environmentally friendly. 


INNOVATION HUB INNOVATING FOR A BETTER FUTURE 

Innovation Hub 

INNOVATING FOR A BETTER FUTURE 

• 

This year Amadeus in conjunction with EP Business in Hospitality launched the 

‘Amadeus Innovation Hub’ – an exciting new platform where the latest ideas and 

entrepreneurs are presented to the Board. It can be difficult for companies starting 

out to become recognised and to find success so the Hub acts as an exciting 

opportunity to work with the leading caterer. 

The Hub is not only a great opportunity for the entrepreneurs, it’s a way for Amadeus 

to bring innovation into the business and enhance the customer experience. 

The fast paced, multi-award-winning company have 

40-years’ experience catering for four million visitors 

a year as part of the NEC Group, while also catering 

for a range of different venues and locations. With a 

growing portfolio, Amadeus place innovation at the 

heart of their forward-thinking strategy and are 

always looking to improve the customer experience. 

It can be difficult at times for larger organisations to 

innovate. It happens across all businesses over a 

certain size as there are issues around coordination. 

Therefore companies should be on the lookout for 

exciting new developments which add value. This is 

where the Hub can really excel. A small number of 

entrepreneurs are able to present their business or 

concept and have the chance to win a prize – to 

work with Amadeus. Winning a prize often matters 

less than the stimulus it provides for innovators, as 

what it does do is spur on innovation and 

breakthroughs. So part of the Hub is also 

communicating out the messages it stands for via 

both Amadeus’s communication channels and EP’s. 

Pitching their innovation, services 

and products on the day were: 

• Snact – Handmade snacks, fruit jerky and 

banana bars, packed with all the nutrition of 

flawless fruit while also helping the UK tackle 

food waste. The creators of Snact have been 

saving unwanted and ugly fruit for the last few 

years, turning it into delicious fruit jerky. An 

amazing 1.4 million edible bananas are still being 

thrown away each and every day in Britain. 

The result is a ludicrous amount of wasted food, 

water and carbon, with most bananas having 

travelled half way across the world to reach us 

and using 95 litres of water per banana to grow. 

Snact are looking to do something to reverse 

this trend in their fight to “create more taste and 

less waste”. 

The Hub itself starts long before the day of pitches. 

Entrepreneurs are invited to present their business 

and the entries are then narrowed into a selection 

> 

30 GLORIOUS

Amadeus are continuing to take their customers to new 

levels with the latest innovation and are making great 

strides in embracing the latest concepts

INNOVATION HUB INNOVATING FOR A BETTER FUTURE 



of six. They must also send over details including 

their business plan and how they feel they can best 

work with Amadeus. During the pitches, the senior 

players in the company discovered a range of 

businesses which could potentially work with venues 

in the caterer’s portfolio including visitor attractions, 

exhibitions and stadia venues. 

• Nix & Kix – Natural, low calorie, sugar free 

vegan adult soft drinks with a Cayenne kick. 

Ideal for cocktails, mocktails or on its own. 

Cayenne pepper, a chili native to Central and 

South America, is believed to boost metabolism 

and lower blood pressure. The drinks contain 

less than 4.8g sugar per 100ml with no added 

artificial sweeteners across the main variants are 

Mango & Ginger, Peach & Vanilla and Cucumber 

& Mint. The latest low-calorie flavour is blood 

orange and turmeric. 

• Digital Artisan Kitchen – Pioneering robotic 

technology from founder Virgil Naslenas. The 

London based inventor and former head chef 

has 18 years of city fine dining background and 

his technology creates a vegetarian or vegan 

meal cooked to order in a robotic kitchen. Their 

focus is on nutrition, taste and sustainability. 

• The Wood Fired Pizza Company – Premium 

quality Wood Fired Pizzas served from mobile 

event catering units. The business thinks through 

customer’s eyes and challenge themselves on 

product development and on service levels. 

Pizza is one of the nation’s favourite food items 

and is highly competitive so a culinary passion 

is essential. 

32 GLORIOUS

With a strong reputation for delivering 

excellence, Amadeus are continuing to take their 

customers to new levels with the latest innovation 

and are making great strides in embracing the 

latest concepts and products and also provided 

valuable feedback for the entrepreneurs on 

the day. 

• 

“So part of the Hub is 

communicating out the messages 

it stands for via both Amadeus’s 

communication channels and EP’s 

also” 



• Vizzbook – Social word of mouth marketing 

solution for businesses that want to generate 

more customer conversations. Vizzbook has 

taken the old-style Visitors Book, put it online 

and linked it to social networks creating a 

unique platform to help businesses drive 

recommendations from satisfied customers 

sharing their experiences with their friends and 

followers on their social channels (uniquely at 

the time of the experience). 

• Chefs Eye – A food waste reduction software, 

helping hospitality sites to take control of their 

food waste, cut food costs & purchasing. They 

provide an easy to use and affordable 

technological solution which gives actionable 

data on wastage to help kitchens be more 

efficient and sustainable. A father and son 

company who both have extensive experience 

in the hospitality industry. They know from firsthand 

experience how this can affect the allimportant 

food cost and how it's causing serious 

environmental impact. 


AND WE’RE OFF! CATERING FOR LEADING HORSERACING TRACK 

And we’re off! 

CATERING FOR LEADING HORSERACING TRACK 

• 

Amadeus is now catering for Stratford Racecourse, one 

of the country’s leading small jump racecourse’s. 

The £2.5m catering contract is five years long and bolsters the 

company’s growing catering portfolio. 

Stratford Racecourse has an excellent reputation for 

levels of prize money and for being the host to 19 

thrilling horseracing fixtures. Now the course can 

include an award-winning caterer as another reason 

to visit the picturesque track. With racing taking place 

between March and November, many of the top 

trainers and jockeys attend and the summer racedays 

are a huge hit for both families and groups. 

Amadeus will be providing the fuel for the attendees 

and also those who use the racecourse on non-race 

days. So this includes all retail and hospitality catering 

at fixture race events alongside conference and 

banqueting catering at the venue on non-race days. 

Heading to the races is one of the most enjoyable 

things people can experience – the thrill of a win in a 

natural theatre, shared with good company and an 

atmosphere of people simply wanting a good time. 

Now visitors can enjoy the delicious retail offers and 

hospitality that Amadeus provide at so many top 

venues. With visitors arriving two hours before the 

first race, they can enjoy a bite to eat whilst studying 

the form and also exploring the track. For those 

enjoying hospitality they can browse the race card 

and pick out their favourite jockeys and horses. Over 

fine menus they can view the all essential jockey’s 

colours and maybe even pop down to the 

Parade Ring and have a look at the horses at they 

are shown off. 

34 GLORIOUS

This may be a new race track for Amadeus but the 

leading caterer has vast experience in looking after 

people and today caters for 7 million visitors a year as 

part of the NEC Group. The impressive portfolio now 

includes over 30 venues right across the UK which 

range from visitor’s attractions to exhibition and 

stadia venues. 

“With over 40-years’ 

experience in event catering, 

we understand the complexities 

of operating at outdoor 

sporting events, adapting 

our retail strategies to meet 

challenges such as fluctuating 

visitor numbers and 

” 

unpredictable weather. 

On non-race days Amadeus uses its knowledge and 

vast experience as a caterer who operates hundreds 

of private events every year including several 

prestigious sporting events. For ten years Amadeus 

have worked with the IMG Ricoh Women’s Open Golf 

plus also the Lawn Tennis Association’s Aegon 

championships, Aberdeen Asset Management 

Scottish Open. All three are renowned sporting days 

and Amadeus is immensely proud of being the 

caterer of choice for them all. 

There are many viewing areas at Stratford Racecourse 

where visitors can watch the horses in action. From a 

high position in the Grandstand to the wonderful 

balcony in the Tatterstalls. After the thrilling action, 

people can refuel and relax over quality food and 

drinks and even pop over to the Winners’ Enclosure 

and watch the winning horses return to their proud 

and excited owners and trainers. 

When Amadeus won the five-year contract, Ilona 

Barnett, Stratford Racecourse Manager said, “We are 

really looking forward to Amadeus bringing their 

unique style of catering to the venue. They have a 

fantastic reputation for delivering excellence at visitor 

attractions and sporting events and we were > 


AND WE’RE OFF! CATERING FOR LEADING HORSERACING TRACK 

impressed by their innovative menus and retail 

concepts which will take our food and beverage 

offering to a new level for our customers.” 

Over the last five years Amadeus has seen 

phenomenal growth in its external venues and events 

catering business. With a stimulating pipeline, the rest 

of the year is going to be very exciting. The 

racecourse is another great sign that Amadeus are 

providing a delicious offer paired with great service. 

This is what truly makes the difference for the visitor 

experience and Amadeus are keen to continue their 

growth and making a positive difference. 

Stratford-upon-Avon is globally renowned as a major 

English tourist town due to it being the birthplace of 

William Shakespeare, whom many consider the 

greatest playwright of all time. Having a venue just 

36 GLORIOUS

down the road from such a major English tourist 

town, can only be of value to Amadeus. Now visitors 

can take in the delights of the market town and the 

quality racecourse. 

The catering team at Stratford Racecourse 

is headed up by Amadeus’ General Manager for 

Events, Samantha Bates, who has over 22-years’ 

experience with the business. The knowledgeable 

and hugely experienced events expert has worked 

her way up the Amadeus ladder and is highly 

regarded by all those who work with her. In 

recent years Samantha and Amadeus were 

awarded a top event caterer award at the annual 

FSM Awards. They won the prestigious ‘Event 

Caterer’ accolade which recognises those that excel 

within the events sector of the contract catering 

industry. It is these recognised high standards for food 

and service that make them stand out. 

Towards the beginning of the year when 

Amadeus won the £2.5m contact, Kevin Watson, 

Managing Director of Amadeus, said: “Last year, 

Amadeus’ events team achieved record results under 

Sam’s leadership and she will bring unparalleled 

expertise to our partnership with Stratford 

Racecourse. 

“With over 40-years’ experience in event catering, 

we understand the complexities of operating at 

outdoor sporting events, adapting our retail strategies 

to meet challenges such as fluctuating visitor numbers 

and unpredictable weather. In addition, we also 

understand the art of great conference and 

banqueting catering, constantly innovating and 

tailoring our menu offering based on delegate or 

visitor profile.” 

With many upcoming fixtures and a varied choice of 

banqueting facilities, Stratford Racecourse is set to 

continue its busy season and Amadeus are proud to 

be supporting the top sporting venue. 

• 


ENVIRONMENTAL COMMITMENT 

Why is everyone 

JUMPING ON THE 

PLASTIC BANDWAGON? 

• 

“Dramatically changing how a caterer provides and serves F&B to their 

customers may suit current marketing messages but isn’t it important we take the 

time to actually work out what’s best for the environment and for the client?” 

asks Marc Frankl, Food and Beverage Director at Amadeus. 

It’s a fair question. By acting too fast a business may 

choose a short-term solution which doesn’t actually 

have the desired long-term impact or indeed look 

after the planet. However, in the defence of some 

companies, their clients are facing pressures from 

their employees or visitors, so you can see why 

many caterers are frantically trying to remove plastic 

straws or pledge to reduce something by sometime. 

Marc and Amadeus believe fully in the importance 

of investing in the planet but also understand that 

jumping the gun can have the wrong results. 

“I ask the above question with the confidence of 

knowing 98% of our disposable packaging spend is 

on sustainable products. We have been looking at 

our impact on the environment for many years – but 

particularly after the 2012 Summer Olympics where 

we were selected as the main caterer, working with 

suppliers to make it the biggest zero waste event in 

history.” Marc says. 

He explains that having the right sustainable strategies 

needs be aligned to the venue or client because 

all must be pulling in the same direction. “We meet 

clients every day and listen to their expectations 

and desires. I’m always delighted to explain how 

98% of our disposable packaging spend is on 

sustainable products and its brilliant seeing their faces 

light up when they become aware of what we’re 

achieving. However, we also explain that the onus 

for sustainability often falls on the caterer, which is 

fine, we want to make a difference, but it’s important 

to find a balance with a venue too. We believe 

it’s only by working closely with our clients and 

suppliers to understand the challenges around waste 

management that we can achieve real sustainability. 

For example, at the NEC – one of our biggest clients 

– the venue operates a zero to landfill model with 

any residual waste that cannot be recycled converted 

into energy for local homes and businesses. We also 

38 GLORIOUS

work to ensure as little food as possible is wasted, 

but what’s left is transported by the venue to Severn 

Trent Green Power’s food waste anaerobic digestion 

plant and processed into energy, with the resulting 

compost used as fertiliser by local farmers.” 

Transforming a business overnight won’t happen 

but progress can be made with the right vision and 

objectives. Amadeus are clearly using their influence 

to encourage wider action on environment 

sustainability and Marc is keen to point out that they 

are constantly exploring different ways to improve 

sustainability – be that compostable, recyclable or 

bio-degradable – at the diverse range of venues it 

caters in. 

He also acknowledges that some industries 

or venues bring with them restrictions, “Many 

arena venues have policies that require all drinks 

receptacles to be crushable underfoot due to health 

and safety regulations – so in this case, it wouldn’t 

be suitable to introduce reusable cups to the venue. 

Plastic is also sometimes the most sustainable option 

available – for example, if a venue currently has the 

capacity to recycle plastic, but not an alternative, like 

compostable cups. 

“Our aim is not to use these conditions as excuses 

but instead it drives us to innovate and challenge 

current situations. The other fun part is motivating 

our employees, so they also understand the 

challenges and solutions being worked on – and I 

mean all employees in every aspect of our business.” 

Amadeus are proud but don’t always shout about 

their achievements in this space. This is simply 

because they believe with getting on with doing 

the right thing. However, they also fully believe 

in educating others so are working hard to 

communicate their messaging beyond the internal. 

Amadeus have gone from strength to strength 

in ensuring they are as environmentally friendly 

as possible. 80% of their food and beverage 

suppliers can be found within a 30-mile radius of 

the venues they cater at, and they’re committed to 

supporting local communities too – 60% of their 

food and beverage suppliers are small and medium 

sized enterprises. 

The leading food service company are also aware 

that whilst all the recent insight into eco-friendly 

approaches and materials is needed, moving too fast 

may not be as friendly as we all believe. With Marc 

championing their approach and the caterer clearly 

achieving lots, Amadeus have strong environmental 

commitment. They believe in doing the right thing, 

at the right time, in the right way. 

• 


LOOKING AFTER HOME AND AWAY 

Looking after 

HOME AND AWAY 

• 

Amadeus has made two new senior appointments reflecting the rapid growth 

in its event and venue catering portfolio. 

Presenting Paul Bate, Operations Director of our Home Venues and 

Peter Watson, Operations Director of our Regional Venues. 

We’re delighted to make these two senior 

appointments as the business continues to expand. 

We feel extremely confident that all of our venues 

are being looked after by experienced and 

passionate individuals who fully understand 

what’s required to look after esteemed venues. 

Paul Bate takes up the post of Operations Director 

for Amadeus’ ‘home venues’ – this includes 

managing the catering for four million visitors per 

year at the NEC Group venues (the NEC, the ICC, 

Genting Arena, Arena Birmingham and Vox 

Conference Centre). 

A commercially minded leader with years of seniorlevel 

venue experience, Paul previously held the 

position of Catering General Manager at the NEC for 

six years. During this role he spearheaded a number 

of initiatives including the introduction of ‘The Edge’, a 

new customer retail concept, to the venue. To date, 

£5.5m has been invested in rolling out the concept 

across the NEC’s 20 exhibition halls – a move 

Paul Bate 

40 GLORIOUS

Peter Watson 

which is delivering £0.5m profit per annum 

for Amadeus. 

In addition, Peter Watson has been appointed 

Operations Director, Regional Venues – a newly 

created role reflecting the expansion of this side 

of the business. Peter brings with him a wealth of 

industry experience, having clocked up over 

30 years in the hospitality business, including 

spending 12 years managing catering operations 

within the motorway services industry. 

The role will see Peter manage a varied 

portfolio of venues for Amadeus, including 

Cadbury World, Belfast Zoo, Belfast Castle, 

Compton Verney, Library of Birmingham and 

the newly contracted Stratford Racecourse among 

others. Alongside this, he will oversee 

Amadeus’ events arm of the business which sees 

the team deliver hundreds of private and 

corporate events each year including a number 

of high profile, internationally renowned 

sporting tournaments. 

KEVIN WATSON, MANAGING DIRECTOR OF AMADEUS, SAID: 

“We are excited to welcome Peter and Paul to the team – they join a diverse 

and committed board comprising some of the best talent in the industry. These 

two new appointments reflect Amadeus’ continued growth over the last five 

years – with the expansion of our team we aim to take Amadeus to new levels 

by increasing our reach and penetration into new areas of the leisure and 

retail industry.” 

The appointments have been made following five years of impressive business growth under Managing Director Kevin 

Watson’s leadership. Since 2012, the company has evolved from a £25m – £47m business with a 239% growth in profit. 


PIC N’ MIX AT THE ICC 

Pic n’ Mix 

AT THE ICC 

• 

Amadeus have created a brand new online menu selector for the conference industry 

and have launched this bespoke menu technology at the International Convention 

Centre (ICC) in Birmingham. 

The menu selector isn’t just for picking food but also theatre, suggested wine pairings 

and many more valuable options for event bookers. 

Events today play such an important role in all 

sectors and industries. They are used to reward 

employees, make new business acquaintances, 

profile recent successes and even share recent poor 

performance. Whether a business creates an event 

for their own people or to invite others, the core is 

that those who attend receive something – whether 

an introduction to a company, knowledge share or 

simply a celebration and good fun. 

The ICC is a recognised institute in the country 

and is known for conferences, banquets and 

meetings of all sizes. The kitchen is overseen by 

Executive Chef Simon Hellier who creates diverse 

menus and sources the very best seasonal, quality 

products. Any guest at the ICC knows they are 

going to be in very suitable surroundings for their 

event and are fully aware the food will be both 

delicious and satisfying. So some may argue 

that no more innovation is needed? But Amadeus 

are not your typical caterer and are always listening. 

“Speaking with our clients, and those within the 

wider events industry, we found that a common 

complaint of event organisers was the time it took 

them to select catering options – particularly when it 

came to booking large scale events over several 

days.” Says Craig Hancox, General Manager for 

Amadeus at the ICC. 

“No one in the conference and events industry 

was offering a real alternative to the traditional 

manual booking systems. We therefore decided to 

launch a tool which is quick and easy to use 

and could literally turn what could have been a 

day’s work for an organiser, into a few minutes.” 

He adds. 

This is where Amadeus strive, they listen to 

their customers and react to the feedback 

provided. They created the ICC menu selector 

which helps organisers plan a networking 

event, conference, exhibition or banquet 

and build the perfect menu to enhance 

their event. 

> 

42 GLORIOUS

Speaking with our clients, 

and those within the wider 

events industry, we found 

that a common complaint 

of event organisers was the 

time it took them to select 

catering options 


PIC N’ MIX AT THE ICC 

Ultimately the tool has been 

designed to save our customers’ time 

44 GLORIOUS

When launching the menu selector, Amadeus were 

keen that the client didn’t lose the personal service 

element they’ve become known for and so once a 

booker built their menu online, a dedicated catering 

account manager works with them to suggest 

refinements or enhancements to their booking. 

The unique technology solution means 

organisers can easily construct a bespoke menu 

suitable for the requirements of their customers, 

theme and budget and it also isn’t just for food. 

Amadeus are bringing a bit of theatre to the events 

by offering the option to book live street food theatre 

stations and pop-up cocktail bars too. Whilst at the 

same time, the tried and tested conference packages 

and suggested wine pairings for banqueting dishes 

help make the selection process even quicker for 

busy event organisers. 

The events industry is forever changing and needs 

to be extremely responsive to shifting trends and 

customer demands. Now when chefs design a new 

dish or have an idea for a new choice on the menu, 

clients can immediately view this via the online 

system. It also allows an instant change to seasonality 

“We’re really excited about this 

unique product which Amadeus 

has designed specifically for the ICC – 

the first of its kind for the conference 

industry. The online menu selector is 

a one stop shop for event organisers, 

allowing them to build a bespoke 

menu suited to their specific needs – 

from canapes to a seven-course 

taster menu! 

“Ultimately the tool has been 

designed to save our customers’ 

time, allowing event organisers to 

concentrate on other aspects of the 

planning process knowing that 

booking catering for even the most 

complex of events can be achieved 

quickly and easily.” 

JAMES ELSTON, SALES DIRECTOR AT THE ICC 

and the team are constantly updating the offer to 

keep things fresh and relevant for the customer. With 

40 years’ experience, Amadeus are constantly looking 

to innovate to ensure continued quality and the best 

customer service. 

• 


AMADEUS CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS • The comprehensive guide to the upcoming shows and events this season 

www.thenec.co.uk 

www.arenabham.co.uk 

www.gentingarena.co.uk 

CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

3-7•10 

27•10 

16•11 

27•11 

Cirque du Soleil: Ovo 

Enrique Iglesias 

Florence + The Machine 

Ms. Lauryn Hill 

GENTING ARENA 

August 

24 Paul Weller 

31 Britney Spears 

September 

8 Shiiine On 1-Day Festival 

21 Kylie 

October 

3-7 Horse of the Year Show 

12-13 Made Festival 

20 Cage Warriors 98 

26 David Byrne 

27 Enrique Iglesias 

November 

3 The National Children’s WW1 

Remembrance Concert 

15 Rick Astley 

16 Florence + The Machine 

18 Jess Glynne 

24 Free Radio Live 2018 

KYLIE•21•SEPTEMBER 

GENTING ARENA 

December 

1 Frankie Valli & The Four Seasons 

8 Jeff Wayne’s The War of the Worlds 

20-24 Elf – A Christmas Spectacular 

46 GLORIOUS

ARENA BIRMINGHAM 

August 

18 Paw Patrol Live! 

27 Justin Timberlake 

30 Kevin Hart 

September 

4 Barry Manilow 

8 Eddie Hearn presents Amir Khan V Sammy Vargas 

9 Guru Randhawa 

13-14 The League of Gentlemen 

15-16 Arctic Monkeys 

18 50 CENT 

22-23 Trampoline, Tumbling & DMT 

British Championships 

24 Shania Twain 

26 Jason Derulo 

27 Chris Tucker 

28 Early Doors Live 

29 Babbu Maan 

October 

3-7 Cirque du Soleil: Ovo 

10, 12 & 13 Jeff Lynne’s ELO 

19-28 Disney on Ice presents Dream Big 

ARCTIC MONKEYS•15-16•SEPTEMBER 


YEARS & YEARS•30•NOVEMBER 


November 

5 WWE Live 

7 Slayer 

15 The Australian Pink Floyd 

16 Culture Club 

17 Noel Fitzpatrick is the Supervet 

20 Nitro Circus 

22 The Four Tops & The Temptations 

24-25 The 2018 Birmingham International Tattoo 

27 Ms. Lauryn Hill 

28 Pete Tong & The Heritage Orchestra 

perform Ibiza Classics 

30 Years & Years 

December 

1 The Human League 

2 Star Wars A New Hope – film with live orchestra 

10 Nightwish 

11 Black Stone Cherry 

13 André Rieu 

15 Madness 

17 Def Leppard 

21 UB40 > 


AMADEUS CALENDAR OF EVENTS 

THE NATIONAL WEDDING SHOW 

•28-30SEPT• 

THE NEC 

THE NEC 

August 

8Ju-19Aug Real Bodies The Exhibition 

9-12 The Festival of Quilts 

24-27 Insomnia63 – The UK’s biggest gaming festival 

September 

20-23 EGX 2018 

21-23 A Place in the Sun Live 

21-23 The Monster 

22-23 Miniatura – The Doll’s House 

& Miniatures Show 

27-30 The Cycle Show 

28-30 The National Wedding Show 

30 Toy Collectors Fair 

October 

3-7 Horse of the Year Show 

10-14 Grand Designs Live Birmingham 

16-21 Motorhome and Caravan Show 2018 

19-21 Destination Star Trek Birmingham 

27-28 Dive 2018 

November 

1-4 BRICKLIVE, The UK’s largest celebration of LEGO® 

1-4 The Creative Craft Show 

1-4 Simply Christmas – The Crafty Christmas Show 

1-4 Cake International 

2-3 Gradjobs Live! 

2-4 Mind Body Spirit Wellbeing Festival 2018 

3-4 The National Pet Show 

9-11 Lancaster Insurance Classic Motor Show 

9-11 Classic Motorbike Show 

15-17 Worldskills UK Live 

15-18 Festive Gift Fair 

17-25 Motorcycle Live 2018 

24-25 Baby to Toddler 

24-25 MCM Comic Con Birmingham 

24-25 Warley National Railway Exhibition 

24-25 The Dating Show Live 

29Nov-2Dec BBC Good Food Show Winter 

30Nov-1Dec National Engineering 

& Construction Recruitment 

30Nov-22Dec Christmas Party World 

December 

27 Toy Collectors Fair 

CHRISTMAS PARTY WORLD 

•30NOV-22DEC• 

THE NEC 

48 GLORIOUS

Hungry for more? 

SIGN UP FOR THE LATEST NEWS, CATERING 

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RANGE OF VENUES WE CATER FOR. 

Visit our website 

www.amadeusfood.co.uk 

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AMADEUS MADE MY DAY 

Team work 

catering operations 

AMADEUS MADE MY DAY 

• 

Glorious speaks to Irina Andrejeva, Catering Manager at three of our venues in Belfast 

What does your role entail day to day? 

I work around three venues in Belfast enabling 

our full-time managers to take holidays, days off 

and also to support them whilst we run some of 

our events. On a daily basis my job involves pretty 

much everything between staff training, 

maintaining standards, stock control and liaising 

with clients. The focus is on making sure all 

events run smoothly but also many more little 

things that ensure we deliver good service to staff 

and our customers. 

What is your proudest achievement while 

working for Amadeus? 

Working with Amadeus - every single day is different 

from another. One thing that remains the same - it 

never fails to challenge me. There are two things that 

make me proudest of all - when young staff who I 

have trained come to me saying thank you. Its always 

a special moment and its great to hear that the team 

are enjoying what they’re doing. Equally I get a buzz 

from when clients recognise that our teams go above 

and beyond to deliver special and memorable 

experiences. We always keep up with last minute 

requests and in return we receive amazing feedback. 

How do you measure success in your role? 

My attitude is - happy people always work harder. 

I measure my success by how much my team 

manage to achieve in a short space of time - be it 

teaching young ones to make a Latte Macchiato, pull a 

proper pint in our bars or even upselling a tray bake. 

I measure my success by timing how long it takes me 

to figure out and solve any kind of arising problems. 

But perhaps most importantly is the customer and 

also my colleague’s feedback. 

What drew you to the catering industry? 

I've been in the industry for over 13 years now and 

the ever-increasing standards and challenges keep 

me on my toes. It can become quite addictive. 

Tell us something unusual about yourself? 

I don't own a TV! 

• 

50 GLORIOUS


Proudly presenting our new website 

WE’VE UPDATED OUR WEBSITE TO DELIVER A BETTER USER EXPERIENCE 

AND HAVE INTRODUCED A NUMBER OF NEW FEATURES INCLUDING OUR 

HANDY VENUE SEARCH TOOL. 

At Amadeus we combine culinary flair, attentive service and sustainable thinking to deliver 

bespoke event catering solutions that stand out. Solutions that grab headlines, spark excitement and 

deliver results. With over 40 years’ catering industry experience under our aprons we also understand 

the unique challenges of events, private and corporate catering. It’s why we approach every brief 

the same – by treating it differently. After all, that’s what sets us apart. 

Visit the website to: 

• Find out why we’re ‘Made For You’ and use • 

our venue search tool to find the perfect 

location for your conference, dinner, drinks 

reception or wedding. 

• Explore a timeline of our history from 

1976 to today 

• Meet our senior team 

View our wide-ranging portfolio including 

retail, conference, banqueting, hospitality 

and event catering 

• Discover our delicious food and meet 

the chefs behind them 

Find out more about our great suppliers 

• All of this and much, much more 

Visit www.amadeusfood.co.uk to have a look and explore our world

Amadeus Glorious Magazine Issue 06

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