Fan Groups Meet Aramark Catering Chiefs at Hill Dickinson Stadium
The FAB took your questions about catering and concourses to the Club
Here we give a breakdown of what was discussed and the answers we received from the Club.
Members of the FAB, including representatives from the Fans’ Forum and the Supporters’ Clubs Committee, visited Hill Dickinson Stadium, following feedback from fans about catering and concourse issues. In what was a detailed and constructive meeting with senior members of the Club’s catering partners, Aramark; including their Director of Food and Beverages and their Culinary Director. The FAB took a number of questions and concerns fans had put forward since the opening of the new stadium.
On pricing: We asked about how the Club determines fair pricing that balances fan affordability with their commercial goals. Aramark told us they regularly review prices at all PL clubs, as well as some of the EFL clubs. They say Everton’s pricing sits at mid-level alongside other PL clubs. We followed up by asking about affordability, particularly for families who visit with children. They have confirmed they are currently considering options for food combinations and we asked them to consider child portions, at a lower cost, which they committed to. So, whilst they believe the dishes they currently offer are not over-priced, in comparison with other clubs, they will continue to look at how they can provide different food, or smaller portions, more cheaply.
On menu choices: We asked why not all menu options are available in all stands, outside hospitality. They said that some areas do not have the facilities to cook all the menu items. For instance, in Club view (which, had the smallest list of items available) there are no heat extraction facilities, so they are extremely limited on what they can cook in those kitchens. We asked about dietary sensitivities, allergens and cultural or religious offerings. All staff are trained about allergens and there are notices at every pay station, explaining that some foods may contain allergens and inviting fans to speak to the staff. On the question of religious/cultural foods; all chicken in all stands is halal compliant. Kosher food is offered on request.
We asked about healthier options, particularly where the number of cooked items is limited and asked them to consider brown or malted bread. The reason they haven’t done so is that they may be left with excess waste, but that they were happy to trial offering a selection. We suggested that some fans would welcome an opportunity to eat cold food, such as sandwiches or wraps and this would also be more affordable for some, especially when combined with the cost of a drink. They suggested fans could try their (without gluten) wraps, but they said they will certainly consider some non-cooked options. On the question of “gluten-free”, they made clear that they do not label food gluten-free but rather use “without gluten” as they are aware that everything is prepared in a gluten-present environment, so they did not want to give incorrect information.
They were asked some very specific questions, such as why a pie was cheaper than a doughnut. They said this was because of the ingredients and they priced based the cost of preparation, rather than on popular demand, like a shop would do. They made a point of saying that they have reviewed and changed the menus, following feedback from fans and reviews of what sold.
They showcased some of the dishes they are trying out and intending to offer in the run-up to Christmas, including potted food, served with forks, a ‘mini roast’ in a pot, seasonal pizzas and grilled items with cranberry etc.
There is no doubt that the quality of the food is excellent, and top-quality ingredients are sourced and used. We suggested that they might want to consider offering some more expensive items, which some fans would pay for, so that they were then able to offer cheaper items to balance this out, for those fans whose budget was constrained.
In summary: They are already looking at offering food/drink combinations and they are prepared to trial non-cooked healthier options. They pointed out that they have a “Build-your-own-burger” option, where fans can buy burger and garnish, with a separately bagged bread roll, although they accept they have not advertised this well-enough.
On reduction of waste and ethical surplus distribution: They say they are constrained on what they can offer to charitable organisations, due to current legislation on cooked produce and have struggled to find an opportunity to pass on cooked foods. Charities cannot take this, but they do pass on unused vegetables. They say they work hard not to have excess food or waste (hence the earlier points about bread and healthy option trials) and are speaking to other sources about passing on food.
On catering for fans with disability and mobility concerns: Both the Club and Aramark said they held meetings with the Club’s Disability Access Officer and Head of Diversity, Equality and Inclusion, as well as other stakeholders and would continue to do so. They also welcome further representations made. They offer an in-seat service, as they did in Goodison Park and they have received favourable feedback on this, although EDSA reported to us that they had been unable to provide hot drinks this way. The Club is addressing this. We also discussed accessibility issues when talking about queueing bars in the concourse for those disabled fan who choose not to use the in-seat service. All concourses are fitted with low-rise counters, tills, bins and ledges.
On local produce sourcing: The majority of what they serve is sourced from within 30 miles and where this is not the case they strive to use Northern suppliers. Some examples include vegetables, from Wirral, or the Ribble Valley. Mushrooms come from Preston. Meat comes from the Lake District. All of their cheese comes from the Northwest or North Wales. Their sourdough bread in premium areas, and some of their alcohol comes from local artisan makers. All deserts are cooked/baked in-house. They source their flour from Leeds. Pies are their biggest seller and they come from a supplier less than 30 miles away.
On independent caterers: There are some independent caterers in the fan plaza, but there are no plans to introduce any more. They did say, however, that they are working on a system which will allow those with a £10 credit to use this at the Aramark street food trucks in the fan plaza. They will let us know when this facility is available.
On concourse and queuing problems: They are not considering using queue rails, such as those used at Goodison Park, due to the larger numbers and ease of movement and accessibility concerns. There are currently 96 tills in the South Stand and each one is manned on every match day. This serves over 13,000 fans.
They reported that (apart from the problems in Club View) the North Stand is proving the biggest challenge at the moment. They currently have 14 tills in that stand, but since the largest contingent of disabled supporters are accommodated there, the numbers using the concourse are relatively few (at 3,200, only a fraction of the South Stand) and they have an in-seat service option there, for fans with disability or accessibility issues.
They are looking at the available space, and it is likely they will have to add more tills. There are a total of 410 tills throughout the entire stadium and some of these have been added following feedback from test events and early season matches.
We asked whether they would consider (as well as alcohol-only kiosks) food-only kiosks, in an effort to reduce queueing for those not buying drinks, who are caught up in long queues behind those buying food and beer. We also brought their attention to the fact that a good deal of the long queues in Club view is caused because of the fans using their £10 digital token for purchases where the amount comes to over £10. Staff and/or devices are unable to deal with taking the residual cost and in some cases this is causing delays. The Club is working to address this, by improvements in technology and staff training. We suggested this could be resolved by offering a £10 combination where a fan could simply purchase one food item and one drink for £10.
There was universal agreement amongst all fan groups that there are not enough surface areas available in the concourses for food and drink, with the exception being the South Stand, where the panoramic window is lined for its whole length with a ledge. We suggested this should be the case in other stands and asked them whether there are plans to fit ledges along the walls in other stands. People are currently resting their food on waste bin lids, and this is unacceptable. They said talks are already ongoing to fit more food surfaces. We pointed out that the problem may be worsened by all the food being served in trays. We asked whether they could offer wrapped foods. They said it wouldn’t be possible for two reasons; the additional time and resource it would need, resulting in delays to food availability, but also that they have to comply with ‘Natasha’s Law’, which regulates the labelling of food to alert purchasers to allergens.
Finally, on the question of food prices being different at Goodison Park to those offered at Hill Dickinson Stadium: The Club said they are testing different commercial models at the moment and trying out different menu items.
