A team of more than 3,500 staff will be employed for the five-day race meeting with many of its casual workforce returning year after year to work there.
Sodexo Live! is passionate about nurturing and developing culinary talent. Student chefs from colleges including Cambridge and Reading will join the Sodexo Live! team where they gain valuable experience of working at a large-scale major event.
For the third year Sodexo Live! will partner with Full Circle Farms. This unique regenerative farming initiative takes appropriate food waste from venues and events to create fertiliser to grow the next round of produce, without using any pesticide or herbicides.
Neutro, a net zero dining concept, which launched in the Village Enclosure at Royal Ascot in 2022 will return this year with a twist. This year it will be back featuring a plant-based grab and go loaded hash browns menu.
The Ledbury’s three Michelin starred chef Brett Graham has created a hot dog using meat from his sustainable pig farm in Shropshire. The brigade of Royal Ascot ‘Chefs in Residence’ collectively boast 12 Michelin stars.
New restaurant The Deck will offer diners a relaxed experience in an elegant, raised space evocative of an English country garden. An elevated private balcony will afford guests clear views of the Royal Procession and racing action on the track.
Claire Morris, chief executive of Sodexo Live! UK & Ireland, said: “It’s great to be back delivering our 26th Royal Ascot and with just two weeks to go until the main event it’s the perfect opportunity to share a glimpse of what we have in store for the more than 250,000 guests attending the 2024 Royal Meeting.
“Social impact and benefiting the communities we serve are at the heart of what we do, it is therefore incredibly pleasing to see the array of things we are doing in this space. For the next generation of talent that we bring into Royal Ascot, it is an excellent way to showcase the different jobs you can have in hospitality and what a highlight it is for them to be in such a world-famous setting so early in their careers.
“Royal Ascot would not be Royal Ascot without a sumptuous food offering and this year is like no other. Through our culinary prowess and desire to create exceptional moments for all our guests, racegoers are in for a treat with the myriad of options available.”