The contract will see Sodexo generate around £400,000 in annual turnover and has been awarded just nine months after Sodexo won the contract to provide matchday catering, hospitality and event management at Brighton’s home ground, the Amex Stadium.
The £30m training complex – which includes 12 outdoor football pitches, one three-quarter size indoor pitch, a swimming pool, a gym and catering facilities – opens on June 16 and will be home to Brighton & Hove Albion’s first team, academy players and some 100 non-playing staff.
Sodexo will provide catering services in the first team and academy dining rooms, as well as providing staff feeding at least five days a week.
Colin Perkins, account director for Sodexo Prestige, Sodexo’s Sport, Leisure & Travel division, said: “This success is testament to what we’ve achieved at the Amex this season. It’s great to have everything sitting under the umbrella of Sodexo.
“We demonstrated an ability to work alongside the club’s medical team to understand the importance of nutrition when catering for the first team players.
“They were also impressed with how we’ve managed a similar situation at Newcastle, where we provide catering services both at St James’ Park and for the Newcastle United players at their training facility.”
Paul Barber, Brighton & Hove Albion FC chief executive, said: “We are very pleased to have awarded the contract for the provision of catering services at our new training ground to Sodexo Prestige.
“Sodexo won the contract for catering services at the Amex in 2013 and since then have proved they are capable of providing an excellent, high volume service in very testing circumstances for a caterer at the stadium.
“The provision of catering services for elite players is a highly scientific and specialist service and we look forward to working with Sodexo to ensure that our players and academy are provided with a top class service in our world class facility.”