The deal will see Lindley providing catering, hospitality, sales, marketing and event management services through to 2023-24.
At the heart of the long-term commitment is the development of the south west corner facilities at the stadium. The £1 million development, will see the creation and completion of two flexible hospitality areas in the South West Corner of Vicarage Road by the middle of next season, and this will kick-start Watford FC’s long-term plans to undertake a complete refurbishment of the whole stadium which currently has a match day capacity of 17,500.
Lindley Venue Catering will be responsible for overseeing the design and installation of new kitchens and two floors of new hospitality facilities. The top floor, which will provide great pitch-side viewing, will feature a casual, informal dining area equipped with LCD screens giving it the ambience of a premium sports bar. A match-day hospitality ‘bar & grill’ menu will offer a selection of quality hand-held food such as gourmet burgers and sharing platters.
The area has also been designed with the dual objective of attracting revenue from non-match day private hire business as well as enhancing the hospitality facilities for match-goers. Lindley Venue Catering will be proactively marketing the suite as ideal for parties, anniversaries and discos, and it also has plans to create an entry point Christmas party carvery/disco/cash bar offering.
The hospitality suite has been designed so that on non-match days it can be converted into an exhibition or conference space, or, alternatively, it can provide a 150 cover dining area for formal banquets, weddings and balls. It will also host club award nights and to maximise usage of the suite, Lindley plans to develop a programme of events such as sportsman dinners and offer premium, all-inclusive Christmas packages.
Scott Duxbury, Watford FC’s CEO, said: “We appointed Lindley Venue Catering at the start of the season to bring a professional approach to developing all aspects of the catering, hospitality and events business at Vicarage Road. From day one, they have worked with us to step change the way the club manages its catering and event business and after just the first season, Lindley has demonstrated the positive impact partnering with a specialist caterer can have on enhancing our fans’ match day experience, and their vast experience in the UK sports stadia environment has enabled them to identify further revenue-generating opportunities for the club.”
Jonathan Davies, The Lindley Group’s sales & marketing director, added: “When Lindley Venue Catering was appointed by Watford FC, it was evident that the new owners and management were on a very determined mission to turnaround the fortunes of the club and return the team to the premiership.
“Watford FC had made clear that its ambition is to completely refurbish the stadium and whilst Vicarage Road has some very good public concourse facilities, including a large public bar and modern kiosks, we felt that the hospitality areas needed to be developed if they are to realise their full potential and match the standard offered at other Premiership and Championship grounds.”