Foodservice forum: Sports and leisure

Marco Galer-Reick
Vice president UK strategy enablement and HR, Delaware North
Stadia and major venues sit at the sharp end of the sports and leisure market. They are high-profile, high-footfall environments, expected to deliver world-class experiences in short, intense trading windows, while operating under growing commercial and operational pressure.

For venue operators and partners, the most immediate challenge is not demand, but delivery. The UK labour market has eased from an employer's perspective; however, the cost of employing people continues to rise, adding extra pressure to a tight-margin environment. The upcoming Employment Rights Bill in its proposed form poses additional challenges to the way any events-based business operates.

Finding solutions that strike the right balance between protecting workers' rights and running a commercially viable business will be one of the main talking points of 2026. The result is a heightened focus on productivity, throughput and yield. It’s not just about doing more, but doing things better, more effectively and more efficiently.

From the fans' perspective, expectations have never been higher. Attendance is increasingly intentional rather than habitual; fans and customers expect the experience to feel seamless, social and worth the price of entry. Queues, friction and inconsistency are no longer tolerated, especially when the live experience is being benchmarked against the convenience of watching at home.

This is driving a fundamental shift in how stadia think about experience. The modern matchday is no longer defined solely by the 90 minutes on the pitch. Food and beverage, premium spaces, dwell environments, fan zones and the overall sense of occasion are central to how value is perceived.

Premiumisation continues to accelerate, but so too does the need to protect the general admission experience. The risk for venues is not that premium grows, but that the middle is neglected. Effectively tiering the offer portfolio is essential to ensure every fan, from VIP to value-seeker, finds where they belong.

Technology is now critical to addressing this balance. Data-led forecasting, frictionless payment, self-service and real-time operational insight are becoming hygiene factors in major venues. But technology alone is not the answer. Its success depends on how well it integrates with people, processes and physical space. When deployed thoughtfully, it frees teams to focus on hospitality and engagement. When implemented poorly, it becomes another source of friction, particularly when education is needed.

Sustainability adds a further layer of complexity. Stadia are energy-intensive by design, yet fans, partners and governing bodies increasingly expect visible progress on waste, sourcing and environmental impact. The challenge is delivering sustainability in ways that are credible, operationally realistic and aligned to the guest experience, rather than bolted on as an afterthought.

Ultimately, the venues that will outperform are those that understand value from both sides of the turnstile. Success will not come from cutting service to protect margin, nor from chasing innovation for its own sake, but from aligning operational discipline with moments that genuinely matter to fans. In a crowded entertainment landscape, stadia that consistently deliver memorable, well-run experiences will continue to earn the right to be chosen.

Tim Hobbs
Foodservice director, Freemans Event Partners
Across the sector, organisations are navigating rising operating costs, disrupted supply chains and evolving consumer expectations around greater value and more memorable experiences. For event organisers, this presents a clear opportunity: to refine operations, strengthen partnerships, and reimagine the fan journey in ways that drive both resilience and growth.

At Freemans Event Partners, we continue to evolve our services to support venues and operators through this landscape. By strengthening supply chain stability and optimising food and beverage operations, we help ensure the focus remains on delivering richer, more engaging fan experiences.

A collaborative approach between event operators, caterers, brands and suppliers has never been more important. Our long‑standing partnerships enable transparent communication and accurate forecasting when pressures arise.

Data plays a key role in building supply‑chain resilience. By combining our data team’s expertise with more than 50 years of event‑delivery experience and the scale of our operations, we can forecast with real precision.

Real‑time visibility of food and drink sales allows us to respond quickly to changes in weather, attendance or buying behaviour, while our strong supplier relationships enable rapid stock replenishment. This combination of data‑driven insight and operational agility helps maintain continuity even under unpredictable conditions.

As the sector continues to evolve, efficient and reliable foodservice operations are becoming a powerful differentiator. Strong supplier partnerships, competitive pricing and effective logistics are now critical to maintaining consistency and value. We work closely with leading global brands to supply high‑quality products to some of the world’s most iconic events and venues, delivering cross‑border supply across the UK and Europe supported by data‑led forecasting.

Caterers cannot afford missed deliveries or inconsistent supply during peak season, which is why our delivery model removes the need to juggle multiple suppliers. Our end‑to‑end solution provides consistent product availability, underpinned by our decade-long AA Grade Brand Reputation through Compliance Global Standards accreditation, guaranteeing full traceability and food safety compliance.

With next‑day delivery 365 days a year and more than 1,500 product lines, we streamline procurement for venues, events and caterers through consolidated delivery models that protect product quality and ensure consistency across all food and beverage touchpoints. In a market where reliability sets operators apart, our infrastructure significantly reduces operation risk.

A key challenge shaping the market today is the growing gap between evolving fan expectations and traditional ticketing models, with audiences seeking more experiential and premium offerings. Our Cargo Global Eats concept (pictured) responds to this demand and addresses the outdated two-tier ticketing structure used across the events industry, bringing recognisable, street‑food‑led brands to stadiums and greenfield sites.

As a structured GA+ space, Cargo bridges the gap between general admission and hospitality, enabling smart segmentation and commercially viable revenue growth. More than half of 24 to 34-year‑olds want the option to upgrade, and 71% would pay for enhanced areas, reflecting strong demand for mid‑tier premium experiences.

Fan zones have evolved into full‑day destinations featuring activations, DJs, lounges and high‑street F&B. All‑inclusive ticket models are growing too; nearly one in five Cargo guests opt for unlimited packages, offering predictable revenue for operators and better value for fans.

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