Smith speaks out for Norwich FC caterers

01 January 2000 by
Smith speaks out for Norwich FC caterers

TV cook and author Delia Smith went on local and national radio last week to refute newspaper stories that claimed the caterers at Norwich City Football Club had been sacked because of complaints about long queues and inedible food.

Smith, a director and majority shareholder at the club, said FoodEast's contract with the club was being "reluctantly" terminated on 31 July because the directors wanted to pursue other interests. They were brought in last summer to develop and improve the club's catering, and Smith insisted they had done "a magnificent job".

The FoodEast directors and a club spokesman conceded there had been problems on the first day of the season last August, owing to lack of time and lack of information from the previous franchisees, but said these had been sorted out within weeks.

The club will now handle the catering in-house, with Smith taking a supervisory role. The team of 10 full-time and 300 casual staff put in place by FoodEast will be retained.

FoodEast was a partnership between Alex and Lisa Irving and David and Ruth Watson. Trained chef and waiter Alex Irving said he had built the catering business at Leicester City Football Club from scratch into a business turning over £2m a year when he was approached by Smith.

The Watsons, who are personal friends of Smith's, intend to develop their farm, pursue Ruth's career as a food consultant and writer, and possibly run their own restaurant again. The couple had achieved three AA rosettes at the Fox & Goose restaurant in Fressingfield, Suffolk, which they sold in 1996. by Angela Frewin

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