Company of Cooks signs £130m contract extension with the Royal Opera House

Company of Cooks and the Royal Opera House are extending their partnership for a further five years.

The partnership is valued at £130m over the duration of the contract, which Company of Cooks secured without going to tender.

Company of Cooks, which operates under CH&Co, will continue to operate the venue’s bars, restaurants and cafés and will also oversee the collaboration with chef Angela Hartnett.

Situated on the fifth floor overlooking Covent Garden, the Michelin-starred chef’s venue and all-day terrace bar terrace, Cicoria and Bar Cicoria, opened its doors in September and brings Hartnett’s Italy-inspired cooking with a day-to-evening menu.

Rob Fredrickson, Company of Cooks’ managing director, said: “We’ve achieved a lot together with the Royal Opera House team over the years, including opening the fifth-floor restaurant to the public for the very first time, but we always said there was more to come. We’re really looking forward to realising our ambitions as we consolidate and build on our successes and establish the Royal Opera House as a food and drink destination of choice for both theatre-goers and the public.”

He added that there is “immense excitement surrounding the Angela Hartnett partnership and the opportunities the opening of Cicoria brings” and hoped the collaboration will attract more first-time visitors to globally renowned cultural venue.

Sophie Wybrew-Bond, Royal Ballet and Opera’s chief commercial officer, said: “The launch of Cicoria and Bar Cicoria with Angela Hartnett has set a new benchmark for what’s possible in our spaces, and we’re excited to continue working together to refresh more of our bars and restaurants.”