Lindley Heritage Group wins £12.5m catering contract at The Sage Gateshead
Lindley Heritage has won a £12.5m contract to manage the hospitality and catering services at music and events venue the Sage Gateshead for the next five years.
Lindley Group's heritage, arts and leisure venue will continue its recent partnership with North-East chef and restaurateur Terry Laybourne, who will act as consultant chef at the Sage.
The company has already refashioned the café/restaurant by introducing regional produce, new menus and Laybourne signature dishes, and has also installed a new bar. It also plans to work with the Sage's in-house events team to develop conference and banqueting opportunities.
The new deal will also see Lindley introducing sustainable and ethical initiatives, including adding recycling facilities to the kitchens, offering used coffee grounds for visitors to take for their own gardens, adapting white and electrical goods to reduce energy consumption, and ensuring energy, waste and water are all managed efficiently. There will also be cooking demonstrations and apprenticeship opportunities for the underprivileged and students in the local area.
The Sage has a café/restaurant and five bars, and offers large rehearsal space, function rooms and break-out rooms, as well as two performance halls.
Phillip Baitch, commercial trading director at Sage Gateshead, said: "Social responsibility is a driving force of ours and with the sustainable, ethical and community initiatives implemented in conjunction with the Lindley Group, we are excited to be adding an additional dimension to our catering offer."
"Our aim is to make Sage Gateshead a 'must visit' venue renowned for serving high quality food."
Lindley Heritage was established in 2011 and operates catering contracts at attractions across the country, including The Theatre Royal Bath, the RAF Museum in Hendon, and the Warner Bros. Studio Tour London - The Making of Harry Potter.
Last week it announced a £3m six-year catering deal with the Derby Theatre, while parent company the Lindley Group was bought by US catering giant Centreplate last year for an undisclosed sum.
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