Warrington Wolves Ink Major Commercial Deals with Lindley Group & Carlsberg

Warrington Wolves have announced they have signed two new commercial deals. 

The Rugby League club extended its full service catering and events sales and marketing partnership with Lindley Venue Catering, the specialist sports stadia catering division of The Lindley Group, for another six seasons taking the contract up to the end of 2019.

In addition to this the club has also extended its association with pourage rights partner Carlsberg UK with the company continuing to supply the stadium, its Wolves’ supporters and corporate guests with a wide range of beers, ciders and soft drinks across match days and non-match days.

Lindley Venue Catering, which has been responsible for catering and event management at the 15,300 capacity Halliwell Jones Stadium for the past decade, has been awarded the six-and-a-half year £7.8 million deal by the professional Super League club following a competitive tender.

Under the renewed and extended partnership agreement Lindley Venue Catering will continue to manage sales and marketing of the venue’s facilities along with all of the matchday and non-matchday catering. To enhance the fans’ matchday experience, the caterer will be introducing a number of its award-winning branded retail concepts onto the public concourses which are being refitted with the new kiosks over this summer, in readiness for the Rugby League World Cup which starts in October. The Halliwell Jones Stadium is playing host to two Rugby League World Cup matches.

At the same time, Lindley Venue Catering has teamed up with Warrington Wolves’ beer supplier, Carlsberg UK, to install branded Carlsberg Ice Bars at the stadium which occupies the site of the former Carlsberg-Tetley Brewery. The caterer and brewer have also joined forces to develop a bespoke food and drink pairing for Wolves’ fans and visitors. Cracklings – another Lindley retail brand which serves slow cooked torn pork sandwiches, dry cured bacon rolls and British bangers all produced from locally-sourced pork – will complement the food offer with Carlsberg’s new Somersby Cider.

With the club taking a branded approach on the public concourse, the conference and events business is also being re-branded and will be marketed as The Halliwell Jones Stadium Conference & Events.

Andy Gatcliffe, Warrington Wolves’ CEO, said: “Over the past 10 years we have built up a strong rapport with both the Lindley Group and Carlsberg UK. They have been doing a great job here both in terms of the matchday catering and event management, but we felt that it was appropriate to put the contracts out to a competitive tender at the end of the current term to ensure that we had explored new and alternative options and opportunities.

“They were both hotly contested pitches, but a combination of factors led us to the decision to extend our arrangements with both Lindley Venue Catering and Carlsberg UK. What clinched the deals for us was both parties commitment to enhancing the matchday catering experience for our fans through the public concourse refit and the initiatives they have developed together, coupled with their proven track records in delivering their respective services.”

Adam Elliott, President of The Lindley Group and Executive Vice President, Centerplate, adds: “It really is a great tribute to the work, effort and achievements of the Lindley team at The Halliwell Jones Stadium, that Warrington Wolves has selected Lindley Venue Catering as their chosen catering, hospitality and events partner for another six seasons. It’s even more rewarding that the contract extension has been awarded, knowing that the club has benchmarked Lindley Venue Catering against our industry peers.”

David Barker, Regional Sales Director of Carlsberg UK, said: “We’re delighted to be extending our mutually successful and special partnership with Warrington Wolves and Lindley. The Carlsberg Ice Bars at the stadium will give supporters and visitors alike the opportunity to enjoy our leading brands, including Tetley’s, Carlsberg and San Miguel, as well as meals and snacks perfectly accompanied by a chilled refreshing glass of our new Somersby Cider. Our new agreement means we will be supplying all the stadium’s beer, cider and soft drinks until 2019.”

Dominique Shirman, Tetley’s Brand Manager at Carlsberg UK, added: “Tetley’s has long established links with rugby and continues to support the game through high profile sponsorships, such as the Super League and Tetley’s Challenge Cup. We’re very proud that our long-standing links with both club and the stadium site continue.”