Monday 12 August 2024 12:39 pm | Updated: Monday 12 August 2024 3:03 pm

From the Paris Olympics to Royal Ascot: How catering giant Sodexo Live became the invisible force behind Europe’s biggest events

Despite a tough couple of years that saw the pandemic wipe out live events, Sodexo's UK arm has rebounded in spectacular fashion. Photo: Sodexo

From the Paris Olympics and the Rugby World Cup to Royal Ascot, Sodexo Live has become the invisible force keeping plates loaded and champagne glasses topped up at Europe’s biggest events.

In 2023 the Paris-headquartered catering giant‘s events division, Sodexo Live, served more than 11m guests in the UK alone, employing around 1,700 people across the country to keep its operations running.

And despite a tough couple of years that saw the Covid-19 pandemic wipe out live events, Sodexo’s London-headquartered UK arm has rebounded in spectacular fashion, reporting record turnover of £1.4bn in the year ending August 31, 2023, up from £1.2bn in the same period of 2019, according to its most recently-filed accounts.

This increase in sales has delivered a much-needed boost to the company’s recovering bottom line, with its pre-tax profit reaching £51m in its latest financial year, inching closer to the £82m it hit in the 12 months ending August 31, 2019.

But according to Claire Morris, Sodexo Live’s UK CEO, returning to its pre-pandemic profit levels is just the starting point for the company’s ambitious growth plans.

Sodexo Live is the invisible force keeping plates loaded and champagne glasses topped up at Europe’s biggest events. Photo: Sodexo

“Growth is absolutely a top priority for us and it’s going to happen in two ways”, she said.

“Firstly we’re out there to win new clients which is about showing them our proven track record of delivering what we say we will.

“Secondly, we’re going to focus on enhancing our services for existing clients. For example, if we’re already providing retail services, we can expand our offerings to include hospitality, and vice versa.”

This strategy was demonstrated recently when Sodexo Live’s long-time client, Hampden Park stadium in Glasgow, asked the firm to take over the running of its non-match day events in addition to the retail and hospitality it provides during games.

Morris said: “Our work at Hampden Park is a great example of how we can work with clients to identify their pain points and say OK, here’s a different way we can help you reach your goals.”

The many faces of Sodexo Live

With such a broad range of clients looking for everything from fast food to Michelin star dining, Morris said the key to Sodexo Live’s success has been its ability to shape shift.

The company’s Royal Ascot offering is the perfect example of this superpower.

During the most recent five day meeting Sodexo Live provided catering for more than 250,000 people across 20 restaurants, made possible by at least 3,500 members of staff per day.

Morris said: “Those five days are the pinnacle of the British summer event’s calendar and we have to make sure there’s something for everyone.

Sodexo Live served more than 250,000 at this year's Royal Ascot meeting — Sodexo Live served more than 250,000 at this year’s Royal Ascot meeting. Photo: Sodexo

“We operate four different enclosures, with the Royal enclosure at the premium end. That’s where you’re seeing guests in their top hats and tails who are paying for hospitality.

“Within that they have a choice of restaurants run by chefs like Simon Rogan, who has three Michelin stars, and of course our long-standing partner Raymond Blanc.

“Guests can also opt for a high-end retail option which is going to include things like steak sandwiches or a luxury afternoon tea so it’s still in keeping with the environment.

“Then in the Queen Anne enclosure you’re going to see mainly retail offerings but guests also have the option to buy a hospitality experience with Lisa Goodwin Allen, who also has a Michelin star.

“People looking for something more low-key are also going to find what they’re looking for across our retail kiosks, whether that’s a cup of coffee or a flute of champagne.”

Tech is not the enemy

For Sodexo Live, evolving in line with changing consumer expectations has been key to its longevity.

Morris said that as people’s budgets have become tighter due to the rising cost of living, the threshold for what counts as good value for money has also been raised.

She said: “People don’t want to wait in queues and they definitely don’t want to miss whatever event they’re attending because they’re stuck in line for their drinks.”

To help its staff keep up, Sodexo Live has invested heavily in technology over the past few years, including at Brighton & Hove Albion Football Club, where the company operates food and beverage kiosks.

Morris said: “The club’s priority is getting people served fast, so we’ve introduced ‘frictionless’ kiosks.

“They’re fully automated and allow guests to walk up, scan their payment device, grab what they want and then simply walk out to complete their purchase.

“There’s a lot of talk in the industry about how technology and things like self-service is killing hospitality, but we strongly disagree with that.

“We work in many settings where managing queues and providing quick service are crucial, particularly at large music events or football matches, where we’re seeing a surge of customers who all need serving within very tight time frames.

“Technology has allowed us to come along leaps and bounds in meeting peoples’ changing needs.”