Cardiff City Stadium joins Healthy Stadia Network as first Welsh representative

Compass Group UK and Ireland's Sport, Leisure and Hospitality sector, which has operated the catering contract at Cardiff City stadium since it opened in July 2009, worked closely with the stadium and its Community Foundation team on their application.

Press Release
Compass Group news team
Wednesday 13 January 2010

Cardiff City Stadium has been invited to join the Healthy Stadia Network, making it the first Welsh stadium in this prestigious European programme.  The stadium will be formally welcomed into the Healthy Stadia programme at a Healthy Cities launched on Wednesday 13 January 2010.

Compass Group UK and Ireland?s Sport, Leisure and Hospitality sector, which has operated the catering contract at Cardiff City stadium since it opened in July 2009, worked closely with the stadium and its Community Foundation team on their application to join the Network and will continue to link the work of the programme with new healthier options for match day public in the stadia and kiosks.  This will include providing school children with a piece of fruit and a healthy drink option when visiting the ground.

Marc Cahill, Assistant Manager, Community Foundation, Cardiff City Football Club, said: ?After a great deal of hard work I am delighted that we have been invited onto the Healthy Stadia programme.  Our stadium is the first Welsh stadium and one of very few in the UK. I would like to thank all the staff who has helped in this process, in particular, Jane Cook from Compass who has worked alongside me from start to finish to make this possible.? 

Jane Cook, General Manager, Compass Group, Cardiff City Football Club, said: ?We?ve been working to promote healthy eating messages both to children and young visitors to the stadium, through creating healthy kids meal for under 16s as well as introducing a ?Fresh Fruit Friday? to encourage Cardiff City Stadium employees and visitors to reach their five a day target. It is a great honour that Cardiff City Stadium?s commitment to promoting a healthy lifestyle has been recognised and to be the first Welsh stadium to be accepted into this programme makes us extremely proud.?

Compass Group?s Sport, Leisure and Hospitality sector runs the catering contract at the stadium, providing food and beverages for 150 metres of public kiosks, 14 private hospitality boxes, two restaurants, a banqueting suite and the chairman?s lounge.

-Ends-

Notes to editors

For more information, please contact:

Lisa Swan
Communications Assistant, Compass Group UK and Ireland
Tel: 01895 554554
lisa.swan@compass-group.co.uk

About Compass Sports and Leisure
Compass Group's experience in catering in the leisure sector can be traced back over 100 years and we have built an enviable reputation. Our specialist teams operate at many of the leading venues in the UK from sports stadia and conference centres, and buildings of cultural and historical importance.
We provide our expertise to venue and event owners through specialised operating companies in six key sectors:

• Horse racing
• Motorsport
• Stadia and arena
• Exhibition and conference centres
• Arts, performance, unusual and historic venues
• Events and outside catering

Compass Sports & Leisure is part of Compass Group, the world?s leading foodservice company. It specialises in providing food, vending and related services on our clients' premises and we generate annual revenues of around £13.4 billion in the year to 30 September 2009 www.compass-group.co.uk.

The company operates across the following core sectors of business and industry (B&I), defence, offshore & remote sites, healthcare, education, sports & leisure and vending with an established brand portfolio.