Having been brought into over-haul the club's F&B operation for the start of the 21/22 season, Simon is passionate foodie, amateur craft-lager connoisseur & huge advocate for the hospitality industry, its people and its values. Utilising his ‘little black book’ of suppliers, while continuing to build stronger relationships with our existing ones, he quickly went to work applying his 15 years of restaurant & facilities management experience with three words in mind - “speed, consistency & value”.
Simon: “The club is laying the foundations for what, I believe, is going to be the most exciting next few years in its history and I am delighted to be a part of this journey. As we continue as a full-time club, F&B will play a critical role in supporting our long-term sustainability, and the changes we’re making around the stadium aim to enhance the match-day experience, increase choice, and create value for our fans, while allowing us to expand our commercial and venue offer out-side of match days. To do this, we need to open our venue to a diverse range of events, ones that support our local communities and businesses, and deliver unforgettable experiences. We have some fantastic spaces across the stadium, the only limit is our imagination.
Our success is not just measured by what we do on the pitch and at the stadium, but equally our involvement in the community. I am hugely passionate about my industry and will be actively working with the community to bring our experiences to them while creating employment, work-experience, and development opportunities. We need to get people excited about what we do, whether it be by cooking with the local schools, supporting interview prep days with the colleges, or catering externally for a local business, the possibilities are endless!
In a short space of time, we have taken a huge, positive first step in shaping the F&B department - the Fan Zone, new-look Moaners Corner, and over-hauling match-day hospitality, are just a few examples. This is just the first of many steps on our way to creating a versatile, efficient, multi-purpose venue that the fans can be proud of.”
