Amadeus satisfies appetite for growth with library contract
THE catering arm of the NEC Group has satisfied its appetite for growth by landing a £2m contract to supply the new £188m Library of Birmingham.
The three-year contract, awarded by Birmingham City Council, will see Amadeus operate the library’s two cafés as well as providing refreshments for the meeting rooms within the iconic building.
The multi-million pound development in Broad Street is due to open this September.
Amadeus won the contract following a four-way tender process, which saw some of the country’s largest caterers compete for the business. Key aspects of the tender included the marketing of the café to the Birmingham community as well as visitors to the city.
Kevin Watson, managing director of Amadeus, said: “This is a significant win for the retail arm of our business, which is a massive growth area for Amadeus. Through our existing experience operating multiple restaurants across the NEC Group’s venues, which includes the ICC Birmingham and the NEC, we were able to prove we are the ideal catering partner for this multi million pound, high profile project.
“The winning of any contract is cause for celebration, but the gaining of this one at the Library of Birmingham shows recognition of our growing reputation as a key player in the retail catering sector, as well as one of the leading contract caterers in the UK.”
Brian Gambles, Project Director of the Library of Birmingham, said: “We are delighted to have Amadeus on board to operate the cafés for the Library of Birmingham. The local experience of the company, combined with their strategic insight into the industry will allow them to cater for the Library’s diverse customer base, in the centre of one of the UK’s leading cosmopolitan cities.”
Amadeus, which ran the food service contract at Olympic Park North during the 2012 Games, has also recently launched a new retail concept, The Oak Kitchen, which will see its existing 21 eateries across the International Convention Centre and the NEC rebranded.
