English Professional Association club Doncaster Rovers has announced that the catering offerings at the Eco-Power Stadium have been nominated in four categories at the Stadium Events and Hospitality Awards 2024.
Under the club-created brand DN4 Events and in partnership with Venue Catering Partners (VCP), Rovers have garnered attention across the UK and beyond for the quality of matchday food offering since the start of the 2023/24 season, with a tremendous amount of positive feedback.
The offering on concourses has been acknowledged with a nomination for the Best Retail Catering Award and the club is up for three awards for matchday hospitality.
“We are proud that our hospitality and retail offerings have been recognised, particularly after a year of great change at the stadium,” said chief commercial officer Shaun Lockwood. “We made a commitment some time ago to our supporters that, when we had the ability to change the catering provision at the stadium, we would do as we knew it had fallen below supporters’ expectations during the previous tenure. To have been shortlisted for four awards within the first year of the club regaining control catering is a huge success, and shows that the legacy of In Rovers We Trust and our commitment to listen and respond to supporter feedback continues. We set out a year ago to radically improve the offering to supporters on concourses and guests in our hospitality areas. The feedback has been incredible. Credit to all of those involved in turning around the catering operations at the club. We hope we can bring home the awards to cap off a brilliant first year of working in partnership with VCP.”
“It has been a 12-month whirlwind for everyone within DN4 Events,” added DN4 Events general manager Dean Stones. “It’s been a real team effort to achieve what we have over the season. We look forward taking our customers on their next exciting culinary journey.
Eco-Power Stadium has been nominated for the following awards:
Best Retail Catering Award: This award recognises the best retail catering teams at stadia across the UK. This team will demonstrate commercial growth, high quality food offerings or proactive sustainability improvements.
Visiting Football Directors Award: This is voted for by directors at each club. They are asked to nominate the club where they had the best away experience when travelling with their team. They are specifically asked to consider the welcome, service and catering when casting their votes.
Matchday Hospitality Award – small stadium: Experienced chef and hospitality experts attend each venue to try out their matchday offering. Each element is carefully considered and scored against strict criteria. This award is split based on the number of hospitality seats on a matchday to compare similar sized operations:
Overall Matchday Hospitality Award: This award pitches all sized clubs against all, to announce the overall winning UK stadium that provides the very best matchday hospitality experience.
The awards will be presented at a gala dinner on 4 July at Leeds United’s Elland Road stadium.
“Stadium teams work tirelessly, striving to bring excellence in their venues for both matchday hospitality and non-matchday events,” said stadium experience chair Collette Salmon. “These awards aim to recognise and celebrate all of this hard work and commitment. Congratulations and best of luck to all of this year’s award nominees.”
