Accor Stadium culinary coup with Matt catch

Article posted by Coliseum, September 7^th, 2022

Image: Accor Stadium

World-renowned chef and restaurateur Matt Moran has joined the Accor Stadium in Sydney (Australia) as a Culinary Ambassador and will bring his expertise and inspirations to the National Rugby League (NRL) Grand Final in Sydney on October 2^nd.

‘Accor Stadium’ stated that with a career spanning over 30 years in the Australian food industry, Moran is committed to elevating the food offering and showcasing New South Wales (NSW) produce at some of the nation’s biggest sport and entertainment events.

The 83,500-capacity Accor Stadium is a multipurpose stadium located in the Sydney Olympic Park in Sydney, Australia. The stadium, which in Australia is sometimes referred to as the Sydney Olympic Stadium, Homebush Stadium or simply the Olympic Stadium, was completed in March 1999 at a cost of A$690 million to host the 2000 Summer Olympics. The stadium is owned by Venues NSW on behalf of the NSW Government.

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The National Rugby League (NRL), formed in 1998, is the pre-eminent rugby league club competition in Australia and New Zealand. It contains some clubs from the original Sydney club rugby league competition, which had been running continuously since 1908. A single team from New Zealand also plays in the league.

Exulted Moran, “I am thrilled to be partnering with the team that operates Accor Stadium in the Venues NSW network and I’m looking forward to sharing my food philosophy with the chefs who cater for such large numbers of guests at every event. At the heart of everything I do is a passion for quality produce that is fresh and seasonal, and I’m excited by the challenge of bringing my food philosophy to life at this fantastic venue, which hosts our favorite footy teams, major concerts and so many business, community and cultural events off the playing fields.”

Venues NSW head honcho Kerrie Mather said the partnership with Matt Moran would continue the networkwide transformation of the matchday experience for members and corporate partners – “This is an important step in expanding NSW’s world-leading hospitality offerings into our major stadiums. I can’t wait to see Matt and his team deliver the best food and beverage experiences at NSW’s biggest sporting events and concerts.”

The Venues NSW is a NSW Government agency incorporated under the Sporting Venues Authorities Act to manage a portfolio of sports and entertainment venues, including: Stadium Australia, the 48,000-capacity Sydney Cricket Ground and the 45,500-capacity Sydney Football Stadium.

Accor Stadium CEO Daryl Kerry said as well as the matchday corporate and member experience, the big winners will be the scores of nonevent day functions and events at the venues.

‘Accor Stadium’ further stated that Moran will also bring his inspiration to feature food items in the General Admission areas of the stadium at major events, including the Grand Final.

Added Kerry, “Matt Moran is an Australian food icon who has a real passion for delivering exceptional culinary experiences and we believe he can help us achieve a new level of in-stadium food offerings while showcasing the best of NSW produce.”

Matt Moran, who has a plethora of awards and best-selling cookbooks to his name, is also the owner of some of Australia’s most celebrated dining establishments, including the Aria Sydney, Chiswick, Chophouse, Barangaroo House, North Bondi Fish, Opera Bar, River Bar & Kitchen in Brisbane, Crafted by Matt Moran, Opera Kitchen, and The Rockley Pub.

With a rural upbringing on a classic Aussie dairy farm, Moran still runs a property in the Central Tablelands of NSW, which supplies beef and lamb to his restaurants. He was the pioneer of “paddock to plate” philosophy in Australia and believes in the importance of everyone understanding the origins of the food being served on their plate.

Added Moran, “Food, farm and family are the three most important things for me in life -footy might come in fourth – but it’s my love for quality, seasonal and locally sourced produce that drives me to keep creating exceptional food experiences. I love the diversity of our landscape and fantastic produce that we have to work with. The quality and the variety is something we’re known for. Each stadium will be showcasing this seasonally within its food offerings.”

Continued Moran, “For the Grand Final Day at Accor Stadium, there will be a tender chargrilled harissa Bannockburn chicken and slow-roasted Moran family lamb shoulder in the menu. The team at Accor Stadium is already committed to sourcing locally grown, fresh food which is delivered by incredibly talented chefs – so I can’t wait to share some of our ideas and offerings and lift the stadium food offering further.”

Matt Moran will bring his food expertise to all of Accor Stadium’s upcoming events including the NRL Finals, Monster Jam Professional (monster truck drivers compete against each other in races and freestyle competitions) (October 8^th), the Scottish Premiership club Celtic F.C. vs. the Premier League (UK) club Everton F.C. Sydney Super Cup match (November 20^th) and major concerts over Summer that include the American hard rock band Guns N’ Roses (November 27^th), the American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers with Post Malone (American musician) (February 2^nd), English singer-songwriter Ed Sheeran (February 24^th-25^th), and the English singer-songwriter Harry Styles (March 3^rd-4^th).

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