Healthy food options for fans at Wembley

Image: M&S Food

The leading British retailer M&S Food and the Wembley Stadium in Wembley, London (UK) connected by EE (British mobile network operator company) have teamed up to open not one, but two foodhalls within the venue.

‘european sponsorship association’ stated that the collaboration sees M&S Food become the first food retailer to operate inside the stadium. The two stores, which opened for the first time on August 6th, will offer football fans and concertgoers healthier food options when attending events at Wembley.

M&S is a leading British retailer bringing quality, great value food, clothing, and homeware to millions of customers around the world.

The 90,000-capacity Wembley Stadium is a football stadium in Wembley, London (UK). It opened in 2007 on the site of the original Wembley Stadium, which was demolished from 2002 to 2003. The stadium hosts major football matches including home matches of the England national football team, and The Football Association (FA) Cup Final. Last year, more than 2.6 million people visited the Wembley Stadium in a record-breaking year for the venue.

M&S Food use the power of football and the influence of some of the United Kingdom’s biggest footballing heroes to help families make healthier choices under the campaign banner ‘Eat Well, Play Well’.

Through the M&S Eat Well seal of approval and its partnership with the football associations, M&S Food aims to make families healthier for the next generation. It will link the eating habits of much-loved footballing heroes to how they play, promoting positive healthy eating messages for kids in a way that’s engaging, relatable and drives change.

‘european sponsorship association’ further stated that the opening of the stores is part of the national stadium’s drive to offer healthier food choices to fans. It also aligns with M&S Food’s commitment, through its Eat Well, Play Well partnership with The Football Association (The FA), to make healthier eating easier, inspiring and more accessible for families through the power of football.

London (UK)-based the Football Association is the governing body of association football in England and the Crown Dependencies of Jersey, Guernsey and the Isle of Man. Formed in 1863, it is the oldest football association in the world and is responsible for overseeing all aspects of the amateur and professional game in its territory.

For the past year, the M&S Food has been working closely with The FA, and its international footballers, to offer healthy food and drinks to complement and supercharge their strict nutritional regimes. Now, it will be helping feed England fans too.

The former England internationals Shaun Wright-Phillips and Faye White visited Wembley Stadium for a sneak preview. They officially opened the new stores.

Said Alex Freudmann, Managing Director, Food, M&S, “We’re very proud of our Eat Well, Play Well partnerships with the home nation’s football associations, so when we had the opportunity to open these two stores within the Wembley Stadium it was the next logical step for us. We’re passionate about helping families eat healthier through our Eat Well range, and as a football fan myself I know how frustrating it can be to find healthy food options within grounds. Now visitors to the Wembley Stadium can have more of a choice -more than 50 percent of items on sale in our stores will be Eat Well, including sandwiches and hot items, while the rest will be M&S favorites that we all know and love. All will be the same great quality and value that you’d expect from M&S Food.”

The two foodhalls are located on the East and Western sides of Level Two, inside the stadium. This ensures supporters of both teams have the opportunity to try the Eat Well range, as well as the other food options available.

Added Paul Scannell, Head of Hospitality at Wembley Stadium, “We’re delighted to welcome our first external food retailer into the stadium. We are also thrilled that it’s not just any retailer…… it’s M&S Food. The move reinforces our commitment to innovate and improve Wembley Stadium so that we deliver the best possible fan experience. Around 50 percent of the products available will be from the M&S Eat Well range, complementing our own commitment to providing healthier food options for fans at the Wembley Stadium.”

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