Yok Racecourse and Legends Global renew long partnership

Image: Legends Global

Legends Global and York Racecourse are renewing their long-standing partnership for a further eight years.

At the same time, Legends Global has also become a new sponsor for the Group One Yorkshire Oaks which took place at York’s prestigious Sky Bet Ebor Festival in August.

The contest offers prize money of £600,000 and a fitting celebration of the forty-year partnership.

The extension marks a major milestone; established on the foundations of partnership, shared ambition and a mutual commitment to delivering world-class hospitality and retail food and beverage experiences for racing and non-racing guests.

Under the renewed agreement, Legends Global will continue to manage food, beverage and hospitality services with York Racecourse, which welcomes over 300,000 guests annually across 18 racedays and over 700 non-racing events and functions each year.

York Racecourse is one of the leading racecourses in the world and has staged the Longines World’s Best Race twice in the last decade.

The race season includes this month’s flagship Sky Bet Ebor Festival as well as the Dante Festival and some of the biggest live music and racing events in Britain.

The York Racecourse Hospitality partnership originated in 1982 with Craven Gilpin & Son and that same organisation has evolved, developed and grown through the decades and several corporate incarnations – CGC, ASM and to become part of what is now Legends Global.
 

Leading venue partner

As well as York Racecourse, Legends Global are the catering partner of leading sports venues including Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium, Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge, Real Madrid CF and FC Porto.

Legends said in a statement, “This enduring success and continued longevity is testament to a shared culture of excellence, innovation and a focus on the best in the menu, team and environment to create memorable and enjoyable experiences.

“What started as a commitment to raising the standard of catering, has evolved into a robust and fully integrated hospitality operation, renowned for the highest standards of service and quality.

“The success of both the partnership and the new sponsorship centres around shared values: teamwork, collaboration and a continued drive for excellence. Those principles have been embedded in every aspect of the operation, from front-of-house and menu development using the best of ingredients to investment and the curation of guest experiences.”

From premium hospitality suites to public enclosures, every guest receives a warm Yorkshire welcome, and a standard of service that reflects York Racecourse’s reputation as one of the finest sporting venues in the world with a heritage dating back to 1731.
 

Award winner

Over the past decade, York Racecourse Hospitality has won over a dozen national award for its racecourse catering operation at York.

The food and beverage offering that Legends Global deliver has continually been developed and refined at York Racecourse is rooted in a philosophy of fresh, locally sourced produce. The menu today reflects the best of Yorkshire’s exceptional food provenance, from artisan suppliers and regional producers to farm-to-fork ingredients that align with the evolving tastes and expectations of racegoers.

A hallmark of the partnership’s ambition to push boundaries of traditional hospitality has been Legends Global’s ability to draw some of Britain’s most exceptional culinary talent to York Racecourse.

Notably, Tommy Banks of York’s Roots restaurant and Tom Barnes, chef and owner of the Michelin-starred restaurant Skof in Manchester, and former Executive Chef at Simon Rogan’s three-Michelin-starred L’Enclume, have become signature presences. Barnes has taken over the Dante Suite during Ebor Festival, delivering fine dining experiences that set a new benchmark for what racecourse hospitality can achieve.

Stephen Cooper, SVP Food and Beverage at Legends Global, Europe said, “Renewing our partnership with York Racecourse for a further eight years is a moment we are incredibly proud of so it is with special pride that we will be supporting a feature race to mark that occasion.

“Forty years of partnership is remarkable in any business, and it speaks to the level of trust, shared values and genuine collaboration that has defined every year we have worked together.”

William Derby, Chief Executive of York Racecourse, said, “Our respective organisations have worked closely together for over four decades but never stood still in terms of ensuring we continue to evolve and develop our food, drink and facilities across all areas of the racecourse.

“The combination of delicious ingredients, trusted producers, talented team members and the best use of technology will see us to continue to deliver for our valued guests.”

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