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VenuesLive’s new Assignment
John Deane, Executive Chef at VenuesLive; Sydney’s ANZ Stadium (below right) and Bankwest Stadium (below left).
Arthur Stanley explains how VenuesLive stepped up to meet the Coronavirus challenge
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As Australasia’s major venues closed their doors in response to the COVID-19 public health crisis, and as the majestic fields of play suddenly fell silent, out of the gloom grew opportunity.
What role could our venues play for the community at this unprecedented time?
It was only in February that ANZ Stadium, the largest venue in NSW, played host to 75,000 fans and millions more watching around the globe as the Fire Fight Australia concert raised upwards of $10.5 million for bushfire-ravaged communities across the nation.
Here was another tragedy unfolding before the nation’s eyes, and indeed across the world.
The Australian and New Zealand Governments were quick to respond, and the NSW Government in particular looked to its major venues to be part of the solution.
As thousands of international travellers were isolated at
Sydney hotels, there was a sudden and pressing need to prepare a large number of meals each day – a demand far outstripping the capacity of some hotel kitchens.
Pointing to the large crowds that fill Sydney’s Olympic Stadium for events throughout the year, Andreas Breitfuss, General Manager of Catering at VenuesLive, explained “we regularly invite 80,000 people over for dinner.”
So when the NSW Government turned to VenuesLive, the stadium team jumped at the opportunity to play a small role in the Government’s extensive game plan to protect the community from the COVID-19 pandemic sweeping the globe.
VenuesLive operates ANZ Stadium and Bankwest Stadium
for Venues NSW, the agency that owns the stadiums on behalf of the NSW Government, along with Perth’s Optus Stadium for the West Australian Government.
Christine McLoughlin, the Chairman of Venues NSW, has long been strong in her views that the nation’s leading venues play an important role in our community far beyond hosting elite sport and entertainment, and that they can be life-saving at times of crisis.
McLoughlin notes “our major venues are here first and foremost to serve the community, and never has there been a more significant time for stadiums to show their value beyond the sport and entertainment arenas.
“In days to come, our stadiums will again bring people together, rebuilding our communities through social inclusion and a sense of connection. For now, at a time of crisis, they can provide a community shelter and offer multiple services and essential spaces.”
After being engaged by the NSW Government to produce meals for quarantined international travellers at Sydney’s Travelodge Hotels, the VenuesLive/Venues NSW Catering Team prepared and delivered 2,276 meals on the first day of operation to quarantined guests, plus working NSW Police officers, NSW Department of Health employees and members of the Australian Armed Services.
By the end of Week 1, which encompassed Easter, no less than 17,694 meals had been provided. After 17 days of nonstop activity, the team had prepared and delivered more than 30,000 meals.
VenuesLive began preliminary discussions with Government on Tuesday 30th March, prepared and presented a proposal on Thursday 2nd April and, later that evening, were assigned the two Travelodge Hotels.
Across that weekend, a Hotel Catering Operation Plan was quickly developed to provide an end-to-end service delivery model from production at the ANZ Stadium kitchens, to road distribution to the Sydney CBD, and delivery and distribution at Travelodge Sydney and Travelodge Wynyard.
The team dialled in suppliers, arranged for delivery of produce to ANZ Stadium, cleaned the kitchen and rostered staff, before then preparing, cooking and packaging meals for delivery the following morning on Monday 6 April.
Three meals a day – breakfast, lunch and dinner – plus a range of snacks were produced each day for delivery to the hotel room doors of quarantined guests … and the response and feedback from grateful guests was overwhelmingly positive.
The food and beverage offering encompassed a range of products that reflected a diverse culinary and cultural diversity while keeping the expected requirement to provide nutritious, easy to prepare and presentable meals.
Breitfuss added “the menu structure ensured that the quantity of food adequately sustained each of the guests over a 24-hour period and, as such, included main course meals, beverages, healthy snacks and range of indulgent snacks.
“The menus catered for a range of dietary requirements to include meals for guests with dietary requirements, from vegan and vegetarian to gluten-free and children’s specific meals.”
All meals for quarantined travellers were designed by Executive Chef John Deane and a small committed team worked hard to prepare and deliver to the hotel room doors of quarantined travellers.
Deane concludes “we are very happy to play our part, even though it is a very small part, and we are doing everything possible to make the lives of those people forced into quarantine as pleasant as possible.
“And because each meal has been made with love and care, our team has truly been humbled by the positive feedback.”
Arthur Stanley is General Manager, Media & Communications at VenuesLive.
Optus Stadium as a Police HQ Optus Stadium in Perth has been converted into an emergency headquarters for WA Police as the State coordinates its response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
A 24-hour Western Australian Police Force (WAPOL) Incident Management Team (IMT) has been based at Optus Stadium and is utilising the Level 3 Sports Lounge and some Level 4 Suites.
VenuesLive has rostered a venue management team on duty 24/7, with the roster being filled by events and operations staff and supported by staff from Catering and ICT.
The Stadium’s kitchen, in conjunction with Venues West and RAC Arena, is being utilised for the production of thousands of meals to meet the needs of the community. The meals are going out to support emergency services, hospitals and vulnerable people within the community.
Two members of Optus Stadium’s Meetings & Special Events team have been seconded to the WA Health Department, and have been assisting in operations.
Another example of the nation’s leading venues standing up for the community at a time of need.
