A Rochdale catering partnership

Putting real food, made in Rochdale, into fans' hands

Rochdale AFC are delighted to announce a new catering partnership with The Lancashire Hospitality Co-operation, who will be providing matchday catering services in all of its catering kiosks.

Dale Chairman Simon Gauge said: “We are extremely pleased to bring fans a matchday catering provision that they deserve. Our aim is to deliver the best quality matchday food unrivalled in any League and make it so good, fans will come early to the game, just to experience the food. We want to be a club that puts the fan’s experience first.”

Tom McNeeney, Business Development Manager of The Lancashire Hospitality Co-operation - the company behind award winning local venues such as The Flying Horse, The Baum and Bombay Brew - commented: “The opportunity to create a partnership like this comes once in a lifetime. We’ve worked tirelessly to design a matchday offering that is familiar but trendsetting. We are a local company, staffed by local people, fronted by Rochdale businessman of the year, Ben Boothman and some of the finest catering minds in the industry. We want to prove that great food can be anywhere, even pitch side.”

"As a local company it’s incredible to see the changes in Rochdale AFC, a club that is making the fan experience the driving force behind each and every game, from the legendary music in the stadium to the food on offer to every fan. The opportunity to create an memorable match day offering for such a committed community club is something we’ve taken the upmost pride in, we’ve devoted countless hours of research and development into giving the fans a quality and variety not often seen pitchside.

"We’ve partnered with an incredible local pie maker, given jobs to local people, committed to reducing the club’s carbon footprint and even giving out easy peelers to kids on match days, we want to be everything a fan wants from a club catering partner.

"From meat potato pie made with proper meat, cheese pies made with proper cheese and chicken balti pies with a proper kick we’re pushing the boat out with a pie selection that is something really special. And if that’s not enough we’re proudly offering for those after something really different, a range of kebabs made with fresh ingredients pre wrapped for a taste on the terrace with a difference, made of fresh chicken tikka or smashed samosas on a hot naan, with salad, sauce and pickled chillis - it’s time to throw out the rule book and concentrate on giving the crowd what they want.

"We’re bringing our incredible “beefy beef soup” to every kiosk, a Bovril based broth packed full of beef and chunky vegetables that will have us looking forward to midweek games on a freezing day…almost. As well as sausage cheese and bean slices for the kids, more vegetarian and vegan choices, no more processed meat, just real food, made in rochdale, put into the fans hands.

"Not to mention our commitment to offering a free piece of fruit to every single child attending a game as a reminder of the fantastic things football and hospitality can do when they work together, something we hope to inspire more and more clubs to follow Rochdale’s lead in.

"We’re starting strong and want to listen to the fans, adapting and evolving season after to season to make the fantastic food at Spotland one of the real talking points of any home game. We just can’t wait to get started."

Frances Fielding, Rochdale AFC Commercial Director, added: "We are very excited to work with The Lancashire Hospitality Co-operation and The Northern Pie Company and are confident that fans will be not just impressed, but blown away with new offering and left with a lasting impression long after the final whistle."

Rochdale AFC working in partnership with The Lancashire Hospitality Cooperation and The Northern Pie Company are proud to finally be "putting real food, made in Rochdale, into fans’ hands."