8:00am Saturday 9th March 2013
By Simon Parker
City have lost a long-term contract worth over £200,000 a year after the collapse of their Valley Parade catering company.
Events Management Catering Ltd (EMC) went into administration ten days ago and pulled out of the deal on Wednesday.
The club will do the job in-house for this afternoon’s clash with Aldershot and the six remaining home games until the end of the season. They will then have to decide whether to put the contract back out to tender.
News of EMC’s demise came out of the blue. They had been City’s caterers for the past six years and the current contract was set to run until 2016.
Director of operations David Baldwin admitted: “Nobody saw this coming and the club have taken a heavy hit. But in order to minimise the impact to the fans, we have our own staff taking over. I’d ask that supporters bear with us and we will be evaluating the situation between now and the end of the season.
“To help soften the blow, we’d encourage fans to buy their food and drink as normal from the corporate areas. They can be assured that the money raised from that will go towards helping off-set the loss that the club have made.
“This does not affect the stadium concourse which will remain open as usual.”
Uxbridge-based EMC also provided food and refreshments for several football and rugby league clubs around Yorkshire, including Hull City and Hull FC at the KC Stadium, St Helens, Doncaster and Halifax. The company have been going for 30 years.
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