Legends Global & York Racecourse Renew Long-Standing UK Partnership

Legends Global and York Racecourse, one of Britain’s most celebrated thoroughbred horseracing venues, today announce both a new sponsor for the Group One Yorkshire Oaks and the renewal of their long-standing partnership for a further eight years.

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 among other live music and racing events.

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

“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 centers around shared values: teamwork, collaboration and a continued drive for excellence,” according to the press release announcing the partnership.

York Racecourse is part of Legends Global’s UK portfolio of leading sports venues, which also includes Arsenal FC’s Emirates Stadium, and Chelsea FC’s Stamford Bridge.

York Racecourse’s heritage dates back to 1731. Over the past decade, York Racecourse Hospitality has won over a dozen national award for its racecourse catering operation at York.

Legends Global f&b philosophy delivers at the venue is rooted in 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.

Some of Britain’s exceptional culinary talent have become signature presences at 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. 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.

“Investment in a talented local team, technology, regional sourcing and innovative culinary partnerships will remain at the heart of the operation, as both organizations look ahead to the next chapter of a collaboration that has defined the gold standard for hospitality,” the press announcement concludes.

Comments:
Stephen Cooper, SVP Food and Beverage at Legends Global, Europe, “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. York Racecourse is a venue of real prestige staging world class racing, and we have always recognized the responsibility of delivering hospitality that lives up to that standard. From our talented teams on the ground every race day, to the world-class culinary partnerships we have built, our goal is simple: giving every single guest an unforgettable, world-class experience. We are committed to continuing to raise the bar across food, beverage and hospitality at York, and we’re excited to see what the next 40 years hold.”

William Derby, Chief Executive of York Racecourse, “We are thrilled to have renewed and extended our partnership with Legends Global and to be celebrating it with one of the biggest races of our season, the Group 1 Legends Global Yorkshire Oaks. Working together will allow us to continue to innovate, invest and grow our hospitality and catering offer at York for all our guests. Our respective organizations 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.”