Wasps Group announced a long-term deal with Delaware North to provide catering for Ricoh Arena.GETTY IMAGES
A catering and hospitality deal at Premiership Rugby side Wasps' stadium, the Ricoh Arena, which was claimed to be worth £195M ($258M), was terminated 12 years early, according to Enda Mullen of the COVENTRY TELEGRAPH. The partnership with Compass Group UK & Ireland, which was due to run until '30, "will not continue" after Wasps Group announced a new long-term deal with U.S. firm Delaware North. The reasons for ending the long-running Compass deal were not revealed but in a statement the company said that it was by "mutual agreement." A source close to the Delaware-Wasps deal described it as "significantly better" than the previous agreement. The new deal gives Delaware North exclusive rights to catering and hospitality services at the Ricoh Arena "spanning sports, entertainment and business events." Wasps Group CEO Nick Eastwood said that the Delaware North deal was "great news" for the stadium and the region. He said, "This is a landmark deal for Wasps Group and the start of a long relationship with Delaware North, who have shown enormous confidence in both the Ricoh Arena and the quality of the region's stuff" (COVENTRY TELEGRAPH, 6/20).
