Lindley Heritage clinched the five-year, £12.5 million catering contract after joining forces with award-winning North-East based chef and restaurateur, Terry Laybourne MBE, who will preside as consultant chef at the landmark venue.
As well as providing catering and hospitality for all public events and private functions at the riverside venue - which houses a café/restaurant and a new bar on the Concourse; four mezzanine bars along with two performance halls; a rehearsal space which can accommodate up to 250 guests or delegates; a further choice of function rooms accommodating between 50 and 400 guests; and 30 break out rooms - Lindley Heritage will also work closely with Sage Gateshead’s in-house events management team to develop conference and banqueting opportunities.
Lindley Heritage has already re-styled the café/restaurant, introducing new menus which focus on fresh, seasonal local produce and feature Terry Laybourne signature dishes. Lindley Heritage has also installed a new additional bar on the main Concourse area to provide extra capacity and maximise use of the Concourse space.
Lindley Heritage is also implementing a number of sustainable, ethical and community initiatives which will enhance and complement the venue’s existing social programmes and commitment to reducing the impact of the building on the environment.
These will include full recycling facilities for the kitchens, including the collection and recycling of food waste and cooking oil; offering free used coffee grounds to visitors for their gardens; adapting white and electrical goods to reduce energy consumption; conducting monthly audits to ensure energy, water and waste are being managed sustainably; and reducing food miles by working with Tasteclub to promote regional produce.
Phillip Baitch, commercial trading director at Sage Gateshead, said: “We are delighted to welcome Lindley Heritage and Terry Laybourne to Sage Gateshead and believe the developments already implemented have truly enhanced the dining and social experience of our visitors. We look forward to working with The Lindley Group to further enhance the quality of food, customer service and overall customer experience at Sage Gateshead.”
Jonathan Davies, The Lindley Group’s sales and marketing director, added: “This contract has all of the ingredients of a perfect partnership – a unique landmark building in a vibrant city offering a wide range of multi-function rooms and state-of-the art technical facilities which provide the ideal setting for any event from concerts to conferences, exhibitions and weddings. There is also the skill and expertise of an extremely talented, locally-renowned chef; and an independent national catering company which understands how to drive sales and increase customer satisfaction.”