Express Cafés, part of Compass Group, has signed a five-year £2.5m contract to provide services at Crystal Palace FC.

It will run a minimum of 16 kiosks over the course of 23 league games, replacing the stadium’s own in-house catering facilities previously in operation.

Its "stadia" approach will see the creation of food courts within the main space offering a range of brands such as Wimpy, SubCulture and Carvery.

The win follows a spate of successes for Compass this year, including contracts to provide services at Guildford’s Spectrum leisure complex and the National Ice Centre in Nottingham.

The Group’s Facilities Management Catering also signed a three-year contract extension at Southampton FC in July.

Rob Earle, Crystal Palace’s general catering manager, said: “Express Cafés has demonstrated its proven track record in catering at major stadia across the UK.”

• Sunderland FC has lent its support to the Sunderland School Meals Service to highlight the importance of a healthy, balanced diet for children. The club’s chairman Niall Quinn has put his face to the campaign – dubbed “another great signing for Sunderland” – to encourage children and their families across the city to sign up to school meals.

Compass names new MD for its sport, leisure and hospitality sector >>

By Dee Rossi

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