Merlin Entertainments announced that it has named Aramark, food, facilities management, and uniforms provider, as its food and beverage partner for five locations in the UK and two in the US.
The locations for the multi-year contract include Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Thorpe Park Resort, Warwick Castle and LEGOLAND Windsor Resort in the United Kingdom, and LEGOLAND California Resort and LEGOLAND Florida Resort in the United States.
“Building an innovative and high-quality food and beverage offering for our guests is part of our continued business strategy to deliver the very best guest days out and short breaks,” said Nick Varney, Chief Executive, Merlin Entertainments. “Aramark’s accomplishments in driving world-class hospitality programs at many of the most prestigious sporting events, iconic locations and leading destinations in the world makes them a great partner to elevate our food offering as part of the magic and memorable experiences we offer our guests.”
At Merlin Entertainments’ resorts and hotels across the seven locations, Aramark will be introducing food and beverage programs that offer family and guest favorites, fresh concepts, engaging themes and events, coupled with technology solutions to make it convenient for visitors to navigate the varied choices. Each resort and hotel will have its own unique portfolio of food and beverage offerings based on the personality of the location.
In addition, Aramark and Merlin Entertainments are already collaborating closely to ensure that sustainable practices are core to the operations at all locations.
“We are proud to share our hospitality culture with Merlin Entertainments’ guests and families,” said John Zillmer, Aramark Chief Executive Officer. “We like to say that we’re ‘rooted in service’ and our scale, experience and expertise as a global leader in food service innovation positions us to deliver world-class dining experiences at Merlin’s resorts and hotels, both in the UK and in the US.”
Food and beverage operations at the respective attractions will begin to operate under Aramark from March 2022 in the UK, with the transfer expected to complete by the end of March 2023 in the US.
Merlin Entertainments and Aramark will work closely to ensure that food and beverage employees are supported as they transition to employment with Aramark.
