Seasoned clinch £6m deal at The Apex and Athenaeum
Celebrating the contract with Seasoned at The Apex and Athenaeum are, left to right, Nick Wells, events and programme manager for The Apex; Jo Rayner, cabinet member for Leisure Culture and Community Hubs at West Suffolk Council; Alan Randall, operation's manager at Seasoned; Sarah Broughton, cabinet member for Resources and Property at West Suffolk Council; and Ian Clarke, marketing and sales manager for The Apex.
Cafe, hospitality and event management company Seasoned has been awarded a contract worth £6m of business, to provide bar and event catering, sales and marketing at The Apex and The Athenaeum, in Bury St Edmunds.
The five-year appointment by West Suffolk Council will see Seasoned marketing and selling conferences, meetings, hospitality and weddings, as well as providing catering services for the café, bars and event catering at both venues from January.
They plan to operate the café, the three bars in the 500-seater auditorium, foyer and lounge at The Apex as well as all events at the historic Athenaeum.
Seasoned’s managing partner venues, Graham Turner, said: “The Apex is an opportunity for Bury St Edmunds to showcase itself to a wider regional and national audience. We are looking forward to collaborating with West Suffolk Council to inject new impetus in the catering services and enhance the food and drink offer, showcasing Suffolk’s talented producers and suppliers.
“Our mission is to connect with the wider community, offering diverse and accessible experiences that enable everyone to feel welcome. We want visitors to The Apex, and guests at The Athenaeum to be excited by the quality of our new café, bar and event experiences and for them to enjoy both venues as places to meet, work, learn, present, socialise and relax, whilst enjoying the inspiring range of memorable cultural experiences.”
Jo Rayner, cabinet member for Leisure and Culture at West Suffolk Council, said: “I’m delighted with this news which will enhance the experience and the leisure and culture offer enjoyed by visitors to The Apex and The Athenaeum. We are very much looking forward to working with them.”
The new contract will be overseen by Seasoned’s operation’s director, Alan Randall, who spent part of his career running the local executive members club, the Bury St Edmunds & Farmers Club.
He added: “We’re really excited to be collaborating with the wider West Suffolk community for job and training opportunities as well as partnering with local suppliers from Bury St Edmunds and Suffolk. We share many green values and we are looking forward to creating locally sourced, freshly made, seasonal, sustainable and healthy food and drink experiences to be enjoyed and shared by everyone and to make a real difference to the wider community.”