I experienced 'most luxurious' Hampden hospitality this summer- how fine dining & music combine
As more and more people are spending money on premium packages at venues and concerts, Rosalind Erskine went behind the scenes at Hampden to see how fine dining and live music combine.
From prosecco and hot dogs to multiple course fine dining menus, any visitor to Hampden can experience a huge range of culinary choices; whether they are there to cheer on Scotland or dance the night away to their favourite band. What has become more popular in recent years is the football ground’s hospitality offerings, which are run by Sodexo Live! I went along in June to see Take That and to experience what one of their top tier options included and how the team tailor the food and drinks to each concert.
Our afternoon started with a glass of Moet as we took our seats in the comfortable and modern dining room along with other concert goers who’d booked Skybox, one of the many hospitality options available at the sports ground.
The seven course Circus themed menu started with snacks of goats cheese churros with red pepper relish and chalk stream trout with pickled mooli, nori dust and caviar. These were followed by dishes including Cornish crab served with compressed watermelon, cucumber ketchup, seaweed cracker and chilli and lime; a glass-like blown sugar lemon filled with limoncello sorbet and a shortbread crumb; roast corn fed chicken or steak and chips and a dessert of peach melba.
A selection of Arran cheese were on the table for snacking on between songs - watched from the private balcony - with the post gig snacks consisting of chicken sliders, Macsween haggis sausage rolls and vegetable gyoza.
The move into the fine dining space isn’t a new one, but it’s something that has grown in popularity as people look to spend on experiential events. Steve Cova, divisional operations director, Stadia at Sodexo Live! said: “Today's guests expect a premium journey from arrival to departure, with exceptional food, personalised service and memorable moments that extend well beyond the event itself. Guests increasingly want experiences they can't recreate elsewhere. They value storytelling, interaction, quality local ingredients and environments that become part of the event rather than simply somewhere to eat beforehand.”
Mr Cova also explained how the team came up with the menus, which change based on the acts playing. He said: “Our culinary team looks at the demographic attending, the style and energy of the event, seasonal Scottish produce and current dining trends. We want menus that feel authentic to the occasion while remaining operationally robust enough to consistently deliver for thousands of guests over consecutive nights.”
As the summer of music comes to its crescendo, there are plenty more gigs slated for venues across Scotland but this lull in live music at Hampden means the return of football and servings of bovril, pies and sausage rolls. Upstairs however the fine dining continues as many supporters and businesses utilise the suites available to enjoy the matches, no matter the score.
This isn’t as refined as classic fine dining as you know it at a restaurant (as this scale that’d be almost impossible) but it’s well beyond what you might expect to experience at a football ground and the attention to detail was first class, as were the staff. It’ll be interesting to see what they cook up for 2027’s concerts.
Comments
Want to join the conversation? Please or to comment on this article.