The South of England Event Centre in Ardingly, Mid Sussex, looks set to become one of the South East’s fastest growing and most versatile event venues after a new food service partner and a dynamic new board of directors was revealed this week.
At the South of England Agricultural Society’s AGM, it was announced that high profile hospitality and food service company Graysons will join forces with the South of England Event Centre in a new food service partnership. With clients such as BMW, Rolls Royce, QVC and Commonwealth Bank of Australia, and ranked in the top five key independent foodservice businesses in the UK by EP Business and Hospitality Magazine, Graysons is a prestige catering service which will be providing food and drink expertise for all events, large and small, at Society shows and for clients using the Event Centre.
Tony Roestenburg, the new Chairman of the South of England Event Centre, said, “I believe the combination of our top quality caterers, new board of directors, a superb events team and a venue that has the flexibility to host indoor and outdoor events from 10 people to 100,000 is the perfect recipe for success and we aim to grow our client base extensively over the next few years.”
At the start of 2016, the South of England Event Centre secured two notable new clients. Firstly, NitroCircus, an action sports entertainment company performing daredevil stunts, who have appeared on MTV to international acclaim and have been touring the world with sold out shows since 2010, chose the venue for their show onJuly 3 2016.
The team has also signed a three-year deal with Best Parties Ever, the UK’s largest Christmas Party suppliers who, in 2015 entertained over 176,000 guests at 21 spectacularly styled venues.
These new connections come at a time when new Chairman of the Event Centre, Tony Roestenburg, who is a leading expert in the hospitality, entertainment, retail and sporting sector, has strengthened the venue’s board and business plan.
Said Iain Nicol, CEO of The South of England Agricultural Society and Director of the Event Centre, “We are delighted to have such a prestigious new board of directors and to be working with such a superb hospitality and food service company as Graysons. We have lots of plans for the Event Centre in the coming years and we are all looking forward to creating a real step change in the service we provide to our growing customer base. I am extremely confident that it will be a really successful partnership.”
Managing Director of Graysons, Tim O’Neill, said “We are extremely excited about this new partnership and look forward to playing a major part in the ongoing development of the South of England Event Centre. We are a creative fresh food company delivering bespoke restaurants and events to a diverse mix of clients and this amazing venue in Ardingly offers us a unique canvas to build something truly special in partnership with the South of England Agricultural Society. Our food and drink offers are based on fresh ingredients and inspired chefs creating great quality modern dishes served by passionate people.”
The South of England Event Centre is situated on the 150-acre South of England Showground in the heart of the beautiful West Sussex countryside but close to all major transport links. Situated in the village of Ardingly, 5 miles north of Haywards Heath, it is easily accessible by car, bus, rail or air, just 30 minutes’ drive from the M25, 20 minutes from Gatwick Airport and 10 minutes from Hayward’s Heath Railway Station and has a huge site for coach and car parking.
For more information about The South of England Event Centre, please visit www.southofenglandeventcentre.co.uk