By STAFF REPORTERS
IT is best known for hosting elite sport and entertainment, but CommBank Stadium has also been one of the City of Parramatta’s great dining hotspots since the new-look venue’s doors opened in 2019.
Now we know why, with the catering team at CommBank Stadium this week receiving one of the most celebrated awards in the restaurant and catering industry.
VenuesLive – the in-house catering team responsible for feeding the fans and wining and dining corporate guests from match day to every day – was named Australian Venue Caterer of the Year at the 2023 National Restaurant & Catering Hostplus Awards For Excellence.
At a glittering awards function at Le Montage – Navarra Collection at Lilyfield in Western Sydney, VenuesLive NSW edged out competitors from other States and Territories to receive the award for outstanding delivery and execution at CommBank Stadium at Parramatta.
VenuesLive Managing Director Daryl Kerry said: “It is a great honour for our team to be named Australian Venue Caterer of the Year . . . to be independently assessed by experts in the restaurant and catering industry as the best venue caterer in the country speaks volumes for the skills, dedication and professionalism in our VenuesLive team.”
On a night to remember at the national awards function, VenuesLive also won Bronze in the Australian Events Caterer of the Year category for delivery and execution at Accor Stadium at Sydney Olympic Park.
Mr Kerry paid special tribute to General Manager Catering (NSW) Mark Adler, Executive Chef Craig Veigel, Head of Hospitality Food & Beverage Michelle Profilio and Head of Meetings & Special Events Dave Greselin and their teams.
Mr Kerry also acknowledged the great influence that Australian food icon and VenuesLive Culinary Ambassador Matt Moran AM has had on the quality of food on offer at VenuesLive-catered venues.
VenuesLive had previously won three major awards at the NSW Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence:
🥇 NSW Caterer Of The Year 2023: VenuesLive – CommBank Stadium, Parramatta;
🥇 NSW Venue Caterer of the Year: VenuesLive – CommBank Stadium, Parramatta;
🥇 NSW Events Caterer of the Year Sydney (over 200 guests): VenuesLive – Accor Stadium, Sydney Olympic Park.
The slew of catering awards this year has taken the total number of gongs bestowed on CommBank Stadium since 2019 to an amazing 26 individual awards.
CommBank Stadium has a big summer of events to roll out, with the Western Sydney Wanderers featuring heavily after making a fantastic start to the 2023/24 Isuzu Ute A-League Men’s premiership.
Matildas stars Alanna Kennedy, Mackenzie Arnold and Mary Fowler will feature at an Open Air Live event at CommBank Stadium on Thursday 21 December, the venue will host A-League Unite Round Double-Headers on Friday 12 and Sunday 14 January, pop star The Kid Laroi will feature in a concert at CommBank on Friday 16 February, while the Parramatta Eels will return to their spiritual home for an NRL Round 1 blockbuster against the Canterbury Bulldogs on Saturday 9 March (5:30pm kick-off).
The full list of award winners at the 2023 National Restaurant & Catering Awards for Excellence is here:
https://www.rca.asn.au/sites/default/files/uploaded-content/website-content/2023_national_afe_winners_list.pdf
