The Emirates FA Cup Final is the year’s biggest event in domestic English football. Have you ever wondered what it’s like to work the Emirates FA Cup Final at Wembley Stadium? Under the iconic arch on Saturday, 16 May, the matchday brought a sellout crowd to Wembley Stadium, and guests arrived expecting to enjoy more than just the football. Behind the scenes, our Delaware North U.K. team members made those memorable moments exceptional, with consistent service and elevated experiences.
How do Delaware North U.K. team members prepare for large scale events?
Collaboration is an essential driving factor for all major events at Wembley Stadium. Across kitchens, kiosks, logistics, people teams, boxes, premium restaurants, and everything in between, our team members at every level play a vital role in shaping the guest experience.
One of the biggest highlights on the FA Cup Final is how teams across the stadium shared their purpose to provide a cohesive experience across all dining areas. Harry, Head of Culinary at Wembley Stadium, who oversees all restaurants, boxes, and lounges, led over 290 chefs across the venue. The elevated hospitality cuisine, with Dover Sole as one of the highlight dishes, had the culinary team preparing hundreds of kilograms of fresh fish, British beef, vegetables, and heritage potatoes, with thousands of plates served in a tight service window.
The preparation made by teams for the FA Cup Final prior to the event was also featured in the U.K. hospitality publication, The Caterer. The planning included the five-course, fine-dining menu for One Twenty, an exclusive members club. As Harry explains, “most fans see the 90 minutes of football, but they don’t see the 12-month planning cycles, or the matchday briefing to a small army of Chefs.”
The commitment to preparation, teamwork, and attention to detail explains every team’s approach to major events.
How does Delaware North U.K. elevate the matchday experience?
Delaware North U.K. are continuing to innovate, and this year, the FA Cup Final provided guests with elevated experiences. Updated food offerings spanned across different dining tiers, and like Harry shared, we are “creating culinary excellences where the food is as much a draw as the event itself”. In collaboration with Andrew Wong, the two-Michelin-starred Chef, the culinary teams introduced a new concept, bringing elevated menus to Wembley Stadium’s Inner Circle.
Inner Circle is one of the stadium’s more accessible membership offerings, giving guests access to bars and restaurants when attending major sporting events and concerts at the venue. The Inner Circle menu included an amuse bouche of sesame crackers, British pork crackling, burnt apple puree, and grazing plates such as roast chicken and black pepper sauce pie, fish and chips, cheeseburger sliders, and scalded kingfish carpaccio. The dessert menu featured Hong Kong coconut buns with vanilla cream and sticky toffee pudding, while the post-match snacks included a savoury pie flight and cheese plate.
Doug, Managing Director of Delaware North U.K., shared “this collaboration brought an exceptional level of culinary excellence to the FA Cup Final, and Andrew’s vision and expertise are elevating expectations for stadium food and setting a new benchmark for hospitality in live sports.” The bespoke menu reimagined what accessible stadium food can be, showcasing high-quality offerings in every guest experience.
Be part of the team behind great guest experiences
The Emirates FA Cup Final might be over for another year, but the summer calendar at Wembley Stadium is in full swing. In the coming months, the team is preparing to host more world-class events. From concerts like Harry Styles, My Chemical Romance, Bruno Mars, Luke Combs, and The Weekend, to sporting events like AEW: All in London, each event has the same level of dedication and teamwork behind the scenes.
At Delaware North U.K., we’re always looking for team members who are passionate about hospitality, enjoy working as part of a team, and want to play a role in delivering unforgettable guest experiences at iconic venues like Wembley Stadium.
From Food Prep Assistants to Back of House Managers, every team member brings their skills to the table. Whether you’re just starting out as a Till Operator or Restaurant Waiter or building your career in hospitality as a Chef, we have exciting job opportunities with purpose, growth, and connection.
