Local catering equipment distributor Stephensons has provided catering equipment to Manchester’s new arena, Co-op Live, across its multitude of concessions, bars, lounges, and restaurants.
The new venue offers an innovative live entertainment experience, with a strong emphasis on community. Stephensons, a fifth-generation family-run business, is one of the local suppliers Co-op Live has appointed as part of its commitment to supporting local infrastructure and supply chains.
Following the appointment earlier in the year, Stephensons has since delivered more than 300 pallets of equipment to the venue for the initial order, including cleaning supplies, kitchen equipment, glassware, bar utensils, crockery, and food packaging.
The independent catering equipment supplier was chosen for its expertise and has played a crucial role in assisting the venue in obtaining the right UK-sourced solutions due to its access to popular brands and ability to source one-off products.
When asked about what won the company this contract, Stuart Linsey, Stephensons’ Sourcing Manager, said: “The team at Co-op Live were impressed with our wealth of experience and knowledge across multiple categories.
“As we are only a few miles from the venue, we made the process easy for them, giving them full traceability and timelines on the products, as well as being able to react instantaneously to any request. Passing this information on to the Co-op Live team allowed them to quickly locate items as needed. By using our own fleet of vans alongside a trusted nominated courier, we were able to offer a reliable delivery service directly to the venue.
“We were also able to provide numerous sample products for them to consider, with a dedicated team set up to work closely with them to find the best options for the various bars, restaurants, and takeaway food outlets.”
The Stephensons team conducted weekly online check-ins and facilitated numerous visits to their Stockport showroom and Cheadle warehouse throughout the procurement process to ensure specification was correct and a seamless drop-off was achieved.
Stephensons is one of 386 local suppliers that Co-op Live is working with, 40% of which are based within five miles of the development and a further 36% from the Greater Manchester area.
Henry Stephenson, Managing Director at Stephensons said: “The contract win is a testament to our skills and ability to supply large venues and it’s great to be working with a such prominent venue that prioritises local relationships and products.
“Co-op Live is a really exciting investment for Manchester and with the diverse array of events it will be hosting, we are looking forward to seeing the interest and opportunities it brings to the local community.”
