They have shared with us the briefing documents submitted in support of the new Tottenham Hotspur Stadium which was selected last week as their Venue of the Year, see below.
‘Why did Europe’s newest football stadium look to the high street to ensure success?’
Tottenham Hotspur’s stadium includes more than 30 kitchens, in excess of 60 retail food outlets, the longest bar in Europe, plus its own bakery and micro-brewery!
With more than 60 food outlets spread over no fewer than nine floors the choice of dining experiences is quite literally mouthwatering. With menus created in conjunction with Spurs’ chef partners including Bryn Williams, Albert Roux, Michel Roux Junior and Chris Galvin, the loges and suites at “On Four” represent the club’s premium hospitality experience. Elsewhere in the stadium you will find areas such as The Market Place, situated in the stadium’s South Stand along with Touchline Grills and Tap Inns, located throughout the venue, serving a wide range of traditional fan favourites and other delicious dishes inspired by London’s vibrant street food market scene.
Bryn Williams and Chris Galvin talks to Tempus TV about how On Four works in terms of the match-day hospitality experience.
The food options within the Market Place include: Touchline Grill Burgers, hot dogs and chicken and chips; N17 Grill Gourmet burgers; Linesman Traditional fish and chips; Chicken House Rotisserie and Southern fried chicken; Naan & Noodle Asian street food; Smashed Olive Pizzas and salads. But these concepts did not just happen. Every single one was created and developed with input from Danny Potter, KCCJ’s very own concept designer, who brought his vast knowledge of catering operations to the table in order to help the club ensure that the food offer had something for everyone.
The client’s brief for this project was to embrace the local vibe and culture of Tottenham and create a series of experiences that fans would recognise as being authentic.
Historically, English football culture has seen fans drinking at a pub close to the ground and taking their seats at the stadium just in time for kick-off. So one of the biggest challenges of this project was to create spaces that would encourage fans to travel to the stadium ahead of time, and stay there after the final whistle. The designers undertook a thorough research project. They identified the local pubs most popular amongst fans, and also made the journey to the stadium from a variety of different approaches, experiencing the sights, sounds and landmarks engrained as part of the matchday experience for the many who made the pilgrimage. This work formed the basis for the design of The Market Place fan zone in the South Stand and the three pub-style feature bars on the stadium’s general concourse.
The Market Place
A reference to north London’s vibrant street food markets, The Market Place is the ‘beating heart’ of the stadium’s fan spaces. It is centred around four street-style food stalls serving a range of dishes – from traditional fish and chips to stone baked pizzas. In front, terraced seating — a gesture towards the traditional seating at English football grounds — provides somewhere for fans to enjoy their food and drinks. Behind the food stalls, the oak-topped Goal Line bar spans the full 65m-length of the goal line, with taps installed all the way along, helping to ensure fans are served their drinks quickly. In the Chicken Shop, Jump Studio’s designers used reclaimed bricks from the old East Stand to create an intricate feature wall, the bricks turned 45 degrees and offset to create texture.
Also within the Market Place is the Beavertown microbrewery, the world’s first in-stadium brewery. Together with the Beavertown Taproom, these spaces bring a burst of neon colour, combining the local firm’s quirky branding with the industrial palette of materials used throughout the stadium.
An American fan walks the length of the 65m-long Goal Line bar [some swearing]
Feature bars
On the general concourse, The Shelf bar pays homage to the old East Stand at White Hart Lane. The designers took inspiration from the intricate steel work that gave the original 1934 stand its structure to create the steel soffit above the bar, its form and rhythms echoed in the rugged timber panelling on the bar front. This industrial style is also reflected in the stainless steel countertop, as well as the exposed-brickwork feature walls that bookend the space, defining it within the general concourse.
The White Hart Bar features a more refined palette of materials, with a reclaimed solid oak countertop complemented below by solid oak panelling that wraps around the bar. The natural 'wavy' leading edge of the countertop adds to the tactile quality of the material. On the walls, white tiling is offset by detailing in Tottenham Hotspur’s club colour – navy blue.
This Spanish-speaking journalist was delighted with the new stadium when he visited for the traditional Boxing Day fixture last year, especially the quality and quantity of catering for the media.
The Dispensary continues in this style, with tiling covering the walls and also the bar front, referencing the classic interior design of a traditional English pubs. The brushed copper finish of the bar taps, light fittings, and detailing on the beer tanks adds warmth and colour to the design. Innovative.
The general concourse at Tottenham Hotspur stadium respond to the growing expectations of supporters for new and more exciting matchday experiences, demonstrating a quality of design to rival the very best bars and restaurants on the high street.
These spaces create vibrant new destinations within the stadium for fans to meet up before, during and after matches. They elevate the matchday experience, offering more choice and unique experiences, while also providing considerable added value for the club as spectators bring their custom to the ground well before kick-off.
What the fans are saying:
In a survey of 4,300 Tottenham Hotspur fans, 95% said they were satisfied with the fan experience.
In addition, 93% of fans surveyed revealed they were getting to Tottenham’s new ground 30 minutes before kick-off to experience the facilities on offer.
Charlie Charters is a former rugby union official and sports marketing executive turned thriller writer whose debut book Bolt Action was published by Hodder & Stoughton in 2010.
