Sodexo Live! wins Edinburgh Zoo catering contract

Sodexo Live! has been appointed the catering and hospitality partner for Edinburgh Zoo following a tendering process.

 

The group’s specialist event catering brand Heritage Portfolio will be managing the site with a core team based in Edinburgh.

 

Together, Edinburgh Zoo operator the Royal Zoological Society of Scotland (RZSS) and Sodexo Live! aim to create an on-site food offer that celebrates Scottish ingredients, supports local producers and enhances the visitor experience.

 

The food and beverage plan will be built around conservation, community and engagement. The team’s early priorities include focusing on improving quality and consistency across the site, refreshing menus with seasonal produce in collaboration with local suppliers, and embedding a service culture that mirrors the zoo’s educational and conservation values.

 

Inspired by the zoo’s animals and their habitats, a ‘Feeding Natural Curiosity’ philosophy will be implemented, guiding menu development, emphasising global flavours, from-scratch cooking, zero-waste initiatives and community partnerships.

 

Previously, Compass Group’s Restaurant Associates brand delivered the catering service at the zoo, providing services for weddings, conferences, meetings and events as well as running the restaurant and two cafés.

 

Sodexo Live! UK and Ireland chief executive Claire Morris said: “This partnership gives us the unique opportunity to really transform the catering offering to reflect RZSS’s vision. By positioning Edinburgh Zoo as a place of global exploration and education – a living classroom for all – we want to create a sense of culinary adventure and discovery through exciting, diverse global flavours aligned to the animals’ natural habitats. We want our food to be more than just a service – we want it to add joy and make visitors’ zoo experience even more immersive and meaningful.”

 

RZSS deputy chief executive Ben Supple added: “We want to provide visitors to Edinburgh Zoo with the very best experience as this will encourage more people to learn about and protect our natural world. Catering is an essential part of that, and we are looking forward to working in partnership with the Sodexo Live! and Heritage Portfolio team to develop an exceptional offer which celebrates local, high-quality and sustainable produce.”

 

Terms of the contract were not disclosed.

 

The zoo joins the list of Sodexo Live! client partners across Scotland, including the Royal Botanic Garden Edinburgh and Hampden Park.

 

Sodexo Live! won the Foodservice Cateys 2024 Innovation Award for its work at Brighton & Hove Albion FC, following its triumph in the 2022 awards’ Retail and Leisure Caterer of the Year category.