ONE of the country’s top sports grounds is giving businesses a premier league gift this Christmas.
For the first time ever, St James’ Park, home to Newcastle United FC, is giving businesses the chance to treat clients or colleagues to a festive lunch in one of its executive boxes overlooking the hallowed turf.
Sodexo Prestige Venue & Events, which manages conferences and events at the stadium, is offering private dining for parties of between 10 and 45, from a menu specially created to celebrate the festive season.
Guests will be offered fruit cider on arrival before sitting down to a three course meal situated either in a seasonally decorated hospitality box or one of the stadium’s recently refurbished and festively dressed function suites.
Starters will include seared scallops with cauliflower purée, roasted black pudding and pea oil; pressed chicken satay with crushed peanuts and fermented Asian vegetables and Caerphilly cheese with baby gem lettuce, beetroot chutney and roasted rye bread.
These will be followed by either sirloin steak with peppercorn sauce and truffle and Parmesan Pont Neuf; seared fillet of sea bass with squid ink tagliatelle tossed in garlic, or a vegetarian option of red pepper, courgette and potato tortilla with char-grilled leeks, Parmentier potatoes and pea purée.
Desserts will include treacle, orange and ginger tart with clotted cream, Tia Maria and cinnamon torte with star anise syrup and lemon crème brûlée with seasonal berries, followed by coffee and chocolates.
Samantha Doyle, area sales manager for Sodexo Prestige, said: “We’ve created this Corporate Christmas Lunch in direct response to requests from Newcastle businesses.
“St James’ Park has long been one of the city’s most popular venues for large scale office parties, however, a number of smaller companies and executive management teams have asked if we could offer private lunches over the festive season.
“We’re delighted to not only be offering a superb menu in an iconic setting, but to be offering it as such a great price – so Christmas lunch with colleagues or clients needn’t break the bank.”
The Corporate Christmas Lunch costs £29.95 per person and must be pre-booked by calling 0191 201 8525 or e-mailing candb@nufc.co.uk.