Levy Restaurants, the sports, leisure and hospitality division of Compass Group UK & Ireland, has developed a new range food and beverage facilities at the Scottish Exhibition and Conference Centre (SECC) and the newly-launched SSE Hydro in Glasgow following a £6m investment. The SECC is recognised as a leading national venue for public events, concerts and conferences, and has a longstanding partnership with Compass Group dating back to 1985.
The onsite Levy Restaurant team, led by director of operations, Bill McMeekin, worked with Levy Restaurants’ creative director, Roy Westwood, to deliver a portfolio of dining experiences designed to maximise visitor dwell time, increase spend per head and enhance guest experience.
Levy Restaurants capitalised on unused office space to construct 300-capacity bar and restaurant facility, Clydebuilt Bar & Kitchen. Inspired by Glasgow’s ship-building heritage, Clydebuilt incorporates the pared-back industrial look of the SECC and docklands, re-interpreting it in a modern way that marries exposed steel work and reclaimed timber to create an engineered finish. The industrial theme is continued throughout, from the leather tool belt uniform to the signature Clydebuilt branded burger bun.
In the 12,000-seat SSE Hydro, Levy Restaurants has designed four food outlets – Hot Wok, Big Grill, Pizza Love and Rocksalt. Each venue uses materials distinctive to its brand identity, with heavy metal mesh in the Big Grill and white tiles in Rock Salt. Live footage of food production and information about the products, menus and ethos of the food are broadcast through digital signage.
Andy Hardy, business director for arenas at Levy Restaurants, says: “We are delighted with the final outcome of both Clydebuilt Bar & Kitchen and food outlets within The SSE Hydro. It has been a really exciting project and an honour to be working at The SSE Hydro right from the beginning.”
Roy Westwood adds: “Clydebuilt Bar & Kitchen is a unique design for the SECC. It is the perfect solution for a diverse customer base – from concert goers to the core conference and events sector – and provides the venue with a new and exciting destination restaurant.
“It was essential that we took the design concepts for both venues to the next level to match the forward-thinking architecture of the SSE Hydro. In doing this we’ve moved away from the traditional style of kiosks often found in stadia catering and have created a new space, with a modern look and feel and great high street concepts which, having been tried and tested on our customers, we’re sure will be a huge success.”
