Merlin Entertainments Names Aramark as Food and Beverage Partner

Two global companies collaborate to deliver leading dining options for guests at seven venues spanning the UK and US

PHILADELPHIA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merlin Entertainments (“Merlin” or “the Company”), a global leader in location-based entertainment, announced today that it has named Aramark (NYSE: ARMK), a global leader in food, facilities management, and uniforms, as its food and beverage partner for five locations in the UK and two in the US.

The locations for the multiyear contract include Alton Towers Resort, Chessington World of Adventures Resort, Thorpe Park Resort, Warwick Castle and LEGOLAND® Windsor Resort in the United Kingdom, and LEGOLAND® California Resort and LEGOLAND® Florida Resort in the United States.

“Building an innovative and high-quality food and beverage offering for our guests is part of our continued business strategy to deliver the very best guest days out and short breaks.” said Nick Varney, Chief Executive, Merlin Entertainments. “Aramark’s accomplishments in driving world-class hospitality programmes at many of the most prestigious sporting events, iconic locations, and leading destinations in the world makes them a great partner to elevate our food offering as part of the magic and memorable experiences we offer our guests.”

At Merlin Entertainments’ resorts and hotels across the seven locations, Aramark will be introducing food and beverage programmes that offer family and guest favourites, fresh concepts, fun themes and engaging events, coupled with industry-leading technology solutions to make it easy and convenient for visitors to navigate the varied choices. Each resort and hotel will have its own unique portfolio of food and beverage offerings based on the personality of the location.

In addition, Aramark and Merlin Entertainments are already collaborating closely to ensure that sustainable practices are core to the operations at all locations.

“We are proud to share our hospitality culture with Merlin Entertainments’ guests and families,” said John Zillmer, Aramark Chief Executive Officer. “We like to say that we’re ‘rooted in service’ and our scale, experience, and expertise as a global leader in foodservice innovation positions us to deliver world-class dining experiences at Merlin’s resorts and hotels, both in the UK and in the US.”

Food and beverage operations at the respective attractions will begin to operate under Aramark from this March (2022) in the UK, with the transfer expected to complete by the end of March 2023 in the US.

Merlin Entertainments and Aramark will work closely to ensure that food and beverage employees are supported as they transition to employment with Aramark. For the millions of visitors to Merlin’s attractions each year, the new partnership presents an exciting opportunity for future development of the guest experience, more details of which will be released in the coming months.

Notes to Editors

Aramark

Aramark (NYSE: ARMK) proudly serves the world’s leading educational institutions, Fortune 500 companies, world champion sports teams, prominent healthcare providers, iconic destinations and cultural attractions, and numerous municipalities in 19 countries around the world with food, facilities, and uniform services. Because our culture is rooted in service, our employees strive to do great things for each other, our partners, our communities, and our planet. Aramark has been named to DiversityInc’s “Top 50 Companies for Diversity” list, the Forbes list of “America’s Best Employers for Diversity,” the HRC’s “Best Places to Work for LGBTQ Equality” and scored 100% on the Disability Equality Index. Learn more at www.aramark.com and connect with us on Facebook, Twitter, and LinkedIn

About Merlin Entertainments

Merlin Entertainments is a global leader in location-based, family entertainment. As Europe's Number 1 and the world's second-largest visitor attraction operator, Merlin operates 137 attractions, 24 hotels and 6 holiday villages in 24 countries and across 4 continents. Merlin’s purpose is to deliver memorable experiences to its millions of guests around the world, through its iconic brands and multiple attraction formats, and the commitment and passion of its employees.

See www.merlinentertainments.biz for more information and follow on Twitter @MerlinEntsNews.