Eat to the Beat, are gearing up for one of their busiest ever festival seasons in 2017.
From May through to September Eat to the Beat (ETTB) and parent company GIG will be delivering backstage, crew and VIP artist catering at 16 of the UK’s major festivals including the jewel in the crown, Glastonbury.
Staged over five days in June, Glastonbury Festival of Contemporary Performing Art, is the world’s largest green-field festival requiring a mammoth infrastructure being created at the iconic Worthy Farm at Pilton, Somerset. Mary Shelley-Smith, ETTB’s Global Operations Director, is responsible for overseeing the process – a role she has undertaken since the company were first awarded the contract in 1998.
Shelley-Smith and her brigade are the energetic team behind keeping crews and artists, including the BBC’s crew and presenters, fed and refreshed – not just during the festival but throughout the all-important build-up phase, and while the site is cleared.
Thanks to their 19 years of Glastonbury experience, the ETTB team have a meticulous operational plan involving, a ten-strong team who live and work in the on-site compounds.
“Glastonbury involves meticulous planning and agility in delivery. We bring our own equipment on to site, which includes sinks and hot water provision. A 50-strong team supported by numerous volunteers serve breakfast, lunch and dinner to 950 people each day, but over the main festival days Eat to the Beat will serve over 13,000 meals.” Said Shelley-Smith.
“Our team of around 20 chefs will provide a 24-7 service including three course lunches with lots of choice to suit every artist and crew taste we’ve come across! We focus on creating a special service – VIP treatment but home comfort style where it’s needed including taking into account allergies, intolerances and special requirements!” She added.
Crews from ETTB will be criss-crossing the nation throughout the summer from Cornwall to Scotland. The season kicks off in May at the Slamdunk Festival at Hatfield Forum and winds up at Leeds Festival in August at Bramham Park, Wetherby.
Their epic road trip will cater for crew and artists at events including the Rewind Festivals at Cheshire, Henley-Upon-Thames and Perth; Reading Festival; V Festival; Download at Donnington Park; Corona Sunsets in Greenwich; Eden Sessions at the Eden Project in St Austell; Latitude at Beccles, Suffolk; Rochester Castle, Kent and Glastonbury.
ETTB’s parent company, Global Infusion Group will be firmly on London’s festival season with the division providing artist catering to the star-studded line-up of the British Summer Time Festival in Hyde Park, Proms in the Park and BBC Radio 2 Live events in September.
GIG Global Operations Director, Bonnie May said: “Eat to the Beat are one of the most recognised names for artist, production managers, crew, agencies and promoters on the festival circuit and as part of Global Infusion Group, the team have lots of great long-standing relationships with our clients, some that we have worked with for over 30 years.”
