Indoor and Outdoor Catering and Bar Provision within Walton Hall and Gardens

Warrington Borough Council is seeking to expand the catering offering for bookings and events at Walton Hall and Gardens. This will involve contracting with several catering companies in order to provide customers with greater choice. This concession opportunity includes three (3) separate procurement lots, with the Indoor Lot encompassing four (4) sublots.

Lot 1: Indoor Lot. Catering provision within Walton Hall, Walton Golf Club, the Old Riding School and other locations, catering for a variety of events including weddings, civil ceremonies, christenings, funeral after-services and conferences. For this lot, we are seeking to contract with several caterers, each specialising in one of the following sublots:

• 1A) High-end dining (including canapes)
• 1B) Relaxed catering (e.g. pizza, hog roast, hot and cold buffet etc.)
• 1C) Afternoon tea and café (including light snacks and children's food)
• 1D) Asian and faith-friendly (including Asian food and religious/cultural dietary accommodations such as halal or kosher)

These categories reflect patterns of demand for the hall. It is important to note that contractors will not be restricted to only providing the cuisine category in the sublot and will be permitted to cater for any event when chosen by the customer, subject to approval from the estate team. As such, all successful indoor caterers must demonstrate wide-ranging menus with options to suit a variety of tastes, preferences and dietary practices. For this lot, there is no assurance of work, and suppliers will only provide catering services for events when specifically selected by customers. For details on responsibilities and more, please see the Specification document.

Lot 2: Outdoor Lot. Catering provision around the gardens for events such as outdoor cinemas, theatre events and corporate functions. For this lot, we are seeking to put together a list of pre-approved suppliers in support of planned outdoor events on an invite-only basis. Consequently, there is no assurance of work and suppliers will only provide catering services for events when specifically requested by the council. For details on responsibilities and more, please see the Specification document.

Lot 3: Bar Lot. Bar operation at events across Walton Hall and Gardens (both indoor and outdoor). For this lot, we are seeking to partner with an individual bar operator. The bar is currently licensed from 11.00am - midnight. For details on responsibilities, exclusivity and more, please see the Specification document.

As part of this process, we are aiming to significantly expand the availability of cost-effective catering options at the estate, in order to accommodate a wider variety of customer bookings. We are also seeking to increase the number of events held at Walton Hall and Gardens by contracting with caterers that will undertake their own marketing and generate business for the estate.