Leeds’ new ‘super casino’ makes safe bet on contracting vending machine and refreshments systems firm

Leeds’ new ‘super casino’, the biggest in the North of England and Scotland, has awarded a major supply contract to Yorkshire vending machine and refreshments systems company, Upton Group.

Upton Group, which is based in Selby, Scarborough and Hull, will now supply Victoria Gate Casino with a range of refreshment systems.

A barista coffee machine and freshly-roasted artisan coffees, a bulk-brewing ground coffee machine which can make up to 100 cups at a time; a barista coffee machine for behind-the-bar use; ‘bean-to-cup’ coffee machines; water cooler systems and fully-stocked vending machines are being delivered to the casino.

The contract is among Upton Group’s biggest in West Yorkshire and the first to involve virtually all its range of products and services which has also included staff barista training and twice weekly restocking of the two vending machines for the use of the casino’s 200 staff.

The £30m Victoria Gate Casino, which is owned by Global Gaming Ventures and funded by a US private Equity firm, opened in 50,000 sq ft premises in The Headrow in January, making it the third largest UK casino with three food and drink outlets: Live Bar, Curve and V Restaurant and a total capacity of 1,400 people.

John Davis, Victoria Gate Casino head of food and beverage, said: “We were attracted by Upton Group’s artisan coffees through York Coffee Emporium and soon discovered that the wider business has the product and service range, flexibility and attention to detail, right down to staff training, to meet all our needs, backed by great service.

“Although serving a casino is new to Upton Group, they quickly understood our needs across our different venues. It is far easier for us to deal with a single supplier and we see this as the start of a long-term relationship that will evolve as Victoria Gate Casino establishes itself in Leeds’ leisure offer.

“Victoria Gate Casino is not just about gaming but about meeting the needs of guests from a wide range of demographics and fine food and drink is an integral part of our offer.

“We are prepared to pay a little more for top quality. We may seek to work with York Coffee Emporium to develop our own bespoke coffee blend in due course. We are here to stay and want to use local suppliers just as we have recruited our staff within West Yorkshire.”

Darren Carter, Upton Group sales director, added: “This is a very significant contract for us, covering virtually all our products and services since the acquisition of York Coffee Emporium last year, allowing us to show how effectively we can work together to meet the needs of a good-sized, busy leisure venue.

“Being able to add artisan hand-roasted coffees to our offer enables us to meet the needs of businesses striving for high quality as part of a wide range of services and this helps Victoria Gate Casino serve its wide range of visitors. We are delighted to be supporting them.”

The Upton Group supplies a wide range of refreshment systems for dispensing hot and cold drinks, confectionary and snacks, fresh foods and sandwiches, chilled water as well as artisan, hand-roasted coffees to a wide spectrum of enterprises from SMEs to international businesses throughout the UK.

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