<p>Stadium food not cheap as chips</p>

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As the GAA season hots up, football and hurling fans will be tucking into stadium food - burgers, hot dogs and 300,000 cups of coffee. But do they offer value for money  Tina Leonard reports for Pat Kenny.

During the championship season this year Croke Park will serve a mouth watering 76,000 beef burgers and 154,000 hot dogs, not to mention 300,000 cups of coffee and 110,000 bags of crisps.

Given the amount of food being prepared and consumed, not just in Croke Park but in other Irish stadiums too, is the food being served produced in Ireland?

And do the prices for burgers and chips compare across some of our stadiums?

I took a look at four Irish stadiums, the two largest in Ireland; Croke Park and Semple Stadium, both GAA grounds and also Aviva Stadium in Dublin and Thomond Park in Limerick, the home of Munster rugby.

Given the general interest in supporting the Irish economy and Irish jobs through buying Irish, it is welcome and not surprising to find that all four stadiums have as their aim to source Irish produce only where possible. And when it comes to the GAA their national policy supports this aim.

In all cases the catering function is franchised. Some stadiums also offer ‘meal deals’ and serve additional products on concert days as opposed to match days.

The focus here is on the ‘ordinary’ food served and not the carvery meals that may be available, or the meals served via any group catering or banqueting facilities.

CROKE PARK

Capacity: 82,300. The third largest stadium in Europe after Barcelona’s Nou Camp and Wembley in London.

Catering:

Catering is run by Fitzers Catering (Irish family owned). They estimate that during the 2011 championship season (May to September), they will serve 76,000 beef burgers, 52,000 chicken fillets, 154,000 hot dogs and 110,000 bags on Tayto crisps. 150,000 minerals and 300,000 cups of coffee will also be sold. In addition they will cater for 160,000 Take That fans in a couple of weeks time!

All fresh food produce used by Croke Park is sourced from Irish suppliers. All chicken and beef supplied to Croke Park is fully Irish and fully traceable from farm to fork. All official suppliers have been appointed by Croke Park “based on their ability to supply large quantities of quality food produce, which consistently meet the highest possible food standards in Ireland.”

Croke Park state they are 100% committed to providing the best Irish produce at the right price. Their aim is to provide a wholly Irish product and experience to all visitors, hence the commitment to Irish food produce and in turn the support to Irish jobs etc.

Food suppliers:

Beef burgers – Crossgar Foodservice, Co Down

Chicken burgers – Crossgar Foodservice, Co Down, reared to Bord Bia standards

Hot Dogs - Irish produced from German Salami, Co Louth

Hot Beef Roll – Irish beef from Pallas Foods in Limerick.

Bread Buns (for burgers etc) – Johnston Mooney & O Brien

Sandwiches – Freshways, Co Dublin

Chips – Caterway in Dublin (fruit and vegetables)

Crisps – Tayto

Tea – Lyons

Coffee - Bewleys

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SEMPLE STADIUM

Capacity: 53,500 (the second largest stadium in Ireland)

Catering:

Catering is franchised to Great Stuff Catering from Midleton in Co Cork, one of the largest Irish catering companies. While the contract does not have a specific requirement to buy Irish produce, the stadium encourages the purchase of Irish produce where possible.

Semple Stadium state they endeavour to support local suppliers for the purchase of products and services.

Food providers:

Burgers – Irish beef from Rangeland Foods in Co Monaghan

Chicken burgers – Western Brand in Co Fermanagh

Chips – Pallas Foods

Sausages – Loughnanes in Galway

Frankfurter – Allied Foods, Dublin

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AVIVA STADIUM

Capacity: 50,000.

Catering:

Catering is provided by Compass Catering group Ireland, who employ 2,000 in Ireland (they also operate the Costa brand). They also cater at Leopardstown and Fairyhouse. The catering group’s stated aim is to support Irish produce.

On match days they serve 2,000 fish and chips, 4,000 burgers and 5,000 beef sandwiches.

The stadium's overall policy is to source all food from local suppliers where at all possible.

Food providers:

Beefburgers: H and D Meats in Chapelizod, Dublin. Meat used is 100% Irish, produced and slaughtered in Ireland. The stadium has worked closely with H and D Meats to ensure that the burgers are made to their specifications. This is to ensure both consistency in flavour and also to perfect cooking time and size in relation to the chosen burger bun.

Hot Dogs: Frankfurters for the hot dogs are made in Loughnanes of Galway. All of their sausage products are made with 100% Irish ingredients.

Onions (for the burger and hot dogs) – Readchef in Dublin.

Hot Beef Rolls: H and D Meats provide the 100% Irish topside beef used in the beef roll. Topside joints are slow roasted on the day of a match and are accompanied by a horseradish and watercress mash made with Irish Rooster potatoes.

Vegetables: All accompanying vegetable products are sourced within the Irish market.

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THOMOND PARK

Capacity: 25,600 in the ‘home of Munster rugby’

Catering:

Catering is provided by Masterchefs Munster, who are based in Limerick with additional offices in Galway and Cork. They also have catering contracts with NUI Galway and University of Limerick. 50 full time and 250 part time employees.

In Thomond Park they have multiple public food outlets, which they operate in conjunction with Benson Foods Dublin & BB’s Coffee & Muffins.

The policy is to source all produce in Ireland where possible and Masterchefs Munster also insist that any subcontractors have the same policy.

Food sources:

Paninis and sandwiches – Freshways (a subsidiary of Kerry Foods)

Burgers – Goldstar meats, a member of the Kepak Group and only Irish beef is used in their manufacturing.

Sausages – Loughnanes in Galway

Hot Dogs – Hanrahans in Limerick and Big Als, which is part of the Kepak Group.

Bread (for burgers and hot dog rolls) – Irish Pride and Johnston Mooney & O Brien.

Milk (for tea and coffee and in their ice-cream) – Lakeland dairies in Cavan

Crisps – Tayto

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PRICE COMPARISON

Bear in mind that most products are not directly comparable, due to different ingredients, sizes etc.

Product Croke Park Semple Stadium Aviva Stadium Thomond park