Feature: Stadia hospitality meets branded restaurants

Nils Braude, managing director at Twickenham Experience Ltd, chats to Dine Out about bringing Sticks'n'Sushi into the corporate hospitality world of rugby

Hi Nils. Can you tell us a bit about your role...
I am the managing director of Twickenham Experience Limited (TEL) - the joint venture between the Rugby Football Union (RFU) and Compass Group. TEL manages the sale and delivery of all hospitality experiences at the Allianz Stadium, delivers all catering operations, including the concourse catering, and drives commercial use of the venue via the sales and operational delivery of the non-match day offering, which includes conferences, exhibitions, outdoor public events, meetings and other corporate events.

We're chatting just after England finished off a successful Quilter Nations Series. How has the hospitality side of things gone?
The series has delivered against all expectations. While not all hospitality spaces were in use for every game, we delivered an average of 8,000 covers across each match, with New Zealand achieving around 12,000 premium guest covers. Our new casual hospitality offerings – Sticks’n’Sushi, Beaumont and Allianz Suite – all performed very well and delivered new experiences to rugby fans, looking for a more relaxed, premium experience.

Tell us about the collaboration with Sticks’n’Sushi – how did it come about? 
Sticks’n’Sushi initially joined us as an enhancement to existing hospitality packages. Through our conversations, it became clear that both brands share a strong commitment to exceptional guest experiences, quality food and outstanding service. With similar customer profiles, the partnership offered mutual value and brand alignment. Our East Wing facility provided the ideal setting to showcase Sticks’n’Sushi in a way that complements our premium offering.

How often do you look at high street restaurant brands when it comes to in-stadia partnerships?
We have no set 'schedule', however we are always on the lookout for brands that would complement our guests experience, enhance our offer and/or deliver a new experience to our guests. Staying ahead of trends is a key part of this process – we actively monitor what’s resonating in the wider dining scene to ensure our partnerships remain relevant and appealing to our audience.

To what extent does working with the likes of Sticks’n’Sushi encourage more hospitality experience purchases from consumers? 
Collaborating with brands like Sticks’n’Sushi enables us to diversify beyond traditional hospitality by introducing a ‘premium casual’ option within our tiered offering. This approach not only provides a more relaxed, informal experience but also introduces a different price point, which is ideal for events that attract a stronger B2C audience seeking something less formal yet still high-quality.

The East Wing Suite

How do the two businesses go about menu development for matchdays? 
We make small tweaks and adjustments after every match where the offer has been used. We aim to add value and enhance the experience while ensuring it remains relevant and meets gusts expectations.

Does working with an external restaurant brand still classify as ‘contract catering’ when it comes to sport and leisure hospitality?
TEL holds the hospitality rights at the venue and as such benefits from the ability to influence the entire customer journey, from purchase through to delivery. This model has the advantage over traditional contracts in that it allows for innovation and diversity within the offer, such as the Sticks’n’Sushi collaboration.

Match day food from Sticks'n'Sushi

Can you tell us what you have in store for the Six Nations? Any more restaurant collaborations on the way? 
The Guinness Six Nations 2026 is already close to selling out, having been on sale for the past nine months, so the current offering remains unchanged. However, we recently launched brand-new collaboration: ‘Live with Marler & Martin’, featuring renowned British chef James Martin and former England Rugby and Celebrity Traitors star Joe Marler. This experience will be available at both fixtures.

In addition, we continue to partner with Michelin-starred chefs across various events, including Tom Kerridge, Tommy Banks and Ollie Bridgwater for the Six Nations; delivering exceptional menus within multiple hospitality packages. These collaborations ensure every match offers a unique twist, keeping our experiences fresh and aligned with some of Europe’s finest dining establishments.

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