Hot on the heels of doing a deal with Automatic Retailing, Melitta has announced a multi-year partnership with Manchester United which will see the brand become the club’s first Official Coffee Partner.
Melitta, part of the family-owned Melitta Group will be the club’s exclusive coffee partner in Europe, with the partnership covering UK, Ireland and Germany.
As part of the agreement more than 200 fully automatic Melitta coffee machines and makers will be installed within Executive Club boxes and hospitality areas around Old Trafford. With an estimated 6,000 kilos of coffee consumed each season, the Theatre of Dreams will provide the ideal backdrop for Melitta to demonstrate its prowess in providing quality coffee products to a mass audience, without compromising on quality and flavour.
In addition to this, Melitta played a major role in the refurbishment of the club’s Red Café. The new offering includes a sleek coffee bar, as well as a new dining area within the main restaurant..
Fans will also be pleased to hear that the brand will not only be equipping Old Trafford but will also provide attractive offers for Manchester United coffee lovers with club-branded machines becoming available to purchase soon, as well as many exciting competitions and giveaways.
Manchester United’s Group Managing Director, Richard Arnold comments: “Like Manchester United, Melitta is steeped in history. Established over 100 years ago, the family-run business was built on its founders’ invention of the coffee filter, a traditional way of making coffee that is still used in homes, restaurants and offices all over the world today.
“We are very proud to be partnering with this household name and look forward to working with them to further enhance the experience of the hundreds of thousands of visitors we welcome to Old Trafford each season.”
Volker Stühmeier, Member of the Chief Corporate Management at Melitta, was similarly chuffed: “It is a great honour to work with one of the most successful football teams in the world in such a close and trustworthy way”, he said. “For over 360 days of the year, our products will be used in one of the most traditional and iconic stadiums in the world.
“We have the ability to not only serve premium quality coffee using our state-of-the-art equipment, we will also be providing a substantial amount of porcelain, accessories, multipurpose and disposable materials. Old Trafford is an extraordinary showcase for Melitta!”
The Manchester United deal is further evidence that Melitta means business in the UK. In June, the brand targeted the vending trade by announcing a partnership with Automatic Retailing. ‘Securing this partnership with Automatic Retailing delivers a strong start to our journey into the UK Horeca market’, Laura Sherwood, New Market manager at Melitta Professional, said at the time. “With its great industry reputation, excellent customer service and expertise, Automatic Retailing was the obvious choice for us as our partner.”
And if you’ll allow us to finish in an in-joke, we reckon AR Chief Allan Walker might just be burning even more pairs of shoes than usual in years to come…
