Sodexo partners with pub food innovator to bring trackside fan favourites to the Pilbara

Fly-In, Fly-Out (FIFO) workers at Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri Village in the Pilbara can now sink their teeth into Supercars fan favourite feeds enjoyed trackside nationally from Perth to Townsville, the Gold Coast and Bathurst.

Australia, January 2024

Fly-In, Fly-Out (FIFO) workers at Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri Village in the Pilbara can now sink their teeth into Supercars fan favourite feeds enjoyed trackside nationally from Perth to Townsville, the Gold Coast and Bathurst.

A new partnership between Sodexo Australia (Sodexo) and Food Equity Group, one of Australia’s most innovative foodservice and retail product companies, will see workers at the newly refurbished Gudai-Darri Social hub tucking into the delicious All-Australian American BBQ range, Sticky Addiction.

This ‘addictive’ range has generated cult appeal from Supercars fans trackside for the past two years being the highest selling food truck brand at last year’s Repco Bathurst 1000.

The new menu addition is part of Rio Tinto’s million dollar investment in the revitalisation of the Gudai Darri wet mess into a Social Hub that promote a contemporary, high quality, inclusive and safe space enhancing the FIFO resident experience outside of the traditional ‘Wet Mess’.

At the centre of this project is the Gudai-Darri Social Hub.

Daniel Zarew, Head of Retail, Sodexo Australia, said: “We’re excited to launch Food Equity Group’s eye-catching All-Australian American BBQ range to the Gudai-Darri tavern.

“The changing environment within FIFO Villages calls for a rethink of the ‘old’ Wet Mess. We wanted to create a new facility which includes the latest in on-trend premium products to exceed resident expectations and take their eating experience to the next level.”

The upgrade at Gudai Darri has come as a major uplift to the residential experience, bolstered by Sodexo’s "Proud to Support Local" program that showcases locally produced and new-to-market products in remote locations and towns across the country.

In Gudai-Darri this currently includes branded merchandise and North West’s locally brewed craft beer.

Operations Director, IFMS, Milan Novakovic, said: This innovative solution in partnership with Food Equity Group allows us to provide delicious, high quality, and consistent meals to residents that our teams can serve up. 

“We see this activity at Gudai-Darri as a proof of concept that is scalable and something that we're keen to explore across Sodexo’s broader portfolio.”

The popular range of premium ‘heat and serve’ pork ribs, beef brisket, pulled beef, pulled pork, and chicken drumettes are mainstays at retail chains such as IGA and at pubs, clubs and hotels around Australia.

The arrival of Food Equity Group’s offering in the remote Pilbara is an exciting step in advancing residential experience when away from home—a key tenant of Sodexo’s commitment to enhancing the quality of services and life for residents.

Rio Tinto’s Gudai-Darri Village is one the largest mining communities in Western Australia, located 110km northwest of Newman. Sodexo oversees all essential services on-site including 1,500 accommodation rooms, community areas, dining, sporting, and recreational spaces for the mining workforce.

Food Equity Group’s CEO, Graeme McCormack, said: “Our mantra is ‘changing the way Australia eats’.

“Our premium-quality, solution-based products have been tested extensively around the country and have met with immediate success. Our Supercars relationship as a Series Supply Partner has also given us the opportunity to further refine the product and taste profiles nationally.

“Our team have experience across hospitality, running venues, pubs, cafes, QSR’s and full-service restaurants. We understand how to develop and supply products which precisely meet the operational and commercial needs of today’s hospitality industry.

“We are excited to be working with Sodexo to not only help enhance the residents’ food experience but also assist Australia’s Energy & Resources sector to maintain its FIFO workforce by offering a premium ‘home away from home’ tavern experience.

The grand opening of the Gudai-Darri Social Hub will take place on Monday, 15 January.

Sodexo and Rio Tinto have coordinated a community day full of activities, from Eat Streets to live music.

Sodexo in Australia employs a diverse workforce of over 5,000 employees. Sodexo delivers a unique array of over 100 integrated services lines, including cleaning, catering, facilities management, aerodrome services, concierge, security, asset and building maintenance and hospitality services in the following segments: Corporate Strategic Accounts and Energy & Resources, both on and offshore.

Founded in Marseille in 1966 by Pierre Bellon, Sodexo is the global leader in sustainable food and valued experiences at every moment in life: learn, work, heal and play.

Operating in 53 countries, our 422,000 employees serve 100 million consumers each day. The Sodexo Group stands out for its independence and its founding family shareholding, its responsible business model and its portfolio of activities including Food Services, Facilities Management Services and Employee Benefit Solutions. This diversified offer meets all the challenges of everyday life with a dual goal: to improve the quality of life of our employees and those we serve, and contribute to the economic, social and environmental progress in the communities where we operate. For Sodexo, growth and social commitment go hand in hand. Our purpose is to create a better everyday for everyone to build a better life for all.

Sodexo is included in the CAC Next 20, CAC 40 ESG, CAC SBT 1.5, FTSE 4 Good and DJSI indices.

• 21.1 billion euros in Fiscal 2022 consolidated revenues
• 422,000 employees as at August 31, 2022
• #2 France-based private employer worldwide
• 53 countries
• 100 million consumers served daily
• 15 billion euros in market capitalisation (as at June 29, 2023)

Elevate Communication

Madeline Jones
0403 877 300 | 07 3180 3666
madeline@elevatecom.com.au