Barrel & Stone opens first standalone UK franchise

The National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham has boosted its selection of on-site food and drink by adding pizza company Barrel & Stone to its growing list of retail F&B outlets.

The new 50-cover restaurant will be run by NEC in-house caterer Amadeus as a franchise operation - the first time Barrel & Stone has launched a standalone retail unit.

Barrel & Stone is usually seen within pubs and hotels around the UK within its network of ‘pizza premises’.

The brand is known for its handcrafted, freshly prepared stone baked pizza, craft beer, gelato and artisan coffee.

Marc Frankl, F&B director for Amadeus, says: “With all our brands and retail units now, we are looking to bring the convenience and theatre of street food into the venue and our events.

“Barrel & Stone appealed to us as a concept, as it boasts premium pizzas with a street food feel.

“The introduction of Barrel & Stone is just the beginning of our ambitious development plans to bring a wider range of authentic street food to the NEC in the coming months.”