About Neal
Neal Kearns is the Executive Head Chef at Aviva Stadium who brings dedicated leadership and a wealth of global culinary experience to the role. Neal has trained around the world- from the US to Australia and all four corners of Ireland. Having previously served as Culinary Director at the renowned Carton House, Neal has found his professional home at Aviva Stadium, where his passion and expertise shine. He manages a core culinary team of 10, which grows to more than 160 chefs during major events.
Whether it's a packed match day, a corporate conference, a high-energy concert, or American College Football, Neal ensures every occasion meets the highest standards of culinary excellence.
With a little over a month to go to the Aer Lingus College Football Classic, we asked Neal to tell us what goes into planning an event of this scale.
How to feed “The Aer Lingus College Football Classic”?
The Aer Lingus College Football Classic is held annually in Aviva Stadium every August. 2025 will mark my fourth year welcoming two American College Football teams to Aviva Stadium. Catering for this event is a real bucket list item for a chef- but delivering an experience that contributes over €100 million to the Irish economy takes colossal planning, seamless logistics and exceptional teamwork.
Very simply, to cater for an event like this takes a village. With one month out from the event, the new pitch is being manicured, the kitchens are being organised and the physical food production will start soon. However, the preparation really started 6 months ago.
From teams to cheerleaders - The hidden feast behind game day
Typically, both teams’ management will fly over at the start of the year to inspect the stadium and facilities. This is when I first meet the team nutritionists and discuss with them their specific needs and requirements.
Each college team travels with over 200 people- consisting of players, coaches and support staff- that’s over 400 meals every day leading up to the game, pregame and post-game.
We stay in close contact over the following months, and around two months before the event, we finalise menus for both teams. In addition to the teams, we cater for approximately 2,500 people before the gates even open to the public as we also provide meals for everyone from stewards, TV crews, media, security personnel, cheerleaders and bands, not to mention the thousands of fans over the course of the event. It's a huge operation!
1 week to go
All the preparation of the food will begin the week of the game with 6 kitchens in full flow for 3 three days before the match. This involves 40 staff working around the clock to deliver food production on time. We have dedicated teams managing retail production, hospitality production and all ancillary food preparation.
In addition, a separate team of chefs focuses exclusively on both Colleges in the lead-up to the game, tailoring meals to meet each team's specific nutritional needs, whether that means carb-heavy options for energy or protein-rich dishes to support recovery, depending on player positions and training intensity.
We then have a logistics team whose job it is to move everything around the stadium and into each separate kitchen for Game Day. We are very lucky to have over 30 kitchens on site, so everything is cooked fresh on site, ensuring the best quality we can deliver.
Game Day
On Game Day, we will have around 165 chefs on site. All of them work across different kitchens, but all of them with the same goal in mind, which is to deliver and create an unforgettable experience for our guests. We’re deeply aware that guests invest both time and money to attend events at the stadium, whether for sport or social occasions. This is a place where lasting memories are made. Parents bring their children to their very first game, and unforgettable moments unfold on the pitch. Every member of our team understands the importance of their role in contributing to those experiences. That’s what drives and inspires us every day.
The volumes of food here can make your mind boggle. For example, for an International Rugby match, we would serve around 2,500 hot dogs, 3,000 burgers and 600 cases of French fries. For the Aer Lingus Football Classic, that grows to 14,000 hot dogs, 15,000 burgers and countless cases of French fries.
Behind the scenes, it’s the logistics team that keeps everything moving seamlessly. Their dedication and effort make it look easy, but it takes incredible organisation and hard work. We support them by ensuring deliveries are scheduled for specific days and times, so we don’t overwhelm this important function.
As part of our dedication to all our people and team; we ensure every staff member receives a hot meal on game day; this is as important as any other cohort we look after.
Our entire team work long shifts, arriving well before the gates open and staying late into the night once the event ends. It’s important to remember that most games at Aviva Stadium are international fixtures, attracting a global audience and large-scale media presence. Hundreds of stewards, press, and security personnel are on site to ensure a smooth and safe experience for all.
Feeding this many people requires careful coordination and precision. Our team dispatches hot meals from the kitchens throughout the day, delivering to various zones across the stadium so that everyone contributing to the event is well-nourished and ready to perform at their best.
Once the gates open, we can cater for another 3,000 hospitality guests. These guests are on different menus, from plated 3-course meals to buffets and finger foods. With 47,000 fans spread throughout the rest of the stadium, guests have a variety of choices, as each food kiosk features high-quality food and beverage options - from pizzas and hot dogs to our plant-forward burgers.
We aim to offer a unique special item at each event, while consistently prioritising nutrition, using locally sourced ingredients and making sustainable choices in everything we serve.
The science behind the food
Fuelling the Football Teams for the Aer Lingus Classic, as well as fuelling any team that comes to the stadium, be it international rugby or soccer, is a very important, science-driven approach. We work closely with all the nutritionists to deliver their specifications for every event. This alone adds immense pressure to any day at work.
The very least we can do is make sure that a player who is about to give their all on the pitch has something that is nutritious but also delicious to eat at full time, when they are tired and depending on the result, either disappointed or ecstatic. While nutritional guidelines are so important and must be followed, we always add an Irish influence to all teams’ menus.
However, we also know, some home comforts are needed depending on where they are from, like the Kansas City Barbeque or Iowa Z-Man sandwich. Whereas rugby teams usually prefer bold, spicy flavours and hearty, carb-rich meals, perfect for post-game refuelling.
We aim to offer variety by mixing and matching dishes such as smoked brisket mac and cheese, fried chicken sandwiches, bao buns and other favourites tailored to the team’s tastes.
So, what happens over the next few weeks, well, we have a match here on August 9th, Leeds vs AC Milan, another full house, and then we start from the 10th. Our cleaning team work around the clock, ensuring all areas are cleaned and getting reorganised for the coming weeks.
The College Football teams arrive on August 20th in Ireland, on the 21st and 22nd they both have morning and afternoon practices, then its Game day, August 23rd, gates open at 2 pm, 47,000 fans will descend on the stadium ready for what is shaping up to be an amazing contest, we will be there, ready and waiting…… we can’t wait to welcome you to Aviva Stadium!
Join us at Levy Ireland
If you’re inspired by Neal’s journey and want to follow in his footsteps with a career in the culinary world, visit our website to learn more about opportunities with us. Your future in food could start here at Aviva Stadium, working with Levy Ireland.
We know that working with food is so much more than a job, it’s a vocation, built on craft, passion and skill. As part of our culinary team, you won’t just be cooking; you’ll be creating dishes that fuel some of the very best players in the world at Aviva Stadium.
We’re not about standing still. One week you could be plating up fine dining menus for global conferences and the next, serving thousands of excited fans at Ireland’s most iconic venues. You’ll work alongside some of the best chefs and culinary professionals in the industry, sharpening your skills and opening doors to opportunities not just in Ireland but across Europe with Levy.
If you’re hungry for a career that grows with you, where every day is different and where your love of food can take you further than you ever imagined, join us.
Your culinary journey starts here.