A top chef who once cooked Christmas Day dinner for Jamie and Rebecca Vardy’s family is bringing the ultimate match day dining experience to Wembley Stadium for the FA Cup.
Tom Shepherd, chef and founder of Michelin-starred restaurant Upstairs in Lichfield, has curated an exclusive menu for the Emirates FA Cup semi-finals on the 26th and 27th April and will return for the final on 17th May. Crystal Palace and Aston Villa will be under the arches at Wembley Stadium next Saturday, with Nottingham Forest taking on Manchester City on the Sunday.
Away from the pitch, football fan Tom shared his excitement at opening up his unique Dining Experience for members attending the three clashes, following the success of his partnership with Wembley for the Carabou Cup Final earlier this month, where Newcastle United beat Liverpool to the trophy.
For the FA Cup finals, Tom’s carefully curated menu showcases traditional British dishes and flavours such as Herefordshire beef tartare and Atlantic cod with some culinary favourites seen in his TV appearances. Tom’s signature dessert, ‘No Ordinary Schoolboy’ – white chocolate banana filled with banana mousse and popping candy, a side of banana cake, caramel, banana ice cream and granola – will also be on the menu, a speciality Tom devised for BBC series Great British Menu.
Tom starred in the 18th series of the show, winning his regional heat and the main course round with his ‘Desperate Dan’s Cow Pie’. He returned to the show as a judge in 2024 and went on to host MasterChef: The Professionals semi-finals at his restaurant, Upstairs.
The restaurant opened in 2021 and was awarded a Michelin Star just four months after opening and has a waiting list of 10 months. Following his success, Tom has worked with The FA, Lords and Royal Ascot on carefully curated menus for the events.
Sharing how he devised his menu for match days at Wembley, Tom said: “I always take into consideration what sort of game it is, if it’s an England game, I like to incorporate something on the menu that celebrates England’s opponents. If it’s a prestigious FA Cup game, I always tend to use more luxurious ingredients to further celebrate the game’s magnitude.”
Aston Villa supporter Tom has also been fortunate enough to cook for some sporting superstars during his illustrious career. He says: “I’ve cooked for Jamie Vardy and his family on Christmas Day, I’ve cooked for Adam Peaty and his now fiancé Holly Ramsay at the restaurant, Ex England managers Roy Hodgson and Sam Allardyce. Chris Woakes a England World Cup winning Cricketer, I’ve housed a wedding for Neil Hodgson an ex-Moto GP rider, Rob Edwards the Luton Manager. I’ve also cooked James Martin breakfast, along with the culinary legend, Pierre Koffman.”
Sharing his enthusiasm for the FA Cup Dining Experience, Tom said: “I’m a huge football fan, so I am over the moon. The menu reflects our rich British heritage and the excitement of matchday tournaments – myself and my team intend to deliver a brilliantly memorable experience that will no doubt be matched by the finalists on the pitch too!”
Speaking ahead of the FA Cup Semi Finals, Paul Scannell, Head of Experiences by Wembley Stadium, said: “This new menu perfectly encapsulates the spirit of Wembley, elevating and complementing exceptional culinary experiences throughout the stadium. This is the first of many ways in which we are further elevating the experience for our members. The Emirates FA Cup is one of our biggest events and we’re delighted to be bringing Dining Experience by Tom Shepherd to our members.”
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