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Kimberley MacDonald recognised for transforming matchday hospitality at Pittodrie Stadium
Kimberley MacDonald, general manager for BaxterStorey Scotland at Aberdeen Football Club’s Pittodrie Stadium, has been named Manager of the Year at the BaxterStorey People Awards. The annual celebration of talent across BaxterStorey was presented on Thursday 10 September at The Pelligon in Canary Wharf, London.
MacDonald was recognised for her leadership, which has seen matchday kiosk revenue at Pittodrie nearly double in three seasons.
MacDonald leads one of Scotland’s busiest sports hospitality operations, feeding up to 18,500 supporters in a 90-minute matchday window. Her responsibilities also include corporate hospitality, events, weddings, and community fundraisers at the stadium. On a matchday, she oversees 250 team members and is known for knowing every one of them by name.
Under MacDonald’s leadership, she planned and delivered the first trial of alcohol sales in the stands at a Scottish Premiership match in more than 40 years. She championed local suppliers, replacing a Glasgow-made pie with one from an Aberdeen baker five minutes from the stadium. Furthermore, she built her matchday team entirely from local recruits, with no agency staff used across the 2025/26 season.
Beyond the stadium, MacDonald leads regular food bank collections with Community Food Initiatives Northeast and organised a BaxterStorey team for the Aberdeen Kiltwalk, raising more than £1,600 for Maggie’s Aberdeen. She also welcomes school pupils to Pittodrie to explore careers in hospitality and has led the Bervie Gala since 2024 in her home village of Inverbervie.
Kimberley MacDonald said: “I’m so proud of this award, but honestly, it belongs to my team. It’s the whole Pittodrie team, from our kiosks and hospitality to our chefs and kitchen teams, who make every matchday and event happen.
“Watching people join us as nervous students and grow in confidence, skills and responsibility is something I’m incredibly proud of. Being part of a club and community that mean so much to me, while seeing our people thrive, is the best part of the job.”
Mark McCulloch, managing director at BaxterStorey, said: “Kimberley leads with heart. She has raised standards across every part of the operation at Pittodrie while building a culture where young people thrive, and the trust she has earned from the club and its supporters speaks for itself.”
MacDonald was previously named Scotland’s Manager of the Year at the BaxterStorey Scotland Awards, which celebrated 22 finalists from across the country, before winning the Grand Final alongside 74 award finalists across the UK and Europe.
The awards ceremony saw 300 team members travel from across the UK, Ireland, France, and the Netherlands to celebrate. Guest judges for this year’s awards included chef and author Rinku Dutt, Jo Harley of Korero, Ed Vokes of Evolve Group, and chef Jenny Chandler. Guests were also treated to a showstopping dessert, a sticky toffee chocolate mousse, created by BaxterStorey’s Chef Battle winners Domenico Papa and Maddie Clare.
