The touchscreen self-ordering machines were expanded shortly before Christmas, bringing the total number in the home supporters’ section of the Shed End concourses up to 25 in time for Chelsea Women’s Champions League fixture against Paris Saint-Germain, ahead of that stand making the switch to completely self-ordering for the men’s win over Bournemouth on 27 December.

Food and drink orders within the Shed End (also known as the South Stand) will now be made entirely via the self-ordering machines. They also allow supporters to place separate orders to be collected immediately or in advance for half-time, all using a single electronic basket and payment.

Once an order is placed, the machines issue supporters with one or more receipts – one for each collection time – which can then be exchanged for their ordered items at concourse vendors.

Combined with the existing ability to pre-order food and drink in all four stands using the CFC Express app, self-ordering will help speed up the food and drink experience at Stamford Bridge while reducing queueing times and crowding in concourse areas, without compromising the extensive range of refreshment options available to supporters.

The upper tier of the East Stand had already made the transition to fully self-ordering following the success of a similar scheme in the Striker’s bar in the Matthew Harding Stand, which eliminated half-time queues in the busiest bar inside the stadium. That system has now been expanded to the whole of the South Stand, making Stamford Bridge the first stadium in the UK to go fully self-ordering in an entire stand.