Fans are convinced Everton DITCHED red ketchup at new £800m stadium and dyed it BLUE to avoid Liverpool’s colours – but club reveal the truth

A hot dog topped with blue sauce served up in Everton’s new stadium at Bramley-Moore Dock has gone viral on social media.

Over 25,000 Toffees fans got a taste of their new home on Sunday as the club hosted a second test event at the £800million Everton Stadium, which is set to host first-team matches from next season.

Everton’s Under 21s beat Bolton Wanderers B 1-0 inside the 52,888-capacity arena – which had a planned evacuation during the game for safety licensing reasons – but it was the food served at kiosks inside the ground that took all the headlines.

Fans who opted to pay £9.50 for a fully loaded hot dog were quick to notice that the sauce covering the sausage looked a little peculiar.

Supporters are convinced that in a hilarious bid to eradicate the colour red – worn by Everton’s biggest rivals Liverpool – the club has dyed ketchup blue.

However, the club have confirmed that the mystery blue condiment is, in fact, garlic aioli, and the colour change is a tribute to the Everton fans.

It was also revealed that if Blues supporters fancy a burger while inside the ground, they will have to put up with red ketchup, meaning the colour has not been eradicated from the stadium as previously suggested.

‘Just for clarification, the condiment is a blue garlic aioli, not ketchup or mayo, and is a very deliberate and appreciative nod to Everton and for the fans,’ Club officials told The Mirror. ‘Traditional ketchup most definitely remains available too!’

Nevertheless, fans still loved the tongue-in-cheek gesture, even if it didn’t turn out to be dyed ketchup.

One Toffee wrote: ‘Oh no, the blue ketchup hot dog has found its way to my family group, and I’m baffled at how many heads the joke has gone over. It goes back to the age-old joke that Blues “don’t even allow red sauce in our house.” Hilarious from Everton in my opinion.’

‘Red ketchup banned at Bramley is something I really can get behind. Up the Blue ketchup Toffees!’, wrote another.

Liverpool supporters also saw the funny side of the stunt but for different reasons.

One Red fan quipped: ‘Liverpool win titles, Everton change colour of Ketchup. What they’d do to be us.’

‘Some priority that lad, rather than filling your trophy cabinet, you’d rather filler your bottles with blue sauce cos you don’t like red?????,’ wrote another.

Now, while the stunt from the Merseyside club may not have been what it seemed, Everton fans are known for their hatred of the colour red.

Back in 2016, former Everton manager Ronald Koeman sparked fan outrage by posting a picture of his Christmas tree covered with red decorations.

The Dutchman revealed his tree to social media, but many fans were quick to voice their disapproval at the colour of the ornaments, with some calling it ‘disappointing’

Of course, the majority of the responses appeared lighthearted. However, it still sparked a change of heart in the ex-Toffee boss, who later tweeted a picture of another tree, this time with the decorations predominantly white.

The food on offer at Everton’s new home was praised during the first test event in February. 

As reported by Mail Sport’s Lewis Steele, culinary director Adam Bateman, who has worked at Michelin star restaurants across the world, wants the food to be ‘Instagrammable’.

Pictures of the options at the event even attracted the attention of the popular social media account ‘Footy Scran’, which helpfully provided a comparison to the current menu at Goodison.  

Last month, fans could help themselves to meals that included salt and pepper chicken tenders, Korean sticky chicken and plant based Korean sticky bowl. 

These finer options do, however, come at a heftier cost with the tenders setting fans back £9.50 and the two mains costing £10.50. Desert for the occasion was the decadent ‘The Toffee’ doughnut, which came in at £3.50.

One fan at the event wrote on X: ‘Was tasty that.’ In reference to the poultry dish, before adding: ‘Also the toffee doughnut, £3.50 and what a view.’

Another popular option from the event was calorific loaded sausage roll, a devastating combination sure to fuel even the coldest of Merseyside nights. 

Commenters on social media have been quick to point out the major upgrade on food currently on offer at Goddison Park. 

One post from ‘Footy Scran’ in 2023 showed a rather unappetising single-patty cheese burger on sale for £4.50.