British produce and service
Airports used to be stark, uninviting functional places that all seemed to mirror each other with many of the same dull, irrelevant brands that had no relevance to the city in which the airport was located or the diverse requirements of the passengers.
Thankfully the vast majority UK airports have really moved on over recent years and the retail proposition is now more reflective of a contemporary shopping mall or even high end department store.
London 2012 is a prime opportunity to showcase our great British food and highlight locally sourced produce.
Heathrow Airport has stated that 80% of the Olympic and Paralympic family will be arriving and departing from this airport, but many airports expect to see an uplift in passengers during this time and this is an ideal opportunity to showcase British food and service.
Delaware North has a strong heritage in the airport sector and operates in over 21 airports in the US placing us 2nd in this space and we are the market leader in Australia.
Airports have started to take on their own identity and this is certainly starting to reflect in some of the food and beverage concepts.
We entered the travel hospitality sector in the UK nearly three years ago and differentiated ourselves by providing bespoke proprietary concepts unique to each airport with a focus on British food and an emphasis on local provenance.
Careful consideration was also given to the type of passengers travelling, the demographic mix and the average dwell time amongst other metrics.
One of our earliest British concepts was Dining Street Restaurant and Bar at Heathrow T4, where tradition and British eccentricity meet great food and service head on.
The walls are adorned with hundreds of great British moments in history from the serious to the more quirky and are always a conversation starter by both British and foreign travellers.
There is even a red phone booth and a 1960’s Mini Cooper crashing through the wall.
Menu favourites include fish and chips and the steak and spitfire ale pie. No modern British menu would be complete without celebrating our diverse culture and included in the menu is tandoori chicken and sweet potato, spinach and chick pea curry.
London 2012 will be a busy time for the airport and the team are accustomed to dealing with high volumes of demand.
The focus on customer satisfaction becomes even more important during busy periods and we will look to heighten our customer service training to focus on continuing to create special experiences, one guest at a time.
The whole hospitality industry will be on show during London 2012 and airport catering is an important part of this as this will undoubtedly be the first and last impression that visitors have of British food and service and a chance for many of them to see just how far we have come.
Further North, Scotland has an opportunity to showcase its own proud heritage and this is reflected in the food and beverage concepts available at both Edinburgh and Glasgow Airport.
There will be no mistake that you are in Scotland when you arrive at Edinburgh airport as both the retails units and many of the concepts pay tribute to Scotland.
For example, Thermidors Seafood Bar includes the locally sourced Belhaven smoked salmon and the Gathering Restaurant and Lounge menu includes Haggis, Neeps and Tattis and a Great Scottish Tasting platter.
The design of this restaurant complements Scottish heritage and includes images of the city and a contemporary take on tartan.
Glasgow is the home of Tennent’s beer which is, appropriately enough, the brewer for the Central Sports bar and Grill which is located landside next to the main security area where you are even able to order a Nessie pizza whilst admiring a diverse range of sports memorabilia.
All four new concepts have a range of Scottish products which include favourites such as Mackies crisps and ice-cream.
There have been many predictions about how London 2012 will affect the hospitality industry.
But for us as a business, we plan on continuing to do what we always do.
That is, to focus on each passenger and guest to ensure that we deliver great freshly prepared food that is delivered by a friendly and efficient team.
* Simon Dobson is the Managing Director of Delaware North Companies (UK), a subsidiary of Delaware North Companies, recognised as one of the global leaders in hospitality and food service with operating companies in the airport, sporting, lodging & resort, gaming and entertainment industries.
With more than £1.27 billion in annual revenue, it is one of the largest and most respected privately held companies in the world.
In the UK it operates stadia catering at Wembley, The Emirates and Pride Park in Derby and travel hospitality at Heathrow, Gatwick, Glasgow and Edinburgh airports.