IRELAND. Dublin Airport has awarded SSP a ten-year food & beverage contract covering 24 spaces, with Irish brands set to be more prominent in a new-look offer. It extends SSP’s existing presence at Ireland’s main gateway.
Leading travel restaurateur SSP will work with Irish brands such as Bretzel Bakery, Camile Thai, Cloud Picker Coffee, Handsome Burger, Offbeat Donuts and 3fe coffee.
Sustainability will be a key feature, with a focus on the removal of single-use plastic. Local and certified ingredients will also be used in the dishes served at the new units, said Dublin Airport.
“Ireland has a thriving food and drink scene and with this new partnership with SSP Dublin Airport will be able to offer some really exciting Irish concepts to the travelling public,” said Dublin Airport Managing Director Vincent Harrison.
“Almost 100,000 passengers use Dublin Airport every day and we want to ensure that our customers have a quality dining experience, with a sense of connectedness to Ireland using fresh and local quality produce,” he added.
SSP UK & Ireland CEO Richard Lewis said the company was “thrilled to be working in partnership with Dublin Airport to enhance and elevate the food & beverage offering” at the airport. “We are confident that our bespoke line-up will meet the diverse needs of all of our customers, providing a true Irish experience to the international traveller as well as those looking to enjoy a real taste of home.”
The SSP agreement covers 24 units across landside and airside locations. It will take over the operations of existing partners in these spaces from early February. These will be rebranded over time to incorporate a mix of Irish and international brands, and new concepts.
SSP has also created several specific concepts tailored to Dublin Airport, some of which will reflect the passenger mix at each terminal. At Terminal 2 SSP will open several outlets that will celebrate the close links between Ireland and North America to appeal to transatlantic passengers.
Among these is a partnership with Teeling Whiskey to create Whiskey Bread, a new all-day Irish bar and kitchen. This pays homage to the culinary history between America and Ireland dating back to the 1600s.
The new outlets will incorporate digital technology, including mobile ‘order at table’ services to provide a smoother and quicker customer experience, said Dublin Airport. SSP already employs 300 people at Dublin Airport and the new contract means that about 200 existing staff will transfer to the company.
Separately, DAA confirmed, another F&B package for up to 13 outlets, and a specialist coffee package comprising four units, will be tendered in March/April this year.
About the local concepts
Bretzel Bakery is an artisan bakery known for its breads and pastries that has been operating in Dublin since 1870.
Camile Thai Kitchen is an Irish healthy food chain with 26 branches, voted most sustainable restaurant in Ireland.
Cloud Picker Coffee Roasters is based in Pearse Street and is Dublin city’s first micro roastery.
Handsome Burger is a burger brand that began in Galway, and was voted Best Burger in Ireland last year.
Offbeat Donut Co. has 11 Dublin stores offering fresh doughnuts.
3fe operates its own coffee roastery and coffee shops in Dublin.
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The company also organises the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards. FAB 2020 will be held in Istanbul on 23 and 24 June. Istanbul Airport will host the event, which will be a celebration not only of the best in international airport dining but also of Turkish cuisine and culture. FAB 2020 will be supported strongly by Tum & Ictur, the concessionaire managing 34,000sq m of food & beverage space at Istanbul Airport.
