UK. London Gatwick Airport has launched its first airport-wide festival to celebrate the start of the British summer.
The airport said it expects to give away a total of £5,000 (US$6,700) in vouchers to the 12 million passengers expected to travel through Gatwick between now and August.
For the Summer Festival, London Gatwick has partnered with World Duty Free to offer “festival glow” ten-minute makeovers to passengers at the MAC counter. Several other complimentary express treatments from additional brands are available.
World Duty Free has also launched a number of exclusive products, including fragrances, drinks, sunglasses and summer suncare.
For the first time, the retailer has introduced two new spirits that are both exclusive to Gatwick. The first is a Sour Cherry and Coconut Gin Liqueur, created by St Andrews-based distillery Eden Mill, and the other is Caribbean-sourced white rum Democrático.
Both spirits can be enjoyed in cocktails that are being served in World Duty Free, as well as in restaurants throughout the airport during the summer. The ‘Summer Sling’ – made with the Eden Mill Gin Liqueur – is available in the Nicholas Culpeper restaurant, home of the world’s first airport gin distillery. Democrático rum, the main ingredient in the ‘Summer Festival Rum Punch’, is available in Giraffe and WonderTree. A special edition, non-alcoholic “mocktail” is also being served.
Gatwick’s Summer Festival will transform the airport’s North and South terminals into festival fun-zones, where family entertainment will be staged throughout the summer.
A wide range of acts will make appearances at the airport, from calypso group The Caribana Steel Band, to street theatre duo Hodman and Sally. Travellers will be entertained by traditional fairground stalls, such as hoopla and hook-a-duck.
Gatwick is giving away a total of £1,000 (US$1,340) in airport vouchers every Friday for five weeks to passengers taking part in the various fairground activities.
To mark the launch of Gatwick’s Summer Festival, the airport partnered with local real ale producer Westerham Brewery Company to create a bespoke extra pale ale, named ‘The Toast of the Terminal’.
The zesty ale, available in Gatwick’s Flying Horse, Red Lion and Beehive restaurants, is brewed with hops from Kent, as well as Germany and the USA.
Passengers can also enjoy Squerryes vintage sparkling wine, produced nearby to Gatwick on the Squerryes Estate vineyard in Kent, at the airport’s two Caviar House & Prunier seafood bars. Gatwick is the only airport in the world to stock the wine.
London Gatwick Airport Head of Retail Rachel Bulford said: “Summer has officially begun at Gatwick and we couldn’t be more excited about the range of exclusive products now available in our shops and restaurants as part of the airport’s first Summer Festival. It’s our goal to provide passengers with unique, memorable experiences as they travel through our terminals, and with the launch of our very own gin liqueur, rum and pale ale – as well as delicious Gatwick cocktails and mocktails – there really is something special on offer for everyone this summer.
“Passengers should also keep an eye out for our big voucher giveaways, as a pre-flight spending spree in the airport’s many retail outlets is sure to be an incredible way to kick off your 2018 summer holiday, quite literally, in style.”
World Duty Free Commercial Category Manager Kathryn Kindness commented: “The Gatwick Summer Festival is a fantastic event and a perfect platform to showcase some new and exclusive products. We’ve collaborated with our brand partners to introduce on-trend summer products, which we believe will appeal to the Gatwick Airport customer.”
Westerham Brewery Founder and Managing Director Robert Wicks added: “Westerham Brewery is proud to announce this collaboration with Gatwick Airport on a refreshing summer beer – ‘The Toast of the Terminal’. This extra pale ale contains only the finest locally-sourced malt, as well as three unique hops: Kent’s own First Gold, Yakima Valley Cascade from the USA, and Hallertauer Perle from Germany, making it a truly international ale with a distinctly English twist. ‘The Toast of the Terminal’ has a spicy, floral aroma and a zesty, dry finish, making it the perfect start to any summer holiday.”
Squerryes General Manager James Osborn said: “To be able to share our passion for vintage sparkling wine at the best airport in the country is a fantastic opportunity and we’re proud to be able to share our latest 2013 Brut, a delicious blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier that reflects the purity and energy of our Pilgrim’s Way vineyard, high up on the North Downs.”
