Irish Food And Drink Brands To Take Centre Stage At Dublin Airport
Irish food and drink brands will be showcased at Dublin Airport under a new 10-year contract that the airport has signed with international food operator SSP.
SSP will operate 24 separate food and beverage outlets at the airport and 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 of SSP’s new contract at Dublin Airport, with a focus on a removal of single-use plastic at its outlets. Local and certified ingredients will also be used in the dishes served at the new units.
“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.
Richard Lewis, CEO of SSP UK & Ireland, said the company was “thrilled to be working in partnership with Dublin Airport to enhance and elevate the food and 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.”
Under the new agreement, SSP will open 24 units Dublin Airport in both landside and airside locations. It will take over the operations of existing suppliers from early February and 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.
SSP has partnered with Teeling Whiskey for example to create Whiskey Bread, a new all-day Irish bar and kitchen which will pay homage to the culinary history between America and Ireland dating back to the 1600s.
The new outlets will incorporate the latest technology, including mobile ‘order at table’ services to provide a smoother and quicker customer experience. SSP already employs 300 people at Dublin Airport and the new contract means that about 200 existing staff will transfer to the company.
SSP is a global operator of food and beverage concessions in travel locations, operating restaurants, bars, cafés, food courts, lounges and convenience stores in airports, train stations, motorway service stations and other locations. It has businesses at about 180 airports and 300 rail stations, and operates more than 2,800 units in 35 countries around the world.
Dublin Airport is the eight largest airport in the European Union. It welcomed a total of 32.9 million passengers during 2019, including 2.2 million passengers who used the airport as a hub. It has flights to more than 190 destinations in 42 countries operated by 47 airlines.
A recent study has found that Dublin Airport supports or facilitates almost 130,000 jobs in the Republic of Ireland and contributes a total of €9.8 billion in Gross Value Added (GVA) to the Irish economy.