UK. BAA Retail’s first annual Food and Beverage (FAB) Awards, hosted by TV celebrity chef Ainsley Harriot, were held at London’s Vinopolis on 20 May. The seven award categories recognise the success of the airport operator’s catering partners in raising the standard of the catering experience at BAA’s seven UK airports.
Two major regional awards were made in the overall categories:
Best Overall Outlet 2004 (Scottish Airports) was won by The Food Hub at Aberdeen Airport. The other nominees for this award were Caffe Nero at Glasgow Airport arrivals and Costa Coffee at Edinburgh Airport airside.
Café Rouge at London Heathrow terminal one landside – a relative newcomer to the airport – was named the Best Overall Outlet 2004 (South East Airports). Other nominees were The Bridge Bar at London Gatwick North terminal and Ponti’s at London Stansted landside.
Individual awards and winners were as follows:
Best Kept Unit 2004 – Caffe Italia, London Heathrow terminal 4, landside. Other nominees were Garfunkels at Glasgow Airport landside and The Bridge Bar, Gatwick North terminal.
Best Wine by the Glass 2004 – Caviar House Seafood Bar, London Gatwick South terminal. Other nominees were Aura Bar at Southampton Airport and The Windmill (by JD Wetherspoon) at London Stansted Airport.
Best Breakfast 2004 – Garfunkels, London Stansted Airport, airside. Other nominees were The Skylark (JD Wetherspoon) at London Heathrow terminal 1 and Bagel Street at London Heathrow terminal 3.
Best Coffee 2004 – Costa Coffee, London Heathrow terminal 4, gate 8. Other nominees were Starbucks at Glasgow Airport, ground floor and Coffee Republic at London Heathrow terminal 1.
Best Customer Service, Employee of the Month, April 2004 – Aris Sesis from Starbucks, London Gatwick South, landside. He received a cash prize of £1,000. Other nominees were Laura Carrington of Garfunkels, London Stansted airside and John Hainey of Costa Coffee, Edinburgh Airport, domestic arrivals.
Catering at BAA’s airports has come a long way since the era of airport cafeterias and the first Egon Ronay Awards. It was in 1982, with the opening of Caviar House at London Heathrow, that BAA began to open its first branded food & beverage outlets.
The company’s Food and Beverage (FAB) Awards form part of its drive to continually raise standards at its UK airports. Through continuous monitoring and evaluation of caterers’ performance, BAA Retail aims to consistently improve the travellers’ overall airport experience.
Main sponsors of the FAB event were BAA’s main food & beverage partners Eliance, Costa Coffee, Aramark, Restaurant Group, Ponti’s and Select Service Partner. Possibly the most difficult task of the night fell to Ponti’s, who served a fine dinner to a room full of professional caterers. The audience also saw a video of BAA’s catering outlets across its seven airports which have seen a £30 million (US$54 million) direct investment in the last few years.
“You must be proud of what you see,” said Brian Collie, BAA Group Retail Director “What makes the difference is the people who bring food to life. The FAB Awards are about recognising those people”¦..It is all about getting the basics right, that time, the next time and the next time.”
Ainsley Harriot, star of the UK TV shows Ready, Steady, Cook; Can’t Cook, Won’t Cook and Ainsley’s Barbecue Bible said: “Years ago airports were dull, but now there is so much happening, with colour and movement. You [the caterers] provide that relaxed environment to travellers”¦. and I feel proud of that, like a good restaurant. Keep the fire burning!”
Collie thanked the company’s retail team and the individual catering teams adding: “Over 50% of our passengers use one of our food & beverage outlets and services, so they leave a lasting impression of our airports.
Colin Hargrave, BAA Retail Director, UK airports, said: “The FAB awards are a marvellous way of encouraging and recognising the professionalism not only of the award winners but of all our business partners and their catering teams.
“The catering offer is an absolutely vital element of the whole airport experience and we’ve invested strongly over the past few years in developing new concepts and introducing new brands to further strengthen that experience. But that commitment and investment can only work if we have the right people in the front line – actually delivering the customer experience. These awards show that we do indeed have some remarkable people in our terminals and, when it comes to a great catering experience, BAA delivers.”
BAA Retail hosts over 130 bars and restaurants at its seven UK airports (Heathrow, Gatwick, Stansted, Southampton, Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh) including well-known outlets such as Pizza Express, Frankie and Benny’s, Est Est Est, Café Uno Presto , Pret a Manager and Chez Gerard.
