FRANCE. Leading food travel group SSP has given hundreds of travellers at Paris Charles de Gaulle the opportunity to choose a new dessert to feature on the airport’s menus.
The tests, conducted by SSP’s culinary innovation team FoodLab, enabled 200 passengers to taste five chocolate desserts created by FoodLab, and then blind-test three types of chocolate to determine the ingredients of the chosen dessert.
The most popular will go on sale at SSP’s take-away units at Paris Charles de Gaulle. The test was conducted by French marketing research organisation the BVA Institute, using a sample group representing a cross-section of international travellers.
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“Thanks to SSP’s initiative, the travellers of today are now choosing the airport products of tomorrow“ |
Pierre Graff Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Aéroports de Paris |
Aéroports de Paris Chairman and CEO Pierre Graff commented: “We understand the innovative capacity of the restaurants in our airport. Thanks to SSP’s initiative the travellers of today are now choosing the airport products of tomorrow. This event is very much in line with our objectives on quality of service, which aim to improve customer satisfaction levels on a daily basis.”
Customer satisfaction is key
SSP Chief Executive North and Western Europe Nick Inkster added: “SSP’s primary objective is satisfying our customers – paying particular attention to the quality and freshness of our products, whether they are exotic new dishes or traditional favourites. The international reach of our business, together with our FoodLab, means we can develop the best dishes from cuisines across the world – and today that’s desserts based on a chocolate theme.”
Desserts tested were ‘Croque Belle Hélène’ by French Chef Stéphane Cathelin, Chocolate Anise Soup with ‘Spice Chocolate’ croutons by Norwegian Chef Tore Kristian Olsen, Deconstructed Forêt Noire by Dutch Chef Peter Van Den Bos, Chocolate Matcha Tea by Danish Chef Nicolaï Poulsen and Chocolate Burger ‘Don’t touch my Burger’ by English Chef Sindy Kam Cheong.
Every day 6,900 products are developed in CDG’s main kitchen by a team of 30 people. Sandwiches, salads, pastries, baked goods and take-away meals are prepared to supply the 16 outlets in Terminal 1, 23 restaurants in T2 and two outlets in T3.
The chocolate dessert chosen by travellers will be offered at a price of around €5 in ten SSP take-away units across the three airport terminals.
Commenting on the test, Olivier Pichot, SSP FoodLab representative and founder of food consultancy Gourmet Consultants, said: “˜Working at the very heart of the airport, we want to create a custom-made dessert that pleases all travellers, no matter where they come from or what their preferences may be.”
About SSP’s FoodLab
Created in 2007, the FoodLab is an innovative culinary laboratory composed of nine chefs from the SSP Group. These international catering experts meet regularly to debate and create new recipes. The process is focused on SSP’s internal brands while taking into account new trends and customer needs. Once a recipe has been developed, each chef adapts it to the culinary needs of their country.
SSP is the leading dedicated operator of food & beverage brands in travel locations worldwide, with operations in 140 airports and 300 railway stations in 32 countries. Its portfolio of brands includes Starbucks, Caffè Ritazza, Burger King, M&S Simply Food, Bonne Journée, Caviar House & Prunier, Pizza Hut, Upper Crust and Le Train Bleu.
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