Member Article

Newcastle Airport keen to put North East producers on international stage

Newcastle Airport says it is looking for ambitious North East producers to work as it transforms its departure lounge to the tune of £14 million.

The plans revealed this month will overhaul the look and feel of the airport’s airside passenger areas, introducing new shops, restaurants and bar areas.

Key to the redevelopment is the airport’s desire to introduce local food and drink producers to passengers on some 80 routes from Newcastle.

British food and drink concessionaire business SSP, which operates the majority of the airport’s outlets, has been tasked with reinventing the departure lounge offering, and is keen to use local suppliers as much as possible.

A new bar in the shape of The Beer House now stocks beers from Newcastle-based Tyne Bank Brewery and meat products from North East-based Manners are used in the newly opened Flying Hippo restaurant - an US-inspired ribs and burger eatery that boasts the only smokehouse in an airport.

The outlets are the first part of the redevelopment plan, along with Aspire Lounge - a refined space for business travellers - which boasts workstations, breakfast bar and drinks lounge.

Commercial manager Dean Ward told Bdaily: “The idea of this redevelopment is to make Newcastle Airport out from the crowd, and because we’re the North East’s gateway, we want our passengers to take a little bit of the North East home with them - wherever that might be across the world.

“Working with local business is fundamental to what we’re trying to do here. We’re saying to regional businesses that we can help them to get their products in front of a massive customer base, alongside established global brands.

“For some of the smaller suppliers we’ve already got at our new food and drink concepts, it’s really been a game-changing experience - both in terms of meeting our sizeable orders and the marketing power its had for their brands.”

Dean suggests passengers are spending more and more in the airport each year - something he puts down to changing perceptions of airport shopping.

He explained: “There used to be a feeling that airports were really expensive places where you would pay over the odds. But actually, Newcastle’s prices are all benchmarked against the high street, and we’re competitive across the board.

“People are now starting to realise they can get value for money while they’re travelling, and if we provide some quality local produce, then that’s a great thing for our passengers too.”

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .