Catering Partnership Announced
London Southend Airport Announces Catering Partnership
London Southend Airport has selected Searcys to manage the catering provision in the regenerated airport’s new terminal.
Searcys is one of the UK’s most respected catering businesses, as well as being known for its Champagne bars, it also boasts the iconic Gherkin building, the Commonwealth Club, the National Portrait Gallery and St Pancras Grand Restaurant & Champagne Bar amongst its catering venues.
It will operate two outlets in the new airport terminal building - one ‘airside’ in the Departure Lounge and another ‘landside’ next to Arrivals. These will include ‘Grab and Go’ sections, plus hot and cold food, soft drinks and alcohol. 80% of the food ingredients used will be sourced from within a 25-mile radius in order to ensure freshness, but also to support local producers.
The fit out of both outlets with begin later this year, ready for the terminal opening in early 2012.
London Southend Airport Managing Director Alastair Welch says "We want our catering to stand out, differentiating Southend from other airports. It is essential that we provide the very highest standards of quality and service for our passengers in the new terminal, and we know that Searcys will deliver that. Searcys is a very special organisation, known for exceptional service with knowledgeable staff and we are delighted to be working with them."
Searcys CEO Doug Tetley says "London Southend Airport is really looking to put itself on the map with some premium facilities and it is another huge vote of confidence that Searcys has been selected."
NOTES TO EDITORS
London Southend Airport
Projects to make London Southend Airport a fully functioning international gateway by 2012 are well underway. A new Control Tower is now operational, as is a new airport railway station providing fast and frequent train services direct to Stratford and to central London’s Liverpool Street Station. London Southend Airport’s new passenger terminal will be completed in the coming months, as will its runway extension. In March 2011, Aer Arann started operating two daily return flights from Southend to Galway and Waterford, and easyJet will commence 70 departures each week to Amsterdam, Alicante, Barcelona, Belfast, Faro, Ibiza, Malaga and Mallorca from April 2012. The airport is predicting passenger growth to 2 million passengers per year by 2020. Find out more at www.southendairport.com
Searcys
Searcys is one of the country's most established and trusted catering companies, having been founded by the Duke of Northumberland's pastry chef in 1847 – a heritage that was further enhanced by the awarding of a royal warrant. Whilst retaining the dedication to excellence that was the Searcys foundation, in the years that have followed the company has innovated to broaden its horizons and is now a leading light in retail (with its collection of Champagne bars), business and industry (operating internal catering) and partnerships (managing catering operations for prestigious venues). In 2010 the company underwent an MBO that has seen it go from strength to strength, with a series of high profile new business wins cementing its position as one of the most sought after catering partners in the marketplace. The company employs over 1,000 people at venues such as the Gherkin, St Pancras Station, The Commonwealth Club, The Hurlingham Club, Blenheim Palace and the two Westfield centres. For more company information visit www.searcys.com
FOR MORE INFORMATION, INTERVIEWS & IMAGES
For London Southend Airport - Tracy Jones at Brera PR, 01702 390348 / 07887 514984 / tracy@brera-london.com
For Searcys - Jeremy Merckel at WAA, 0121 321 1411 / jeremy.merckel@waa.co.uk
14 September 2011
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