Our regular feature, brought to you in association with Strange Nature gin from New Zealand, celebrates memorable scenes, moments, launches and campaigns related to the global aviation and travel retail sphere.
QATAR. Our truly FAB-ulous image selection today features Qatar Duty Free (QDF) commemorating last week’s remarkable haul of 2023 Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) + Hospitality Awards in Bangkok, Thailand in suitably mouth-watering manner.
Back home at Hamad International Airport, QDF honoured its extraordinary achievement with the creation of an Awards-themed cake and more than 100 cupcakes baked and decorated by QDF F&B staff in FAB colours and lettering.
Shown cutting the cake in a celebratory photograph at Hamad International Airport are QDF Senior Vice President Thabet Musleh, flanked by Head of F&B Operations Ibrahim Al-Emadi (left) and Head of Culinary David Sosson (right). Looking on are representatives from the QDF team.
Sosson collected the Airport Chef of the Year award, one of six major awards scooped by the travel retailer, along with several regional and Highly Commended accolades. You can see the full roll of honour in our story here.
News of QDF’s super showing at the awards has achieved extraordinary coverage locally in Qatar and across the Middle East region, helped by a group of social media influencers who attended FAB, with Musleh describing the resulting publicity as “amazing”.
Asked by The Moodie Davitt Report what more to expect from the Hamad International Airport F&B revolution, Musleh replied: “What you see now is only the beginning.”
That sounds very much like icing on an already sizable cake. Speaking of which, who will eat all those delicious sweet treats? Easy, the QDF Senior Vice President replied, “Cupcakes for everyone on the Qatar Duty Free staff!” ✈
