A FAB-ulous group of winners on stage at the FAB+Hospitality Awards in Bangkok with The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie (front) and President Dermot Davitt (right)
THAILAND. Qatar Duty Free at Hamad International Airport captured the ultimate Airport Food & Beverage Offer of the Year accolade at the Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) + Hospitality Awards in Bangkok last night.
On a triumphant night for the Doha-based company, Qatar Duty Free won numerous other big global awards, plus several regional and Highly Commended accolades.
The awards were the culmination of The Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) + Hospitality Conference & Awards 2023, an event that made a welcome return in physical format this week for the first time since pre-pandemic 2019.
The awards were presented at a glittering gala dinner hosted by Airports of Thailand (with wines & Champagne sponsored by ELR/MMI).
Airport Food & Beverage Offer of the Year: Qatar Duty Free
A thrilled Qatar Duty Free team together with partners from HMSHost and SSP pose with the Airport F&B Offer of the Year Awad, rich reward for the transformation of food & beverage at Hamad International Airport. QDF Senior Vice President Thabet Musleh is pictured centre.
Airport Bar/Pub of the Year: The Oakland Draft House, SSP America
SSP America Deputy Chief Executive Pat Murray accepts the Airport Bar of the Year award from The Moodie Davitt Report President Dermot Davitt
Regional winners:
Europe: Juniper & Co by SSP, Gatwick Airport
Asia Pacific: The Koh Hop Bar and Restaurant by SSP Asia Pacific, Suvarnabhumi Airport
Middle East: The Sports Shack from Emirates Leisure Retail & MMI, Dubai International Airport
Airport Coffee/Tea Shop of the Year: Bieder & Maier, Vienna Airport
Lagardère Travel Retail Executive Vice President Foodservice Global Melanie Guilldou accepts the Tea/Coffee Shop of the Year prize on behalf of Bieder & Maier
Regional winners:
Asia Pacific: Coffee Quarter from Delaware North, Perth Airport, Australia
The Americas: Deville Coffee, Calgary Airport Authority
Middle East & Africa: Ralph’s Coffee, Qatar Duty Free, Hamad International Airport
Highly Commendeds:
VYA, Areas, Bologna Guglielmo Marconi Airport
Ralph’s Coffee from Qatar Duty Free at Hamad International Airport
Airport Health-Centred Offer of the Year: EXKI (Dufry), Brussels Airport
Regional Managing Director David Mackay accepts the Health-Centred Offer of the Year on behalf of the Dufry-Autogrill group
Regional winners:
Asia Pacific: LivEAT, SSP Asia Pacific, Hobart International Airport
The Americas: Nourish the Dirty Apron SSP America, Vancouver International Airport
Highly Commended: Deli&CIA, Areas
Airport Food & Beverage Marketing Campaign of the Year: Brisbane’s Best Bites, Brisbane Airport
Highly commended:
PathWater, HMS Host North America
Airport Chef of the Year: David Sosson, Qatar Duty Free
David Sosson (left) captures the Airport Chef of the Year accolade for his tremendous work with Qatar Duty Free across the vast Hamad International Airport food & beverage estate
Airport Hotel Chef of the Year: Marcel Tauschek – Allresto Flughafen München Hotel und Gaststätten, Hilton Munich Airport
Airport Health & Wellbeing in the Workplace Initiative of the Year: Eurest
Airport Food Hall of the Year: Food Hall (Airside) – Autogrill Italy, Leonardo da Vinci–Fiumicino Airport
Dufry President & CEO Asia Pacific Freda Cheung with the prestigious Food Hall award (airside)
Airport Landside Food Hall of the Year: Finavia, Helsinki Airport
Finavia Vice President/Director Commercial Business Nora Immonen with the Helsinki Airport accolade for Food Hall (landside)
Regional winners:
Asia Pacific: Food Court – Airport Authority Hong Kong
The Americas: Global Bazaar – OTG, Newark Liberty International Airport
Middle East & Africa: Food Market – Qatar Duty Free, Hamad International Airport
Airport Food to Go Offer of the Year: Deli&Cia, Areas
Regional winners:
The Americas: The Farmers Market – SSP America, Indianapolis International Airport
Middle East & Africa: Oreo Cafe – Qatar Duty Free/Mondelez WTR, Hamad International Airport
Sustainability and Environment Initiative of the Year: Planet, Ethics, People, Social, Lagardère Travel Retail
Melanie Guilldou picks up another big award for Lagardère Travel Retail, this time for its ambitious ESG programme
Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Initiative of the Year: Empowering Voices: Embracing Diversity through Inclusion – Travel Food Services
Darpan Mehta and Gaurav Dewan of Travel Food Services with the DE&I award
Highly Commended:
Areas for Change – Areas, Multiple Airports
‘Make it happen’ ESG Strategy’– HMSHost North America, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Women in Leadership Initiative of the Year: Tastes on the Fly
Melanie Guilldou (Lagardère Travel Retail) collects the Women in Leadership Award on behalf of new partner Tastes on the Fly
Airport Restaurant Design of the Year Co-winner: Fendi Caffe, Qatar Duty Free
Qatar Duty Free Senior Vice President Thabet Musleh accepts the Design Award for Fendi at Hamad International Airport
Airport Restaurant Design of the Year Co-winner: STK, Areas, Los Cabos International Airport
Regional winners:
Asia Pacific: NamNam, SSP Asia Pacific, Singapore Changi Airport
Europe: San Carlo, The Restaurant Group, Manchester Airport
Airport Hotel of the Year: Calgary Airport Marriott
General Manager Commercial & Retail Development Chris Niegarth accepts the hotel award for Calgary Airport & Marriott
Regional winners:
Europe: Allresto Flughafen München Hotel und Gaststätten Hilton, Munich Airport
Asia Pacific: Sama-Sama Hotel, Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Airport Lounge of the Year: Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno, Qatar Duty Free at Hamad International Airport
Another big award for Qatar Duty Free and the Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno
Regional winners:
Europe: 1903, CAVU, Manchester Airport
Asia Pacific: 080 Lounge by TFS, Kempegowda Bengaluru International Airport
Highly Commended:
080 Lounge by TFS, Kempegowda Bengaluru Airport.
Airport Lounge Food & Beverage Offering of the Year Co-winner: 080 Lounge by Travel Food Services, Kempegowda Bengaluru International Airport
Travel Food Services Chief Operating Officer (centre) and Vice President Business Development Darpan Mehta accept their award from Dermot Davitt
Airport Lounge Food & Beverage Offering of the Year Co-winner: Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno, Qatar Duty Free at Hamad International Airport
Thabet Musleh with the Airport Lounge F&B Award for the magnificent culinary and drinks offering at Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno
Airport Casual Dining Restaurant of the Year: Bad Egg Breakfast Bar, SSP America, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
Pat Murray with another big accolade for SSP America
Regional winners:
Middle East & Africa: Cravings Restaurant & Bar, Bole International Airport, Ethiopia
Asia Pacific: Jamie Oliver, SSP Asia Pacific at Kuala Lumpur International Airport
Europe: The Fallow, SSP, Dublin Airport.
Airport Customer/Hospitality Initiative of the Year: James Beard Foundation at Chicago O’Hare, HMSHost North America/Dufry
Freda Cheung with the accolade presented to Dufry for its exciting activity around the James Beard Foundation event in Chicago
Regional winners:
Asia Pacific: High Tide Bar, HMSHost International, Bali I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport.
Europe: Kepler Club, Istanbul Sabiha Gökçen International Airport
Highly Commended:
iCoupon Global
Airport Food & Beverage Transformation: ZOMA, Emirates Leisure Retail & MMI and Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International Airport
Emirates Leisure Retail & MMI CEO Tyrone Reid with the award for its superb Zanzibar execution
Airport F&B Offer Best Representing Sense of Place: Taiwan Flavors – Ever Rich Duty Free, Taoyuan International Airport
Ever Rich Group President Kevin Chiang with the richly deserved award for Sense of Place
Regional winners:
Middle East & Africa: Chapatti & Karak, Qatar Duty Free, Hamad International Airport
Europe: Tadinda Anadolu, BTA Catering, Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport
Americas: Farmers’ Market, SSP America, Indianapolis International Airport
Highly commended:
Xi’ an Food Boulevard, Xi’an Xianyang International Airport
Tadinda Anadolu, BTA Catering, Izmir Adnan Menderes Airport
Farmers’ Market, SSP America, Indianapolis International Airport
Airport Food & Beverage Opening of the Year C-winner: Intervals – Plaza Premium Group, Hong Kong International Airport
Plaza Premium Group Global Director Brand & Product Transformation Mei Mei Song takes the award for the highly creative Intervals cocktail bar at HKIA
Airport Food & Beverage Opening of the Year Co-winner: Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno – Qatar Duty Free, Hamad International Airport
On a big night for Qatar Duty Free, the series of awards for the Louis Vuitton collaboration were among the highlights
Regional winners:
The Americas: Codo Agave Social House, Calgary International Airport
Europe: Vagabond Wines, London Gatwick Airport
Highly Commended: Fendi Caffe – Qatar Duty Free, Hamad International Airport
Outstanding Career Contribution Award: SSP America Deputy CEO Pat Murray
A surprised and delighted Pat Murray with the award for his outstanding service to SSP America and to the wider industry
Up in lights: The award winners gather on stage with Martin Moodie and Dermot Davitt for a photo call to round off a memorable night
About The FAB Awards
The FAB Awards are about recognising excellence in the travel food & beverage sector, from grab-and-go snack to coffee bars to food halls to – for the first time in 2023 – airport lounges. They recognise companies not just for commercial success but for championing values – values of diversity, equity and inclusion, sustainability and Sense of Place.
They are also about people, front line, back of house, both individuals and teams.
The judges received over 250 entries entries this year and were heartened by the excellence, the diversity and the passion underpinning them.
Those judges included: Ann Elliott, owner of Ann Elliott Hospitality Consultancy; Nick Inkster, a highly respected consultant who spent 25 years in senior roles with SSP: Kevin Zajax, CEO at Ground Control and former CEO & Managing Director at Emirates Leisure Retail; Nick Goddard-Palmer, co-founder of food & beverage to retail experts Hunter Palmer – Global Retail Solutions; and Alan Gluck, a veteran US airport commercial revenues expert and Senior Aviation Commercial Planner for ICF.
They were joined by Sevda Fevzi, Canada-based President & CEO of Sevly Inc, a global consulting firm and Diana Chan, MasterChef Australia 2017 winner plus The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie. ✈
FAB EZINE SET TO RETURNThe Moodie Davitt Report is delighted to announce the return of the FAB eZine, a standalone digital magazine dedicated to airport and other travel-related food & beverage views, news, trends, tastes, people, product and principles. Initially quarterly, beginning in Q4 2023, The FAB eZine will devote year-round coverage to the burgeoning airport food & beverage sector, including broader hospitality services such as hotels and lounges.  The FAB eZine will continue to explore the evolution of the travel-related F&B sector worldwide as we did back in 2019 in this on location report from Houston, Texas. Click on the image to read. The FAB eZine will complement the annual Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference & Awards and our already extensive F&B and hospitality coverage on The Moodie Davitt Report.com and in The FAB Newsletter.  Elişa pictured with Jamie Oliver Elişa Roche has been appointed Editor-in-Chief, bringing a rare combination of culinary and journalistic excellence and experience to the role. Elişa trained as a chef as part of ‘Jamie’s Kitchen’, a British TV show watched by millions and fronted by celebrity chef Jamie Oliver. She went on to work as Chef de Partie at some of London’s top Michelin-starred kitchens, e.g. Fino (now Barrafina), The Ivy and Bambou. Cooking later turned to food writing and presenting, most recently as overseeing editorial partnerships at Food Matters Live. Elişa was also Host and Producer of award-winning B2B podcast ‘Career Conversations’, encouraging young people into the food & drinks industry. *For editorial enquiries please contact Elişa Roche at Elisa@MoodieDavittReport.com. For advertising please reach out to Martin Moodie at Martin@MoodieDavittReport.com |