INTERNATIONAL/THAILAND. The judging is done, the scores are in. Now it’s a matter of awaiting the results of The Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) + Hospitality Awards to be revealed at a glittering Gala Dinner to be hosted by Airports of Thailand on 13 September.

The dinner forms the culmination of The FAB + Hospitality Conference & Awards 2023, an event making a welcome return in physical format for the first time since pre-pandemic 2019. For details on how to register for FAB and an exciting programme line-up, click here.

As reported, Airports of Thailand Public Company Limited (AOT) is the Gala Dinner Partner.

This week we are revealing (on a phased basis) the respective short-lists across the 20 award categories. We continue today with a diverse line-up of finalists in the key Airport Food & Beverage Offer best representing Sense of Place category (scroll down). More shortlists to follow soon. 

The Moodie Davitt Report Founder & Chairman Martin Moodie said: “Encouragingly, this category attracted the second-biggest number of entries, an affirmation of how airports and food & beverage providers are striving increasingly hard to capture local flavour in multiple senses, from food & drinks through to design and art.

“It’s an award I feel particularly strongly about, having championed the concept of Sense of Place right from our company’s earliest days so like our other judges I particularly enjoyed the quality, diversity and cultural integrity of many of the entries.

“We capitalise the term Sense of Place for good reason, believing it emphasises the critical need for airports to reflect the feeling and flavours, the tastes and traditions, the craft and culture, and the history and heritage of a city, region or country. For this category, we don’t think it’s enough to simply take a downtown name and bring it to the airport. We want to see an offer and an environment that really does allow the traveller to experience something that truly evokes that location.”

The nine judges (see below) have worked assiduously since nominations closed, carefully evaluating almost 250 top-class entries from around the world.

FAB + HOSPITALITY AWARDS 2023 FINALISTS

AIRPORT F&B OFFER BEST REPRESENTING SENSE OF PLACE

Bar de la Plage – Lagardère Travel Retail, Nice Côte d’Azur Airport

Bridgewater Exchange – The Restaurant Group, Manchester Airport

Chapati & Karak – Qatar Duty Free, Hamad International Airport

Dhaba@T3 – Travel Food Service, Indira Gandhi International Airport

IMM Rice & Noodle – SSP Asia Pacific, Bangkok Suvarnabhumi Airport

Kaffet Helsinki – SSP, Helsinki Airport

Mercantile Dining & Provision – Tastes On the Fly, Denver International Airport

Taiwan Flavors – Ever Rich Duty Free, Taoyuan International Airport

The Farmers Market – SSP America, Indianapolis International Airport

Salmon n’ Bannock On The Fly at YVR – Vancouver Airport Authority, Vancouver Airport

South Downs, Vagabond Wines – Gatwick Airport

Tadında Anadolu – BTA Food & Services,  Istanbul Airport, Ankara Airport and İzmir Airport

Whiskey Bread – SSP, Dublin Airport

Xi’an Xianyang International Airport T2 Food Boulevard – Xi’an Xianyang International Airport Commercial Branch Company

Zoma – Emirates Leisure Retail & MMI, Zanzibar Abeid Amani Karume International Airport

The following shortlists were revealed earlier

AIRPORT BAR OR PUB OF THE YEAR

The Belgian Red House – Autogrill, Brussels Airport

Bottega Prosecco Bar & Craft Beer – HMSHost International, Dubai International Airport

Bridgewater Exchange – The Restaurant Group, Manchester Airport

Tickerdaze – BTA Food & Services, Istanbul Airport

Budweiser – Lagardère Travel Retail, Dubai International Airport

Juniper & Co – SSP, Gatwick Airport

Koh Hop Bar – SSP, Suvarnabhumi Airport

Oakland Draft House – SSP America, Oakland International Airport

Sibarium – Areas, Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport

Sports Shack – Emirates Leisure Retail, Dubai International Airport

Stomping Ground Brewery – Delaware North, Melbourne Airport

Sycamore Brewing – HMSHost, Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Ta.Sh.Ba Bistro Bar – SSP Eastern Europe and the Middle East, Larnaca International Airport

AIRPORT SUSTAINABILITY AND ENVIRONMENTAL INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

Airport Authority Hong Kong – Food TranSmarter Treatment Process

Allresto Flughafen München Hotel und Gaststätten – ‘Rethink’ campaign

Areas For Change – Areas

Autogrill Group – Green Store Guidelines

Dallas Fort Worth Airport – Waste composting initiative

HMS Host – ‘Make it Happen’ ESG Strategy, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport

HMSHost The Netherlands partnership with Schiphol Airport

Lagardère Travel Retail – PEPS Program

SSP Bahrain Sustainability Team – Bahrain International Airport

SSP Group – Reimagining Food for People and the Planet

AIRPORT FOOD HALL OF THE YEAR

The Food Hall at Helsinki Airport Arrivals Hall – Finavia Corporation

Food Hall at Fiumicino Airport Terminal 1 – Dufry-Autogrill

Rome Mezzanine Food Hall – Lagardère Travel Retail

Food Market (Free flow concept) – SSP Eastern Europe and the Middle East

Food Court –  Airport Authority Hong Kong

Food Market at HIA – Qatar Duty Free at Hamad International Airport

OTG Global Bazaar – New York and New Jersey airports

Zone F Food Hall Suvarnabhumi Airport – SSP Asia Pacific

Sangster International Airport Food Hall – MBJ Airports

La Place by Areas – Josep Tarradellas Barcelona-El Prat Airport

Food Village DXB – HMSHost International

Boston Public Market – HMSHost, Boston Logan International Airport

AIRPORT HEALTH & WELLBEING INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

Free food for Heathrow employees – Eurest

Wellness Wednesday – Travel Food Services

OTG Crewmember Wellness Program – OTG

SSP Group Global Safety Governance and Framework – SSP

AIRPORT CHEF OF THE YEAR 

Sudhir Arora – Travel Food Services

Charlotte Boothby – HMSHost UK

Keyon Coleman – Kitchen Step, Newark Liberty Airport International Airport, Master ConcessionAir

Vladimir Drietomsky – SSP Deutschland

Rahul Khosla – Lagardère Travel Retail, UAE

Roy Limpag – Emirates Leisure Retail & MMI

Robert Maluso – SSP America

Aarón Mizrahi – Areas Mexico

Ahmad Farhan Noorzali – Sama-Sama Hotel, Kuala Lumpur International Airport

David Sosson – Qatar Duty Free

Marcel Tauschek – Hilton Munich Airport

AIRPORT CUSTOMER/HOSPITALITY INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

Amore – Dufry-Autogrill, Athens and Düsseldorf airports

Breaking Bread – Travel Food Services, Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj International Airport and Kempegowda International Airport

High Tide Bar – Dufry-Autogrill, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, Bali

iCoupon Global – Multiple airports

James Beard Foundation at Chicago O’Hare International Airport – Dufry-Autogrill

Kepler Club – Kepler Club, Sabiha Gökçen International Airport

AIRPORT DIVERSITY, EQUITY & INCLUSION INITIATIVE OF THE YEAR

Empowering Voices: Embracing Diversity through Inclusion – Travel Food Services

Homeboy – Areas

OTG Pride Initiative – OTG

SSP DE&I Framework – SSP

SSP Hellas HR Team – SSP Catering Cyprus

Women in Leadership – Tastes on the Fly

AIRPORT FOOD & BEVERAGE MARKETING CAMPAIGN OF THE YEAR

Brisbane’s Best Bites – Brisbane Airport Corporation

Path Water – Dufry-Autogrill, Multiple US airports

The Gallery at Zurich Airport – Dufry-Autogrill

AIRPORT FOOD & BEVERAGE OFFER OF THE YEAR

Qatar Duty Free, Hamad International Airport

Singapore Changi Airport

Taiwan Taoyuan International Airport

AIRPORT HEALTH-CENTRED OFFER OF THE YEAR

Exki – Autogrill Europe, Brussels Airport

Deli&Cia – Areas, Multiple airports

Liv Eat – SSP Asia Pacific, Hobart International Airport

Haferkater – Lagardère Travel Retail, Berlin Airport

Nourish the Dirty Apron – SSP America, Vancouver International Airport

Sambazon Açaí Bowls – Charlotte Douglas International Airport

Gully Kitchen – Travel Food Services, Kempegowda International Airport

Leon – HMSHost International, London Stansted Airport

AIRPORT HOTEL OF THE YEAR

Calgary Airport Marriott In-terminal Hotel – Calgary Airport Authority

Sama-Sama Hotel Kuala Lumpur International Airport

080 Transit Hotel – Travel Food Services, Kempegowda International Airport

Hilton Munich Airport – Allresto Flughafen München Hotel und Gaststätten

AIRPORT LOUNGE OF THE YEAR

Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno – Qatar Duty Free, Hamad International Airport

Muscat Primeclass Lounge – TAV Operation Services, Muscat International Airport

1903 Lounge – Manchester Airport Terminal 2, CAVU

The Club CLT – Airport Dimensions, Charlotte Douglas International Airport

080 Lounge by TFS – Travel Food Services, Kempegowda International Airport Terminal 1

Bodrum Primeclass Lounge Domestic Terminal, TAV Operation Services

AIRPORT LOUNGE FOOD & BEVERAGE OFFER OF THE YEAR

Louis Vuitton Lounge by Yannick Alléno – Qatar Duty Free, Hamad International Airport

Muscat Primeclass Lounge – TAV Operation Services, Muscat International Airport

080 Lounge by TFS – Travel Food Services, Kempegowda International Airport Terminal 1

FAB EZINE SET TO RETURN

The 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

An experienced and diverse line-up is judging the FAB Awards 2023. Click on images to expand.

Registration details

Click here to register for FAB 2023 or learn more.

For questions regarding the event or awards, contact The Moodie Davitt Report Asia Bureau Chief and Head of Marketing & Events Jeannie Wong at jeannie@moodiedavittreport.com.

Note: The Moodie Davitt Report publishes the FAB Newsletter, which features highlights of openings, events and campaigns from around the world of airport and travel dining. Please email Kristyn@moodiedavittreport.com to subscribe.