Driving Fresh Food Sales Beyond Your 4 Walls

All of the 118 restaurants at London’s Heathrow International Airport are now selling ‘hampers’ “on-board-picnic” too travelers.  Flying out of or headed home travelers can take hampers prepared by Heathrow restaurants on flights, including pizzas and meals by Heston Blumenthal and Gordon Ramsay.

The service is available at all Heathrow's 118 restaurants across its five terminals. “The 49 brands involved range from chain cafés, such as Pret a Manger and EAT, to restaurants including Heston Blumenthal’s The Perfectionist Café and Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food, as well as Caviar House and The Gorgeous Kitchen.”

The hampers as they call them vary in price and size according to venue.  The cost range is from £5 and £50.  They must be around 40 x 20 x 10cm in size,  all are collapsible and designed to be easily stowed away under the seat or in the overhead locker. Some hampers are insulated bags designed to “ensure the food retains maximum taste and freshness at 35,000 feet”, keeping hot food warm and cold food cool, such as the ones from Caviar House which features an ice compartment.

Passengers who return their insulated bags to Caviar House are offered a 15 per cent discount on their next on-board picnic purchase. Wow what a marketing tool or tailgate product as well. “Customization is key to this program as hampers can be tailor-made to meet any dietary requirements upon request at each of the restaurants and can be ready-to-go or prepared in about 15 minutes, depending on the type of meal selected.”

British Airways (BA) said it welcomes the new picnic service, and doesn't envisage it affecting cabin space usage or creating too much extra rubbish to be cleared from passengers who bring a hamper on board.

"If customers wish to bring their own food on board, they are very welcome to,"  Where are you selling food?

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