Gatwick launches Summer Festival
Diverse in-terminal entertainment and exclusive products are on offer for the 12 million passengers expected to travel through the airport between now and the end of August – and Gatwick is even giving away a total of £5,000 in vouchers across the summer to get passengers’ holidays off to a flying start.
For the Summer Festival – which comes as Gatwick celebrates its 60th anniversary year – the airport has partnered with World Duty Free, who are offering 'festival glow' 10-minute makeovers to passengers in-store at the MAC counter, as well as several other express treatments from other brands, free of charge. The retailer has also launched a number of exclusives across their entire product range, including fragrances, drinks, sunglasses and summer suncare.
For the first time ever, World Duty Free has introduced two new spirits that are both completely exclusive to Gatwick. The first is a Sour Cherry and Coconut Gin Liqueur, created by St Andrews-based distillery Eden Mill, while the other exclusive is Caribbean-sourced white rum Democrático. Both spirits can be enjoyed in cocktails that are being served in World Duty Free, as well as in restaurants throughout the airport during the summer. The ‘Summer Sling’ – made with the Eden Mill Gin Liqueur – is available in the Nicholas Culpeper restaurant, home of the world’s first airport gin distillery, while the Democrático Rum is the main ingredient in the ‘Summer Festival Rum Punch’, available in Giraffe and WonderTree. A special edition, non-alcoholic “mocktail” is also being served.
Gatwick’s Summer Festival will also transform the airport’s North and South terminals into fully-fledged festival fun-zones, with top family entertainment being staged throughout the summer.
A wide range of acts will make appearances at the airport, from calypso group The Caribana Steel Band, to street theatre duo Hodman and Sally, whose many Glastonbury performances have gained them a huge following. A number of traditional fairground stalls, such as hoopla and hook-a-duck, will also help to bring extra festival vibes to the terminal.
Several lucky passengers will be heading off on holiday with some additional goodies too, as Gatwick is giving away a total of £1,000 in airport vouchers every Friday for five weeks to passengers taking part in the various fairground activities.
Gatwick Ale
The launch of Gatwick’s Summer Festival also sees the introduction of the airport’s very own draught ale. Gatwick has partnered with the Westerham Brewery Company, a local real ale producer based in the town of Westerham, Kent – just 12 miles from the airport – to create a bespoke extra pale ale, fittingly named ‘The Toast of the Terminal’.
The zesty ale, available in Gatwick’s Flying Horse, Red Lion and Beehive restaurants, is an international blend that also remains true to its local roots, brewed with hops from Kent, as well as Germany and the USA.
Plus, along with Westerham Brewery, another local drinks maker is also playing a big part in Gatwick’s Summer Festival. Squerryes vintage sparkling wine, produced nearby to Gatwick on the Squerryes Estate vineyard in Kent, can be enjoyed by passengers at the airport’s two Caviar House & Prunier seafood bars – with Gatwick being the only airport in the world to stock the remarkable wine.
Rachel Bulford, Head of Retail, Gatwick Airport said: “Summer has officially begun at Gatwick and we couldn’t be more excited about the range of exclusive products now available in our shops and restaurants as part of the airport’s first Summer Festival. It’s our goal to provide passengers with unique, memorable experiences as they travel through our terminals, and with the launch of our very own gin liqueur, rum and pale ale – as well as delicious Gatwick cocktails and mocktails – there really is something special on offer for everyone this summer.
“Passengers should also keep an eye out for our big voucher giveaways, as a pre-flight spending spree in the airport’s many retail outlets is sure to be an incredible way to kick off your 2018 summer holiday, quite literally, in style.”
Kathryn Kindness, Commercial Category Manager, World Duty Free said: “The Gatwick Summer Festival is a fantastic event and a perfect platform to showcase some new and exclusive products. We’ve collaborated with our brand partners to introduce on-trend summer products, which we believe will appeal to the Gatwick Airport customer.”
Robert Wicks, Founder and Managing Director, Westerham Brewery said: “Westerham Brewery is proud to announce this collaboration with Gatwick Airport on a refreshing summer beer - 'The Toast of the Terminal'. This extra pale ale contains only the finest locally-sourced malt, as well as three unique hops: Kent's own First Gold, Yakima Valley Cascade from the USA, and Hallertauer Perle from Germany, making it a truly international ale with a distinctly English twist. ‘The Toast of the Terminal’ has a spicy, floral aroma and a zesty, dry finish, making it the perfect start to any summer holiday!"
James Osborn, General Manager, Squerryes said: “To be able to share our passion for vintage sparkling wine at the best airport in the country is a fantastic opportunity and we're proud to be able to share our latest 2013 Brut, a delicious blend of Chardonnay, Pinot Noir and Meunier that reflects the purity and energy of our Pilgrim's Way vineyard, high up on the North Downs.”
