SSP wins seven-year contract extension with London City Airport

SSP Group has been awarded a seven-year contract extension to oversee food and beverage concepts at London City Airport.

The travel hospitality expert has worked with the airport for 20 years and the extension comes as part of a £12m upgrade of the departure lounge which will see the launch of several new restaurants.

This will include the airport debut of SSP’s Hithes concept, which is described as “a hybrid of city pub dining and the modern London brasserie” and will feature a menu inspired by different areas of the capital.

SSP is also set to launch the Juniper & Co bar and restaurant, which will focus on British ingredients and as well as craft gins and locally brewed beers.

A Soul & Grain restaurant will also open at the airport this summer, offering fresh-to-go vegetarian and vegan options and coffee from London City brand Extract Coffee Roasters.

SSP operates food and beverage outlets in travel locations worldwide, with around 37,000 employees in over 600 locations across 36 countries.

It reported a rebound in sales in the first half of its 2023 financial year as the global travel market recovered from the pandemic, with revenue up 64% on 2022 levels. The company said it had won £75m in net new business between December 2022 and March 2023.

This year, SSP has partnered with bar group BrewDog and restaurant brand the Breakfast Club to open sites in travel locations across the UK.

The first airside Breakfast Club launched at Gatwick Airport in July while a BrewDog bar will open in the North Terminal in December.