The food hall is very much the mainstay of many airports’ F&B passenger offers, providing a wide variety of food and drinks for all ages, tastes and budgets, fast and with fair value.

Key elements for success include provenance, freshness, diversity of offer through the day and evening, efficiency and adaptation to the travel environment, and exceptional food and service.

Under these criteria, the winners stood out, one each for landside and airside arenas.

The Airport Landside Food Hall of the Year winner – Aero Plaza at Hyderabad International Airport – represents a project that is highly appropriate for the local market, featuring clever activations, a well-ranged brand offer and top-class staff and service performance. More than a food hall, this is an ambitious, brilliantly executed destination, the judges said. Aero Plaza was also voted Regional Winner for Asia Pacific.

The Airside Food Hall winner – The Daily DXB by Lagardère Travel Retail – was, said the judges, a strong contender on every level, with great story-telling and thought and consideration of food variety and concepts that match flights, routes and airlines. It was also regional winner for Middle East & Africa.

Other superb regional winners in this category included The Food Court by Morpho Travel Experience at Juan Santamaría International Airport, Costa Rica, where the market-style food court concept has received rave reviews from guests.

In Europe, the regional award went to SSP Finland’s airside Food Court at Helsinki Airport, which offers “a diverse digitally enabled marketplace that ticks many boxes from great space planning to local brands to attractive menu choice”.

A deserving Highly Commended in this category was the highly successful Food Park by SSP Emirates at Zayed International Airport. This location “delivers variety and value, and appeals across flavour profiles and consumer groups”, said the judges.