Manchester Airport sees sales of Alcohol-free drinks and vegan products soaring

Manchester airport sales of alcohol-free, vegan and non-dairy products soaring.

Air travellers are increasingly seeking a healthy start to their holidays, with juices and gut health shots also flying off the shelves at some of the UK’s busiest gateways.

MAG – which owns and operates Manchester, London Stansted and East Midlands Airports – says consumer trends seen on the high street are being mirrored in its terminals as it heads into the peak summer season.

That means airport bars, restaurants and cafes are dreaming up a host of new dishes to suit modern dietary preferences, while shops are stocking up on items for the health-conscious globetrotter.

Across all three of MAG’s airports, sales of vegan breakfasts and brunches are up more than 20% on last year, with Giraffe, at Manchester Airport, seeing an eight-fold increase.

The Smoky Vegan Chilli, served at the Windmill, London Stansted, is a particular hit, with sales up 167% year-on-year, while the Vegan Hot Dog at Manchester’s Lion & Antelope venue is up 90%.

When it comes to a pre-flight tipple, MAG says many passengers still relish the chance to start their holiday early with a glass of fizz, lager or wine. For example, year-on-year beer sales increased at almost exactly the same rate as passenger volumes in first six months of the year (c9%).

But booze-free beer sales have grown at a much sharper rate, up 16.9% across its three airports year-on-year.

The biggest rise has been seen at Stansted’s Comptoir Libanais, where there has been a five-fold increase in the number of non-alcoholic beers sold. Stansted’s Wetherspoons has seen a 45% increase.

Stephen Martin, retail director at London Stansted Airport, said: “The last thing we want people to feel when they come to our airport is that they are restricted in what they can eat or drink because there is limited choice, or because what is on offer does not suit their lifestyle choices or dietary needs.

“We also know passengers often want to start their trip with a treat, in the form of a nice drink or meal with friends and family before boarding their flights – that is why we work really hard to ensure there is something for everyone in our terminals and that what’s on offer reflects what people are consuming in their daily lives.”

Richard Jackson, retail director at Manchester Airport, said: “Some products and menu items will always be popular at an airport, and we continue to see sales increase in line with growing passenger volumes – but there can be no denying the growing popularity of things like 0% beers, gut health shots and vegan brunches.

“There are a wide range of different passengers who use the airport and that is why is important our outlets offer diverse menus – by doing that, it hopefully means we are giving people what they need to switch to holiday mode at the earliest opportunity.”

Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co was founded in 2014 by McAvoy brothers, Guy, Keith, Luke, Daniel, Nathan, Kit, and Greg, inspired by their dad’s home-brewing in their cellar at home. It has beer houses in Middlewood Locks and MediaCityUK, Saford, and Ancoats, Manchester. In July 2020, they opened their partnership bar at Manchester Airport’s new T2 Departure Lounge.

Seven Bro7hers Brewing Co’s CEO Keith McAvoy said: “Since opening, we have seen a real shift in what airport travellers are looking for. With the pandemic well and truly behind us, our customers increasingly want to start their holiday in the airport. The departure lounge – now more than ever – is part of the holiday experience. People want the food to be good, and the beer can’t be generic.

“We see increasing demand for vegan dishes and foodie twists on classic pub food. People don’t want a bland or overly boozy experience either – our food pairings with the craft ales, for example, have proven very popular this year, and we have seen increasing demand for lower ABV beers.

“Of course there will always be those looking for an all-day breakfast, a commercial lager or a cocktail but people enjoy the fact we are a local brewery – a part of Manchester in the airport. Those who like our venues in the city but don’t get to them as much as they’d like, are able to start their holiday in one of our bars in the airport. They see it as a treat, and we hope it elevates their holiday, which is why it is really important to give them the beers and dishes that suit their needs.”

Some health-conscious passengers are increasingly reaching for a juice instead of beers, wines and spirits, with Stansted’s Joe and the Juice seeing 39% growth in sales compared to last year.

The growing demand among coffee-lovers for non-dairy alternatives is also being seen among travellers, especially those catching “red eye” flights first thing in the morning.

Overall non-dairy sales are up 10%, with the largest spike at Manchester’s branch of Costa Coffee, where sales are up by a quarter. The most popular alternative is oat milk (60%), followed by soya (17%) and coconut (13%).

When it comes to consumer trend, the promotion of good “gut health” has risen to prominence is recent times.

MAG data shows sales of products containing the word “gut” are up 102% on last year, with WH Smith seeing a three-fold increase in gut health shot transactions.