For many British travellers, the holiday experience isn’t complete without a pre-flight drink at the airport. According to recent research, 66% of Britons consider a celebratory cocktail or mocktail at the airport as the official start to their holiday. Recognising this quintessentially British tradition, Heathrow Airport has teamed up with Gordon Ramsay Plane Food and Heston’s The Perfectionists’ Café to introduce four custom-made ‘Airportifs’—two cocktails and two mocktails—designed to set the holiday mood.
While aperitifs are typically enjoyed before a meal, these Airportifs aim to kickstart travellers’ holidays. Expert mixologists at Gordon Ramsay Plane Food in Heathrow Terminal 5 and Heston’s The Perfectionists’ Café in Terminal 2 have crafted these drinks, incorporating Heathrow’s signature purple hue.
Heston’s Airportif is a blend of London gin, British elderflower, blue Curaçao, grenadine, and soda. On the other hand, Plane Food’s cocktail features Beefeater Gin, blue Curaçao, lime, grenadine, and Prosecco. Each ingredient has been meticulously selected to represent the best of British and to evoke the holiday spirit. Non-alcoholic versions are also available, ensuring that no traveller is left out of this British ritual.
Jose Cortés, Restaurant Manager at Heston’s The Perfectionists’ Café, stated: “Our Airportif has been designed with passengers in mind, with each ingredient carefully chosen to represent premium British flavours that prime holidaymakers for their travels. Hopefully it’ll be love at first flight!”
According to a survey, over a third of passengers (36%) take their first holiday photo at the airport, and 21% of these photos usually feature their airport drinks. The Airportifs are part of Heathrow’s broader strategy to enhance the passenger experience, which includes a range of dining and shopping options.
To help travellers capture the perfect pre-flight drink snapshot, Heathrow has enlisted the expertise of social media influencer @TravelsByPaige, who boasts over 83,000 Instagram followers. Paige Benattar, the person behind the account, shared: “Capturing the perfect shot of your drink is a bit of an artform at times, so I’ve shared my top five tips so everyone can show off their pre-flight drinks before jetting off to paradise.”
- Position your drink so that it catches the light. A little bit of light from behind or to the side of you will mean the light goes through the liquid – this way you’ll see every bubble and those ice cubes in detail.
- Turn on grid view and use the rule of thirds. Go to settings > camera > and switch grid on. This divides your camera screen into a three-by-three grid. Placing your photo’s main subjects (in this case, drinks) along these lines creates a more aesthetic image.
- Shoot from the side, straight on and not too close up. You want to capture the side view of the drink and be able to see what’s inside the glass, not just what’s on top of it. The most interesting element of the drink should take up the most space, so angle your camera accordingly.
- Focus your phone onto darker spots of the image to brighten things up. On iPhone – tap and hold where you want the camera to focus, this will lock the focus on your drink and you’ll see a slide bar pop up to allow you to adjust exposure – it’s a game changer!
- Be mindful of the arrangement and what else is in shot. Add your passport cover or a pair of sunglasses to set the mood for your trip, but watch out for dirty plates, cutlery or napkins – they are not so picture perfect! Our brains like some symmetry, but not too much. To strike a balance, try to have unequal elements on opposite sides of the frame.
Fraser Brown, Retail Director at Heathrow, commented: “At Heathrow, our priority is ensuring passengers can relax and get in the holiday mood from the moment they step foot in the airport. We’ve created our limited-edition Airportifs with these travellers in mind, so there’s something for everyone to enjoy and get in the holiday spirit – and maybe share a not-so-subtle brag on social media while they’re at it!”
The Airportifs are available at Gordon Ramsay Plane Food in Terminal 5 and Heston’s The Perfectionists’ Café in Terminal 2 until 31 and 24 October respectively, with prices ranging from £9.50 to £14.50.
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