News

A new Bottega Prosecco Bar & Caffé opened in the departure lounge of London Stansted Airport earlier this month. The new bar will be operated by SSP UK, a leading operator of food and beverage outlets in travel locations.

The premium wine bar format, created by Bottega in 2014, will offer passengers at one of London’s leading airports the opportunity to taste Bottega’s carefully selected still and sparkling wines. Each wine can be paired with traditional Venetian and Italian food specialities, which will include a range of sharing platters: tagliere di affettati, an Italian cured meats board; tagliere di formaggi, an Italian cheese board; and tagliere di salmone scozzese, a Scottish smoked salmon board. The bar will also serve speciality coffee and bakery products.

Bottega Prosecco Bar was created with the aim of highlighting the excellence of Italy and appealing to the palate of the consumer. The concept is inspired by the philosophy of the Venetian bacaro (an informal osteria), where food is presented in the form of ‘cicheti’ (appetisers to be eaten at the counter), or as substantial dishes served at the table. The combination with Prosecco, famed for its versatility, and other Italian wines “closes the circle” and contributes to making every moment spent in a bacaro a pleasant experience that enriches the spirit and restores the soul. Bottega Prosecco Bar reinvents this philosophy which can be reproduced anywhere in the world, beyond the confines of Venice.

Cathy Granby, Business Development Director of SSP UK & Ireland said: “Bottega has been a highly successful element in our brand portfolio for four years, and we are delighted to be opening a further unit at Stansted. The brand has proven a big hit with air passengers, and offers a new, premium experience for those passing through Stansted, offering them an excellent opportunity to treat themselves to something special before their flight.”

Stephen Martin, Retail Director of Stansted Airport said: “Bottega deliver a premium experience and to have their incredible Prosecco Bar & Caffé at London Stansted Airport, partnered by SSP, is an exciting time for Manchester Airports Group as we complete the £12million investment in the IDL.

London Stansted Airport is one of the fastest recovering airports in the UK and Bottega has opened in perfect time as we enter the summer peak – only their second airport offering in the UK and we are very proud to host them! The bar sits in prime position and deservedly boasts the opportunity to offer DOP guaranteed wines with impeccable pairings.

Gratitude to the teams at Bottega, SSP and here at the airport that have created something very special at Stansted.”

Sandro Bottega, President of Bottega S.p.A., said: “The Prosecco Bar formula has been hugely successful in Italy and around the world, as it transforms a quick break into an experience perfectly aligned to the ‘Bottega Bacaro’ philosophy. The opening of this Prosecco Bar has been an ambition for some time. London Stansted is an airport that has experienced significant growth in passenger numbers since the ending of the pandemic. It is also one of the main access gates to the British capital from continental Europe. Our wine bar format is of particular interest in the UK, where the Bottega brand is recognised as a leader in the Prosecco and sparkling wine market.”

Over the past two years, the Prosecco Bar offer has been progressively expanded to include coffee and breakfast products, signature cocktails (created bespoke by expert bartenders), organic wines and liqueurs and, more recently, alcohol-free sparkling wines to meet the needs of an emerging consumer trend.

Pre-Covid, London Stansted Airport served approximately 28 million passengers per year.