Man sat in airport

Some people say that their holiday starts the moment they step foot inside the airport. So, what do you do when you have some spare time on your hands once you have checked in and passed through security control?

Before boarding your flight, you can browse the duty-free shops and settle down for a drink and a bite to eat. Many airports in the UK have a range of bars, cafes and restaurants ready to serve customers no matter what time of day, or night, it is.

But, how do you know which airport provides the best choice and value?

A study has been conducted by Netflights.com which took the ten most popular UK airports and scored them based on the highest online ratings, best average cost, and most vegetarian options.

Netflights.com results table

Source – Netflights.com

Birmingham Airport came out as the winners with an overall Netflights.com rating of 7.3. It was dubbed the best airport for food in the UK with a wide variety of meals suitable for vegetarians.

Netflights.com stated, “The airport has one terminal and 12 different eateries, including a prosecco bar, a good variation of coffee shops, and a long list of family-favourite sit-down restaurants like Giraffe and Frankie & Benny’s.”

Factory Bar and Kitchen is exclusive to Birmingham Airport and has ten sit-down meals suitable for vegetarians. Bottega Prosecco Bar is another Birmingham Airport exclusive and offers up to six vegetarian options.

Heathrow was awarded second place and Liverpool took third spot. The survey awarded the lowest score to Newcastle International Airport, despite scoring well in the pricing category. However, it has limited vegetarian options and lower ratings online.

The Daily Mail reported on the study and a spokesman for Newcastle International Airport stated “We work closely with all of our food and beverage partners to continually improve service and standards in response to customer demand. In July 2018, after listening to feedback from our passengers, local clean eating brand The Naked Deli launched their first UK airport store in our departure lounge – this offers a wide range of vegetarian, vegan and gluten-free options.”

Upgrades to the departure lounge are also planned for 2019.

The study polled 2,000 British travellers and research showed that the average person spends a minimum of £11.48 on take-away food, like a sandwich or a burger whilst waiting for their flight. But those who preferred a sit-down meal at the airport were prepared to pay as much as £25 per person.

The research also showed that the average amount spent on snacks like chocolate, sweets, crisps and fruit was £8 with an extra £7 on hot drinks.

Heathrow Airport had the highest for luxury eateries, with eight of the highest-rated restaurants in the highest price band in the UK. If you want to indulge before a long-haul flight you can dine at Caviar House & Prunier Seafood Bar or at the Fortnum & Mason Bar located in terminal five.

Gatwick and Heathrow airports also did well for international cuisines with both housing several Italian chains. In Scotland, Edinburgh Airport houses a Bar Burrito for travellers wanting some hearty Mexican food before their flight.

Andrew Shelton, Managing Director for Netflights told the Daily Mail “The days when airport dining was a grim choice between a speedy sandwich or a greasy fry-up are long gone. We expect airports to mirror the high street, with variety, quality, good value and options to suit different dietary needs, and maybe even the odd high-end choice for when we want to treat ourselves.”

Travelling by air is a great way to see the world and to meet new people, so make sure you take the time to relax and unwind with some tasty food before boarding your flight for any cheap singles holidays you go on.