Diageo and WDF team up at T5

The world’s leading spirits producer is teaming up with the UK’s top travel retailer, World Duty Free, to create a major new tasting bar in the new Terminal 5 at Heathrow Airport. The Connoisseurs Bar will focus on single malt whisky and Cognac and has been developed in close conjunction with six leading suppliers.

When T5 officially opens on March 30, the state of the art facility will be able to process upwards of 30 million passengers each year. WDF is widely regarded as one of the best operators in the business and the company’s stores in the existing four terminals already make the airport the most lucrative travel retail destination in the world. With far more space made available for commercial facilities, WDF is expected to push back the boundaries of the airport retailing in T5, so the Diageo partnership will be hotly anticipated.
Scant details of the project have been released at this stage, however we can reveal that six Scotch brands have created special bottlings exclusively for sale in the new facility – they include Bowmore and William Grant brands Glenfiddich and Balvenie. The bar will allow staff to give special one-to-one tasting sessions for travellers in a relaxed but refined environment.
Commenting upon the development WDF head for category for liquor, Fraser Dunlop, said: “The Connoisseur Bar is yet another exciting development for World Duty Free in Terminal 5. We are delighted to be able to offer our customers the opportunity to learn about the extensive range and characteristics of Cognacs and malts available at the WDF stores. We invite all customers to take advantage of it and visit the bar to learn about the rich history of these spirits.
An exclusive sneak preview of the impressive F&B offer which will be unveiled in T5 will feature in the next issue of the drinks business.

Ben Grant, 16/01/08