British Airways customers can now enjoy their lolly-days
A cone or tub of Rossi’s premium artisan ice cream made from fresh milk, butter and double cream is a great Southend tradition – but the firm recently spread its wings as far as Gatwick airport.
British Airways selected the award-winning manufacturer to supply ice cream for 50,000 passengers to enjoy at Gatwick’s North Terminal for a fortnight during August, helping them to start their holidays with a delicious treat.
Managing director of Rossi Ice Cream, Colin Gray said that the UK’s flag carrier airline wanted a patriotic theme which also reflected the famous design of the planes’ tail fins, “They served our special Celebration ice cream in red, white and blue, (vanilla with strawberry and blueberry ripples) plus other flavours to replicate British Airways’ corporate colours.”
This was an important opportunity for Colin’s firm, as it represented an exciting and unusual sampling opportunity during what was expected to be the airports busiest ever summer. Bosses at Gatwick predicted that Friday 17 August would see the most passenger movements, with some 138,000 people expected to travel through the airport.
To get them in the holiday mood, customers were offered Rossi ice creams as the perfect summer send-off.
Colm Lacy, British Airways’ head of commercial at Gatwick, says, “It was all good fun. We simply wanted to get people excited for their holidays and thought this was an ideal way of celebrating with them.”
Paul Fitch, Gatwick Airport’s head of terminal operations says, “At Gatwick we aim to treat every passenger as our guest, helping to make their journey a positively memorable one, which is why we thought what better way to enhance that holiday spirit this summer than by giving our passengers ice cream.”
Lacy is understandably proud to be asked by one of Britain’s leading brands to supply his product to them and says that some of the country’s biggest names have followed BA’s lead, “Rossi ice cream has been enjoyed by bands, artists and VIPs appearing at several big music festivals as part of their backstage refreshments. Also a number of celebrities and Harrods’ key customers have recently enjoyed our ice cream at their parties and events.”