Airport catering produce sourcing for concession, lounge and catering operators
In short
At most airports, the airport authority awards concessions but does not buy the food. The food buyers are concession operators, lounge operators and catering contractors. For airport catering produce sourcing — and for seafood, shrimp and eggs — they can send one structured request; our team reviews it and runs supplier outreach on their behalf.
Who buys the food at an airport?
- Airport authorities and airport operators
- Own or run the airport, award food-and-beverage concessions and set operating, security and delivery rules. They are usually not the food buyer.
- Concession operators (including master concessionaires)
- Run the restaurants, cafés and bars and buy their own food, directly or through distributors.
- Lounge operators
- Airline and independent lounges buy food for their own lounges.
- Catering contractors
- Run staff restaurants and other catering on the airport site.
- Inflight caterers
- Supply aircraft, not terminal outlets — see the airline and inflight caterers pathway.
If you represent an airport authority or airport operator: we do not run concession tenders or bid for concessions, and the product request form is not for authority enquiries. Contact our team through the contact page. Contact page
Who this is for
- F&B concession operators and master concessionaires
- Airline and independent lounge operators
- Catering contractors on airport sites
Not for
- Airport authorities planning concession programmes
- Individual outlets with programmes below a declared USD 250,000 per year
See instead: Airline & inflight caterers
Sourcing problems we help address
Airside delivery rules
Many airports route deliveries through security screening and, where one exists, a logistics or consolidation centre with fixed time slots. The rules notified to you by your airport are written into the request so suppliers quote with them in mind.
Limited storage at outlets
Small back-of-house space needs pack sizes and delivery frequency that match it.
Shelf life and product format
Prepared and grab-and-go menus need consistent cuts, portions and remaining shelf life at delivery.
One specification across several outlets or airports
A single specification lets multiple outlets be supplied on the same basis.
Documents your concession contract requires
Food-safety and labelling requirements in your contract are listed in the request, and supplier documents are checked against them for your request.
Bulk sourcing and the USD 250,000 minimum
A single outlet rarely reaches USD 250,000 a year in one product group. Operators with several outlets, terminals or airports usually combine them into one programme. The minimum applies to that declared annual or seasonal total, not to each delivery.
Products
- Fresh vegetables, fruit and herbs
- Premium produce (avocados, cherries, berries, mangoes, table grapes, citrus)
- Fish and seafood
- Shrimp and prawns
- Poultry meat and table eggs
Prepared-ready formats (for example cut or washed produce) are possible only where a supplier offers them, confirmed per request.
Information our team needs
Leave anything you don't know blank in the form — it is recorded as "unknown", not guessed.
- Airport(s) and terminals, and the outlets, lounges or kitchens to be supplied
- Your role: concession operator, lounge operator or catering contractor
- Delivery route: direct, via your distributor, or via the airport logistics or consolidation centre
- Delivery time windows, security-screening and vehicle requirements notified by the airport
- Product, specification, portion or pack size
- Remaining shelf life required at delivery
- Volume per week by outlet or in total
- Allergen, labelling and food-safety documents your contract requires
- Declared total programme value (annual or seasonal)
How the procurement workflow runs
For airport operators, the request carries your airport's delivery rules from the start: screening, any logistics or consolidation centre, time slots and vehicle access. Suppliers then quote on what they can actually deliver to your outlets or distributor, and proposals are compared on that basis.
How your request is handled
Step 1
Submit one structured request
Product, specification, volumes, delivery points and timing in one form. Nothing is sent to any supplier at this stage.
Step 2
Our team reviews it
We check the declared programme value against the USD 250,000 minimum, ask clarification questions and help complete missing specification points.
Step 3
Our team runs supplier outreach
We approach producers, packers and exporters that appear able to meet your specification, on your behalf. Your name and contact details are not shared without your approval.
Step 4
You compare proposals on the same basis
Offers are set out against the same specification, Incoterms® rule, packaging, documents and timing. Prices come only from supplier quotations for your request; we do not publish price lists.
Questions to answer before you submit
- Which outlets, lounges or kitchens are supplied, at which airports?
- Do deliveries go through an airport logistics or consolidation centre?
- How much storage does each outlet have, and how often can it receive goods?
- What remaining shelf life do your menus need at delivery?
- Which food-safety and labelling documents does your concession contract require?
Programme value check
Multiply your own figures to see whether the request reaches the USD 250,000 minimum for an assisted RFQ.
Enter all three figures as positive numbers to see the result.
Calculated only from the figures you enter. It is not a price, quote or approval.
Related guides and tools
What we do not do
- We do not hold stock, own the goods or act as exporter or importer of record.
- We do not publish supplier names, price lists or availability.
- Buyers are never connected to suppliers directly. Every enquiry, question and offer passes through our team, and any introduction happens only after review and with your approval.
- Availability, origin, certifications, prices and lead times are confirmed only for your request, after verification. The producer or supplier remains responsible for the product, its documents and its compliance.
Frequently asked questions
We are an airport authority. Can you help?
We do not run concession tenders and we do not bid for concessions. Please contact our team through the contact page; food requests should come from the operator that buys the food.
Do you deliver airside?
No. We do not deliver goods. Delivery arrangements, including any airport logistics centre, are agreed in the supplier's proposal for your request and must meet your airport's rules.
Is there a minimum order size?
Supplier outreach starts when the declared total annual or seasonal programme value is at least USD 250,000. This is the total for the programme, not the value of each delivery. Smaller requests are kept on file but do not enter supplier outreach.
Will I be put in touch with suppliers directly?
No. Our team handles all supplier contact on your behalf and presents comparable proposals. Your identity and contact details are not shared with any supplier without your approval.
Do you charge buyers?
No. Submitting a request, review and supplier outreach are free for buyers.
Ready to send a structured request?
One form, reviewed by our team. Free for buyers. Supplier outreach starts only for programmes with a declared value of at least USD 250,000.
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