Great Northern Market launches in Manchester Airport’s new Terminal 2 bringing street food to UK aviation first

(IN SHORT) Manchester Airport has opened Great Northern Market, a first-of-its-kind street food market hall in its new £1.3bn Terminal 2, featuring six globally inspired kitchens and Gooey’s cookies and coffee around a shared central dining space. Operated by Airport Retail Enterprises UK, the concept reflects modern dining trends and forms part of the airport’s decade-long Terminal 2 redevelopment, which is nearing completion ahead of summer with more than 75% of passengers already using the upgraded facilities.

(PRESS RELEASE) MANCHESTER, 2026-Feb-3 — /Travel PR News/ — Manchester Airport has unveiled Great Northern Market, a new street food-style market hall in its redeveloped Terminal 2, opening to passengers this morning as part of the airport’s multi-billion-pound transformation programme.

Located at the heart of the new £1.3bn Terminal 2, Great Northern Market brings together six independent-style street food kitchens alongside Gooey, a well-known Manchester brand specialising in cookies, donuts and specialty coffee. The layout centres around a shared dining space, allowing travellers in groups to order from different vendors while still sitting together, reflecting the social and informal nature of modern market halls.

The initial line-up includes Nashville Hot House, offering buttermilk fried chicken and Southern-inspired dishes; Black Iron Grill, serving smash burgers and loaded fries; Kouzina, featuring Greek and Mediterranean street food; La Casita, presenting a range of Mexican dishes; Palms Café, specialising in pan-Asian cuisine; and Napoli Street Pizza. Gooey completes the offering with sweet treats and beverages.

Richard Jackson, Retail Director at Manchester Airport, said the launch represents a major milestone in reshaping the passenger experience at Terminal 2. He highlighted that Great Northern Market is the first concept of its kind in a UK airport, designed to reflect contemporary dining trends while complementing the wider mix of restaurants and bars in the terminal. The aim is to offer something for every taste, from casual, fast-paced street food through to more formal à la carte dining elsewhere in T2.

The market hall will be operated by Airport Retail Enterprises UK (ARE), a specialist airport food and beverage operator with existing operations at Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton and Edinburgh airports. Great Northern Market marks ARE’s first venture into a full market hall format, responding to the growing popularity of food courts that showcase diverse, global street food in a vibrant, communal setting.

John and Hayley Butts, Directors at ARE, said they were proud to open Great Northern Market and bring a dynamic, high-quality street food experience to Manchester Airport. They emphasised that the concept offers variety, value and a lively atmosphere on a scale not previously seen in UK airports, tailored to the needs of modern travellers.

The opening of Great Northern Market forms part of the final phase of Manchester Airport’s decade-long redevelopment of Terminal 2. The terminal was expanded by 150% in 2021, after which the original building was closed and fully refurbished to match the design, capacity and functionality of the extension. More than three-quarters of passengers are now using the upgraded facilities, with the remaining finishing works expected to be completed ahead of the peak summer travel season.

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Michael Murphy-Pyle
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07565 178 364

Alex Nash
Media Lead
07565 178 245

SOURCE: The Manchester Airports Group plc.