Six hospitality spaces are being offered as the airport prepares for long-term passenger growth linked to its Northern Runway programme.
London Gatwick has opened bidding for six food and beverage units across its South and North Terminals as it prepares for future passenger growth.
- London Gatwick has launched what it describes as its largest-ever food and beverage tender, covering five South Terminal units and one North Terminal pub.
- The airport says the six opportunities span more than 3,800 square metres and can be bid for individually or as part of a broader portfolio proposal.
- Applications close at 12pm on 10 November 2026, with operators invited to contact Gatwick’s commercial team for tender documentation.
- Gatwick is linking the hospitality tender to future passenger growth, including its approved Northern Runway programme, which is designed to raise annual capacity to as many as 80 million passengers.
(NEWS) LONDON, United Kingdom, 2026-Sep-16 — /Travel PR News/ — London Gatwick has put six major food and beverage spaces across its two terminals out to tender, creating its largest hospitality procurement exercise to date as the airport prepares for a new phase of passenger growth.
The tender announced on 16 September 2026 covers five units in the South Terminal and one large pub in the North Terminal. Gatwick says the opportunities span more than 3,800 square metres in total, with bids open until 12pm on 10 November.
For operators, the scale of the offer is unusual because it combines several formats rather than a single restaurant concession. The South Terminal package includes four quick-service or fast-casual spaces measuring 309, 320, 547 and 790 square metres, together with a 647-square-metre pub. The North Terminal opportunity is a 1,084-square-metre pub unit.
Gatwick is allowing companies to bid for individual spaces or submit a wider portfolio proposal, giving both specialist operators and larger multi-brand groups scope to shape their participation around different formats and terminal locations.
Hospitality tender tied to a wider growth programme
The timing places the commercial tender alongside a much larger infrastructure programme. Gatwick’s Northern Runway plans received development consent in September 2025, and the airport says the final legal challenge was dismissed by the Court of Appeal on 4 August 2026, enabling the project to move into delivery.
The privately financed scheme is intended to bring the airport’s existing Northern Runway into routine use alongside the Main Runway. Gatwick says the programme could ultimately lift annual capacity to as many as 80 million passengers, creating a materially larger customer base for shops, restaurants, bars and other terminal services over the longer term.
That growth context is central to the tender. Rather than treating the six units simply as replacements within the current terminal mix, the airport is positioning them as part of a wider effort to reshape its food and beverage offer for a larger and more internationally diverse passenger base.
Stephane Geffroy, Head of Retail at London Gatwick, described the tender as a landmark opportunity and said the airport is looking for operators capable of introducing new concepts, trends and service formats across both terminals.
Operators can bid by site or across the portfolio
The tender gives prospective partners flexibility over the scale of their proposals. Individual units can be pursued separately, while operators with multiple concepts can bid across a broader group of spaces. That structure may appeal to both established airport concessionaires and hospitality brands looking for a first or expanded presence in UK aviation retail.
The six sites also cover two distinct passenger propositions. Four South Terminal units are earmarked for quick-service and fast-casual formats, while the dedicated pub spaces in both terminals offer substantially larger footprints and a different dwell-time model.
Gatwick currently handles around 43 million passengers annually and is served by more than 60 airlines. The airport says its network reaches more than 160 short-haul and over 50 long-haul destinations, providing prospective food and beverage operators with exposure to a broad mix of domestic, European and intercontinental traffic.
Interested companies can request further information and tender documentation from the London Gatwick commercial team. Submissions must be received by midday on 10 November 2026.
