Bocco Aberdeen Airport
Over the past four years, Aberdeen Airport has invested £20 million into a major refurbishment and transformation of its passenger facilities, resulting in a 50% increase in the size of the terminal. Now, travellers can escape abroad before even leaving Scotland with the airports new Italian Restaurant, Bocco.
Designed by turnerbates Design & Architecture, Bocco is the latest addition to the airport from concession brand, The Restaurant Group. It has replaced The Globe Pub, and will be serving sourdough pizza, fresh pasta, spritz and other favourite Italian classics. Bocco, a derivative of ‘bocca’ meaning ‘mouth’ in Italian, is the mouthpiece for modern Italian cuisine in Aberdeen. Bocco encourages you not only to live in the moment, but to live well. This indirectly speaks to that Italian ethos and way of living, their romantic relationship with food and their flair for enjoying life. The tone balances a degree of sophistication that will speak to “suits”, and a fun-loving sense of spontaneity that will appeal to holiday-goers.
The modern Italian design and signature shapes and arches of Venetian architecture inspire the restaurant concept. The designers have paired warm terracotta tones with fresh splashes of colour from the feature terrazzo bar to create a relaxed environment within the bustling airport.
The bold architectural signage, alongside geometric patterns on dividing screens, and the bar front make reference to the shutters and windows seen throughout northern Italy’s winding streets, and give an outdoor feel.
Bespoke abstract artworks that reference the architecture of Carlo Scarpa and art of Giorgio de Chirico have been designed for the new restaurant. Overhead vines and textural objects create a tactile experience, and invite visitors to escape to Italy even before they leave the airport.
Cecilia Severin of turnerbates who designed the interior of Bocco said:
“We have designed the restaurant with a distinct wine bar atmosphere – softer seating, and natural lighting give the space a relaxed outdoor feel. This is important in airport environments that can sometimes feel quite enclosed.”
For breakfast, expect to see exquisite Italian eggs, posh toast and a Piccola breakfast. For dinner, the menu includes a selection of ritzy risotto, a wild mushroom and chicken with truffle oil; taleggio cheese; king prawn linguine and; the Mediterranean, a sourdough pizza base topped with red pesto, spinach, goat cheese, peppers and artichokes.
The drink range at Bocco is also inspired by Bocco’s encouragement of living in the moment and enjoying life. The main drink is Life’s a Peach – a peach Bellini, served alongside Aperol Spritz and Classic Garabaldi.
Nick Ayerst, Managing Director of TRG Concessions said:
“We are very excited to open this thrilling new concept in Aberdeen Airport. We already have a significant presence in Aberdeen Airport and this new concept will offer passengers passing through, something completely different and unique.
“The opening of Bocco builds on the significant momentum in our division and our growing presence in the travel concession market, which has attractive structural growth dynamics. Our BrewDog bar that we opened in Edinburgh Airport last summer recently won the ‘Airport Bar of the Year’ category at the Airport Food & Beverage (FAB) Conference and Awards in Dallas. We also won contracts for six units in Manchester’s new super terminal which is set to open next year.”
About TRG Concessions
A division of The Restaurant Group plc, TRG Concessions has more than 25 years’ experience leading the development of food and beverage experiences in the UK’s travel retail market. The team works in partnership with airport and rail clients and brand partners to understand customer needs and deliver unexpected excellence around the clock.
Pacific Building
Pacific Building is a fast fit-out and construction company with a proven track record of dependability, delivering high quality projects throughout the UK and Ireland – on time and on budget.
There are numerous construction businesses and many fit-out companies but what marks Pacific Building out as being different – and better – is that it is an expert in both fields.
The company was recently involved with Bocco at Aberdeen Airport as the project’s main contractor. This was the latest project that saw Pacific working alongside The Restaurant Group. Pacific has completed scores of high-profile projects for a diverse range of clients including the Football Association (Wembley), McDonald’s, Tesco, Gleneagles Hotel and Mitchells & Butlers.
A spokesperson for Pacific Building commented:
“Nearly all projects are a source of great satisfaction but this one was especially rewarding, as it was an all-new restaurant that formed part of a key expansion and improvement programme at a very busy airport. The finished article looks tremendous.
“We have a mission to hold to a set of Cultures and Values that will allow us to commit to standards we can all be proud of – inside the business and in our dealings with clients. Most recently, in January, 2019, we became an Employee-owned business, heralding the start of an exciting new chapter in the history of the company.
“Every staff member is now a beneficiary of an Employee Ownership Trust, which owns Pacific Building Ltd on behalf of all employees now and in the future.”
To find out more, please visit www.pacificbuilding.co.uk.
