Heathrow’s first ever food guide, created in conjunction with John Torode and Gregg Wallace - who were appointed as the airport’s official taste buds earlier this year - has been released ahead of the busy summer holiday period.

Thousands of copies of Food on the Fly are being handed out to passengers this week as the UK’s only hub airport gears up for another record summer with an estimated 13.8 million people set to pass through its doors this July and August.  This weekend is anticipated to be the busiest so far this year with approximately 690,000 set to fly through the airport.

Providing a comprehensive overview of the dining options at the UK’s only hub airport, Food on the Fly reviews the 73 bars, cafes and restaurants at Heathrow and features specially formulated top fives and a breakdown of the eateries by terminal - giving passengers a simple way to track down something tasty to enjoy pre-flight. There are also top tips available about the type of foods to eat or avoid before flying for those looking to travel well.

As Heathrow’s official taste buds, John and Gregg were tasked with eating their way around the airport in 80 plates to better understand the airport offering and to set Heathrow a challenge to push the boundaries of airport dining.  Among their recommendations were a renewed emphasis on healthy options, using Heathrow as a platform to showcase British talent and more ‘small plates’ for people to enjoy with a beverage. The airport has committed to responding to these challenges towards the end of the year.

Every year 26 million orders are placed at Heathrow’s restaurants and bars, which include fine dining options such as Caviar House and Prunier, Gordon Ramsay’s Plane Food, Oriel and rhubarb, as well as high street concepts redesigned specifically for travellers including YO! Sushi, Strada and Carluccio’s.  The airport team has spent the last six months working on 17 new food outlets in Terminal 2 and this month will launch Frae - labelled by many as the best British frozen yoghurt specialist - in Terminal 5 for the summer season.

Ben Crowley, Head of Food and Beverage at Heathrow said: “Food and travel go hand in hand - we want to make sure the meal you have at the airport is really enjoyable. It’s often hard to show the full extent of our offering so it’s been great working with John and Gregg to produce this comprehensive guide. We hope that passengers enjoy Food on the Fly as much as we have creating it.”

John Torode said: “The gastronomic challenge that Gregg and I undertook earlier this year showed us that there really is a vast amount of food and drink on offer at Heathrow!  The guide is a great way for passengers to navigate their way through the menus and potential meals available - and to make the most of their time at the airport. We’re really pleased to have been involved, and only wish it had been created sooner!”

10,000 copies of Food on the Fly - Heathrow’s first ever food guide - will be published and handed out to passengers to mark the summer getaway with a digital version available to download online.