Dublin Airport to trial an honesty-based food and drink outlet

Travellers' honesty will be tested during the four-week trial of the food and drink outlet

Dublin Airport, where the honesty-based food and drink outlet is being trialled (Getty Images/iStockphoto)

Dublin Airport is to trial an honesty-based food and drink outlet, with a view to rolling out such a scheme at locations throughout the international airport's two terminals.

To be located alongside the Marquette Food Hall in Terminal 1, the Honest Eats Company fridge will be offering a range of food and beverages including sandwiches, wraps, salads, and pastries. Customers will be trusted to take and pay for their items via a cashless self-service checkout that accepts cards and mobile payments.

Up to 73 different food and drink products will be available for purchase. The checkout will send messages to Marquette’s kitchen as sales take place to ensure that stocks are replenished.

The trial will last around four weeks, with data shared with participants in the upcoming InspireFest technology conference in Dublin as part of a mini-hack competition to further refine and improve the concept.

Assuming all goes to plan, Marquette would like to install Honest Eats fridges in locations around Dublin Airport that are too small for proper cafes. The company is interested in expanding the concept to other airports around the world too.

Marqette owner Michael J. Wright said in a statement issued by the airport: “Honest Eats has the potential to work really well in an airport setting where passengers in a hurry want to grab high quality food and drink on the go. We’re really excited to be working with Dublin Airport to test this new concept.”

The Honest Eats trial follows the successful roll-out of honesty boxes for bottled water, which first launched at Dublin Airport in 2014. ‘Plane Water’ stations offer 500ml bottles of water for €1 each, paid for via a coin box. Though a minority of passengers exploit the system, 92 per cent pay the €1.

Stansted Airport launched a similar scheme in 2017, offering bottles of water for £1 in its international departure lounge. It was the first English airport to do so. Other international airports, including Brussels, have created their own versions.