The Northern QTR, Belfast International Airport’s new collection of restaurants and bar has officially opened, as the airport prepares to welcome hundreds of thousands of travelers this Summer!
The NQTR includes four innovative food and beverage destinations including Coco Diablo Mexican Cantina and the popular all-Ireland brand Freshly Chopped, where healthy fast food is created in minimum time in open-theatre chopping stations. The Northern QTR also sees a refreshed Fed & Watered unit offering tasty food with locally sourced produce and the all new 24ft, 360 degree bar.
The concept, which has seen an investment of over £1 million from catering and facilities management giant Mount Charles, has created an additional 30 new full and part time jobs, with a total of 70 people now employed at The Northern QTR.
Head of Sales & Marketing at Mount Charles, Gavin Annon said: “We are excited that the Northern QTR is now open, and the early feedback from passengers has been fantastic!”
Joining the team at the official launch of the Northern QTR was little Faye Annon, granddaughter of Mount Charles’ Chairman, Trevor Annon. Faye came along to help raise awareness of two fantastic charities; Angel Wishes and DBA UK.
Four years old Faye has a condition called Diamond Blackfan Anaemia (DBA), a rare bone marrow failure disorder which means her bone marrow does not produce enough red blood cells to sustain her life.
She relies on the general public to donate blood so that she can receive transfusions every three weeks. The Annon family are very grateful to blood donors for saving their little girl’s life every month but ironically the blood transfusions are having an adverse effect on her internal organs, leaving a bone marrow transplant as the best option to improve her quality of life.
Trevor Annon said: “We’re delighted that Faye was well enough to help us launch our new collection of restaurants today and as we begin our journey with the Northern QTR, we as a family are also on a journey to find a cure for Faye. She is a remarkable little girl and I’m so proud to have her as my granddaughter.”
“We are now trying to find a match for Faye to have this life changing, bone marrow transplant and while not a cure for DBA, it will exclude the need for blood transfusions. As Faye’s condition is extremely rare she is excluded from all charities bar one in Northern Ireland, which is Angel Wishes. DBA UK supports Faye and all families with DBA, helping to fund vital research into a cure and we’d like to say a big thank you to both charities for all the support they have given us since Faye’s birth.”