Weston Airport’s Hook & Ladder receives Best Place to Eat award

A HIDDEN gem for a bite is at Weston Airport, where local residents can enjoy spectacular views over a coffee or brunch.

It is a view shared by judges at the South Dublin Chamber awards, who designated Hook & Ladder, a café/restaurant only open at Weston Airport since May, as the winner of Best Place to Eat, at its gala ceremony last month.

For those of us unaware that you can stop by Weston Airport for lunch if you are not planning on boarding a plane, the location is a major attraction, according to Andrew Moloney, co-owner Hook & Ladder.

“I’d say 99.5 per cent of our custom is regular people dropping by”, Andrew said.

“The airport itself has a private market and we’re there for a little part of that, but most of our customers are returning families, grandparents with their kids.

“You don’t need a plane ticket to come here.

“Access is friendly, good wide open spaces for parking.

“The views of the mountains are amazing.

“Talking about it doesn’t do it justice, you would have to experience it.”

Hook & Ladder is a family-owned Irish company, long established in Limerick, where they have a cooking school, and numerous cafés throughout Limerick, Waterford and now Dublin.

Their move to Dublin is timely, as the operators of Weston Airport are seeking to “modernise and enhance the existing airport facilities.”

In April, Weston Aviation Academy Ltd secured the go-ahead from South Dublin County Council for an upgrade in terminal facilities at the airport, which also houses one of Europe’s oldest flight academies.

This followed Stripe co-founder, John Collison, and a group of investors purchasing a majority stake in the business.

“There will be a second building in March, and we will have another premises located there,” said Andrew.

It will mean further expansion for the Hook & Ladder at Weston, and the 22 staff employed with the business, but the sky is the limit.

For further information visit the Hook & Ladder website HERE.