Passengers on board flights out of London Southend Airport have been served up a range of barmy ice creams to mark the start of new routes operating from the airport.
Footage shows a range of mystified reactions as a trolley serving exotic ice cream flavours was rolled out by easyJet and easyJet Holidays on flights bound for new destinations now operating from the airport, including Palma, Malta and Pisa.
They include a spin on the French classic ‘Escargot’ which mixes snail-infused garlic ice cream with crunchy pieces to give a ‘snail shell’ effect, and an original twist on the much-loved Italian dish ‘Cacio e pepe’ which includes lemon zest, parmesan and cracked black pepper.
The Willy Wonka-esque flavours were tested on the discerning palates of Southend residents who are no strangers to tasty ice creams.
The new ‘jet-lato’ range of easyJet and easyJet holidays ice creams includes:
- ‘Escargot’ (France – Paris) Snail infused garlic ice cream with crunchy pieces to give a ‘snail shell’ effect inspiring people to take off to Paris
- ‘Spicy Tagine’ (Morocco – Marrakech) Moroccan spices reflecting the tastes and bringing the senses of the Moroccan souks.
- ‘Cacio e pepe’ (Italy – Pisa) Lemon zest, parmesan and crackled black pepper, inspired by the iconic pasta dish
- ‘Sangria and Chocolate’ (Spain – Alicante, Almeria, Gran Caria, Malaga, Palma, Reus, Tenerife) Fruity sangria infused ice cream giving a taste of Spanish afternoons in summertime
- ‘Pastel de Nata’ (Portugal – Faro) A rich custard tart-flavored ice cream
The new base at London Southend is now home to three easyJet A320neo aircraft, supporting around 1,200 jobs including 140 direct jobs for pilots and cabin crew.
The airline is serving 122 flights per week on 20 routes from Southend to leisure destinations across Europe and North Africa – a 133% increase vs. last summer. The new base provides over 330,000 seats for holidays customers to choose from when planning their getaway for this summer.
London Southend is easyJet’s 10th UK base opening, following the launch of Birmingham International Airport last year, as the airline responds to increased consumer demand for flights and package holidays.
The airline and holidays company are anticipating their largest ever summer season with seven more aircraft joining easyJet’s UK fleet from Edinburgh, Manchester, Bristol, Birmingham and London Southend, providing half a million more seats this summer across the airline’s network spanning Europe and North Africa.
Garry Wilson, easyJet holidays CEO commented: “Southend is synonymous with ice-cream, and what better way to celebrate our newest base than with something that for many also represents the joy of holidays, by offering customers a literal taste of their next trip!
“With flights and thousands of package holidays now available to 20 destinations from London Southend, this will not only enable us to serve many more customers, providing value and more choice, but also supports critical connectivity and jobs for the UK, as we get set for our biggest ever summer.”
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