Food to fly for...

Let’s face it; passengers’ thoughts on aircraft food often tend to be less than favourable.

The idea of cardboard potatoes, chewy meat, slimy vegetables and lumpy gravy doesn’t exactly get your taste buds going. But such delights being served on some flights aren’t that far from the truth.

However, while some travellers might still be experiencing this sort of food, many commercial airlines have already put a stop to it.

Today, airlines don’t just want to get passengers from A to B safely, they want passengers to enjoy the flying experience with them – which includes providing a tasty meal.

To achieve this, some airlines are working hard to improve menus by using fresh ingredients and offering varied options for passengers in all classes. The airline will work directly with catering companies and chefs to come up with menus that will suit all passengers and match the airlines’ route network.

Emirates Flight Catering recruits chefs with bespoke experience in culinary traditions in line with the demands and tastes of its customers.

A Japanese chef creates a regional range of sushi for the Japanese routes; an Indian specialist prepares a myriad of different curries to cater for Indian sub-continent flights; and a chef from the US advises on best menu options for flights to America.

Oman Air, which recruits 228 international chefs at its facilities in Muscat, uses the same method.

In February, British Airways chose its Dubai route to unveil the new British-inspired menus that will be served on board during the summer period.

The menus have been created by Michelin-star chef Simon Hulstone, who spent the past year being mentored by TV culinary expert Heston Blumenthal as part of the BA Great Britons programme, which supports British talent.

The special menu will be served to more than three million customers on flights departing from London.

Hulstone’s dishes take inspiration from the airline’s menus of the past. Popular ingredients from previous eras have been incorporated into his menu, with some dishes reinvented for a modern day audience – rich in umami and using local produce.

The four menus Hulstone has created include a fish pie using sustainable sourced hake, dressed with parmesan pomme puree and a warm tartare sauce.

It’s not just BA that has tried to create fine dining in the sky. Many other major flight operators have also sought out prestigious chefs to help create that special dining experience.

Celebrity Michelin-star chef Gordon Ramsay has previously advised Singapore Airlines on its premium in-flight menus and 26-star Michelin chef Joel Robuchon is the mastermind behind Air France’s carte de jour for business-class passengers.

Airlines, including Turkish Airlines and Etihad Airways, are going one step further and bringing chefs on board to cook and prepare meals in flight.

Turkish Airlines uses international catering company Do&Co, which also attended the World Travel Catering & Onboard Services show.

“Turkish Airlines started the ‘chefs on board’ programme almost three years ago and has more than 200 chefs on board, making it the biggest flying chef fleet in the world,” said Attila Dogudan, company chairman of Turkish Do&Co and the man behind the ‘chefs on board’ programme.

Airlines that use Do&Co include Emirates, Royal Air Maroc and Royal Jordanian.

“An increasing number of airlines are relying on the world’s only gourmet brand product for the airline industry to provide their customers with an incomparable on-board experience,” said Dogudan.

The catering company is also responsible for the award-winning food in economy class.

“There is nothing frozen in our kitchens. Even the red peppers are individually roasted – nothing is processed. We are all about using top quality ingredients that are freshly cooked and transferred to the aircraft within six hours. Passengers then receive some of the best food in the world,” said Dogudan.

While airlines are introducing new menus and on-board chefs, they are also very aware of cutting costs and not wasting food.

Etihad Airways has recently introduced Sabre software, following the billion-dollar technology agreement signed by the two companies last year.
The implementation of Sabre’s catering software kicks off the largest technology project in the airline’s history, as it migrates all business operations to Sabre software, including rolling out Sabre’s passenger reservations software.
Lee Shave, Etihad Airways’ vice president for guest experience, said: “This allows us to better manage, audit and analyse important processes such as meal forecasting and equipment demand. The enhanced control means we should make savings in excess of $5 million per annum, while continuing to provide a world-class and award-winning guest experience on board.”  
Sabre’s in-flight catering software is the industry’s only integrated solution that will allow Etihad Airways to manage all meal and catering services from a single platform.

“Using the software, the airline can more accurately cater for in-flight meals, special requests, and centrally control the on-board product requirements to improve consistency across the network. Etihad Airways will also make savings by reducing meal wastage through improved forecasting, and by better auditing of caterer invoices.”

Maher Koubaa, Sabre Airline Solutions’ vice president in the Middle East and Africa added: “The technology brings together what is currently a multi-layered manual process into a fully automated single platform for the entire in-flight service supply chain. This helps to streamline operations and reduce operational complexity.”

So, let’s hope the days of passengers wanting to run down the aisles in horror at the sight of their food are almost over and, instead, they will be able to eat like a king at 35,000 feet.