On Board Catering

[fozzyo]

On the choice matter, I'm starting to sound like a stuck record on this. Can't they just do something like a "Square Pie - Ask crew for todays choice" on the menu. Then they can change the actual pie offered, weekly or every few days. Its a good meal that cooks well on planes, and allows rotation of the selection easily to offer v.frequent flyers a choice of meals that isn't the same each time. And you don't have to worry about print costs with the menu's.

That and I really really want to be able to eat my fave make of pie in the sky!

Mat xxx

[RichardMannion]

Originally posted by ChuckC

If I were close to the ear of the VS food director I would invite him/her to: 1) read this and the other food threads noted by High Flyer; 2)sample the SQ fare, and aim for that level of quality; 3) conduct a poll on desired changes to be distributed to VS' Flying Club members; 4) hide the results from the bean counters and show it directly to SRB.

Let me see what they say!

Thanks,
Richard

Ahem..........
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BRING BACK THE LAMB!BRING BACK THE LAMB![}:)][:p]
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What was that EGG? I didn't quite hear you :p !

Now I had an inkling that you may post something about the lamb EGG! Sure enough you didn't disappoint!:D

[HighFlyer]

Simple food on the otherhand should be fine (no comment HighFlyer )

Simple food for simple people Thats my motto!

Ahem..........

BRING BACK THE LAMB!BRING BACK THE LAMB!

Ah, there he is ... Do you think EGG has a particular favourite for the menu? Not like you to be so outspoken on the sunject??

My problem in UC was the choice. I would not say I was fussy (Well OK I would say I was fussy), but I only eat Beef and Chicken along with some processed pork (sausage and bacon but tend to keep clear of this anyway). So when your choice is fish or lamb I struggle. So essentially I cannot eat the main course. For years there has been a standing airline food joke about beef, chicken or fish, so why not be inventive with the dish but keep the meat to one of those that surely must rank as the most popular.

Other than that, presentation is good, quality is OK (That shoe leather beef they had a while back was a little dicey), some OK wines to go with.

Paul

Originally posted by HighFlyer
Simple food for simple people Thats my motto!

Dust? Anyone? Dust? High in fat, low in fat? Dust?



Cheers

Michael

[HighFlyer]

Or Choclit Michael?

FOr me its Cake, i do like a bit of cake, i do!

I think the main focus thus far has been on UC Food. Understandable, as many of us fly UC regularly. However, can I throw in a comment on Y food. To be perfectly honest, I think it is very good. About the best I have had in Y was on Thai, but I love red curry, so the comparison is not really fair. But the nosh on VS is really pretty good IMHO. Just one minor point, the size of the wine portions (Is that a groan I can hear from everyone!). One thimble really is stingy. I know you can ask for more, but being British one doesn't want to make a nuisance of ones self, don't you know. Why can VS not go for the little quarter bottles like everyone else I seem to fly with.

Originally posted by fozzyo
From memory the breakfasts in Econ are appauling.

Agree with Paul, would much prefer they do simple things well to make an enjoyable meal. I'm in a plane at whatever thousand meters, i'm not expecting fine dining here. Just good tasty food.

An excellent example of this is the curry i've had several times in Economy. Its a great meal that is perfectly suited to being reheated - thats the kind of stuff that works for me.

Mat xxx

Curry always works for me - anytime, anyplace, anywhere.....[:X]

Originally posted by easygoingeezer
Ahem..........
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BRING BACK THE LAMB!BRING BACK THE LAMB![}:)][:p]
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I take it you don't like lamb....

Originally posted by sailor99
I think the main focus thus far has been on UC Food. Understandable, as many of us fly UC regularly. However, can I throw in a comment on Y food. To be perfectly honest, I think it is very good. About the best I have had in Y was on Thai, but I love red curry, so the comparison is not really fair. But the nosh on VS is really pretty good IMHO. Just one minor point, the size of the wine portions (Is that a groan I can hear from everyone!). One thimble really is stingy. I know you can ask for more, but being British one doesn't want to make a nuisance of ones self, don't you know. Why can VS not go for the little quarter bottles like everyone else I seem to fly with.

The curry on Air India was a real breath of fresh air - even at whatever altitude it is we were cruising - and that was economy (sorry lads, I can't remember all the letter codes!) Apart from that though, I tend to find the veggie option is often the least offensive. And I;m not a veggie...

Couldn't there be a notice board display in the CH of the food on offer onboard the aircraft, then you would be able to gauge if you should have more grub in the CH.

[honey lamb]

I always ask for the on-board menu when in the Clubhouse so that I know what's on offer and whether to have something more substantial before the flight. There are different menus for different flights so they really couldn't have a notice board display

OK, I couldn't resist another kick at this particular groin. As I have mentioned in every recent trip report, VS catering in Upper Class is the worst I have experienced of any mainline premium cabin. It is very poor. Poorly thought out, poor taste, poor presentation and just very, very poor (I get eloquent like this when I am frustrated!). And the wines are no good either.

If VS is serious about making improvements (and I've had no indications beyond customer services parroting that my comments have been passed to the catering manager that they really do want to improve matters) then, in order of priority they should:

1. Improve the quality of the main courses by consulting with someone who actually understands how flavours and consistency relate to service in the air. This means focusing on wetter dishes with a good mix of flavours rather than building your dish around a single item which probably won't stand the test of 36,000ft. Stew, pies with a wet centre, curry and dishes with a thick sauce are good. Salmon and hake with no sauce are not.

2. Find some wines that properly complement the main courses. These should be decent quality (I'm talking >£8 a bottle at Oddbins!) selections that travel well, which means no delicate/tasteless Pinot Grigio or flowery Sancerres, but big Kiwi sauvignon blancs, oakey Aussie chardonnays, earthy South African pinotages and heavy, blackcurranty (OK, not a word... I know) Shiraz.

3. Rotate the menus properly through the schedule. Anyone who flies on VS often will have good cause to be sick of the menu the fifth or sixth time, even if they are not sick of it on the first time. Next week I will be having the unpleasant, dry salmon and hake for the 5th time. Why not have a wider menu and rotate it through the schedule to at least give frequent fliers a bit more variety?

4. Re-instate 4 main courses not 3. Of these 4, one should continue to be a vegetarian option, one should be fish, one chicken, and one some other meat (steak/lamb/pork). And ensure that lighter bites are options on all flights, not just long ones.

5. Implement an SQ-style Book The Cook service ex-LHR and ex-LGW based on a similar range and quality of dishes. If SQ can do it, VS can.

I'll calm down now... but I'm just planning my next few trips and am not relishing the food on board at all. [:$]

BC

[Decker]

GO BC! And if they can do this before my Lax trip next month all the better

Originally posted by rcslt
Couldn't there be a notice board display in the CH of the food on offer onboard the aircraft, then you would be able to gauge if you should have more grub in the CH.

There is on the end of the Bar in the LGW Clubhouse:D

[Scrooge]

Well ok,not alot I can add to this accept to say,VS I think your pax have spoken,whoever thought of the lamb suet,take them out back and give them a good kicking,as I have said many times in the past,go take a look at CO's biz first serivce,then learn how to cook a steak at 35k.

Stop trying to do the fancy dishes without spending the money to get it right (just comes of very chav),bring back to the metal cutlery,leave Y alone (best meals flying VS have been in PE)and think about what you like to eat,something tells me it isnt lamb suet....oh and no bangers and mash...and get it sorted before Dec please.

[HighFlyer]

quote:Originally posted by rcslt

Couldn't there be a notice board display in the CH of the food on offer onboard the aircraft, then you would be able to gauge if you should have more grub in the CH.


There is on the end of the Bar in the LGW Clubhouse

You can ask for the onboard menu in the Clubhouses, but in my experience the menu they usually have is wrong or out of date. I had this on my last two flights from SFO, i asked for the menu, planned my dining, only to get onboard and find that the yummy treats i had been looking forward to were not on the menu. Talk about dissapointed!

This would be an area that would be easy and ideal to rectify - let passengers know their onboard meal choices beforehand and offer them maximum choice!

[buns]

BC

Your post sums it up completely - whilst the cost of providing the meal is relatively small (in comparision to the cost of the ticket) it can have a great influence on those who have a choice of carrier.

Continued reliance on the uniqueness of the suite may not be sufficient to retain the reported 26% increase in business travellers.

Originally posted by BlackCat
3. Rotate the menus properly through the schedule. Anyone who flies on VS often will have good cause to be sick of the menu the fifth or sixth time, even if they are not sick of it on the first time. Next week I will be having the unpleasant, dry salmon and hake for the 5th time. Why not have a wider menu and rotate it through the schedule to at least give frequent fliers a bit more variety?

If not book-the-cook, how about "Specials" - most good restaurants will have a daily special or two. Even at the scale of airline catering, it *should* be possible to do this.

I've said it before and said it again - replace the galley op with an in-flight chef, so that we get decent presentation of the meals in J. Or, train the staff so that the meal is presented properly - plated and presented with the little airplane at the top, too.

Cheers,
Mike

does anyone know ehat the changes are going to be to the menu?

I have noticed that the Kid meals are really good, whereas the rest absolutely suck. And VS, could you please try to heat up the sandwiches so it doesn't feel like we're eating bricks of ice with meat on them?

Well I had no idea that wahs what our regular customers were thinking of the food, but netherless very interesting and one which our onboard service department need to look at,

I have been interested in the comments that the clubhousemenus were often out of date especially when the emphisis is on eating in the CH and sleeping onboard (GNF)

In Summary, simple but tasty dishes with the 4 entree options. get somone who knows about food to be involved in menu design...maybe Jamie Oliver could do for Virgin what he has done for schools?

More snack options/lightbites on all routes and Goodnight servives with the freedom of choice .

As for the wines the new wine supplier introduced Berry Bros is a much benefited improvemnet not to mention the new champagne and peach belini offered on boarding.

The little plane on the plate should always be at 12 o'clock no excuses every senior crewmember is trained to do it!!