[norbert2008]

Ok now may not be the time to post this as getting people from A to B seems to be the most important thing post-pandemic. BUT I know there are big divisions in BA and other UK airlines that deal with this so just putting it out there. We have some of the best cheeses in the world, why is BA not tapping into this. I see two plastic-looking bits of cheese on most BA club trays (tiny too). I am sure there are UK producers that would be so willing to provide high-quality cheese to BA in quantity too.
Forum friends, Best airline cheese offerings, please?

I am also interested to know what people think of as the best second meal offerings on long-haul flights? High-quality afternoon tea seems perfect for UK carriers?

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huey

[StephenLondon]

To answer you in a simple word: COST. BA won’t pony up the dough for a decent cheese offering. They ought to be celebrating the bounty of fantastic cheese produced across the British Isles. But instead, in Club, we seem to be getting supermarket value brand soapy cheddar and red leicester, neither of which have much flavour. It is such a shame. The same should apply to First. Look at the amazing cheeses served by Swiss, Air France, Lufthansa, and some of the ME4 carriers such as Qatar. The pictures shown in flight reviews online leave you salivating. Then you see the ramekin of to small triangles on the sole Club tray. Woeful.

I agree a high-quality afternoon tea might be perfect for a UK carrier as a second service, but an alternative offering would really be appreciated. How about a salad with some protein (a nice salad bowl with some flaked hot smoked salmon, for example), which is full of moisture (ideal at the end of a longer, dry flight)? One airline has offered some roulades (courgette, roast beef, ham) stuffed with herbed cream cheese on a bed of mixed greens. Another has done an Asian noodle salad with lots of veggies which was super tasty, a nice hint of spice, and easily digestible. It is certainly more refreshing than a curly ham sandwich on dry bread, some tiny overly sweet cakes and a scone that was once fresh but now resembles a hockey puck. For the frequent traveller, tea becomes very boring after the second or third long-haul flight. By all means, offer it to those pax who wish it…but offer something else for those of us who don’t!

In the old days of the 747-100/200, when BA First had 18 sleeperette seats in the nose, a truly luxe afternoon tea was a hallmark of the service, replete with pinwheel sandwiches, filled finger rolls, etc., with fillings including langoustine, salmon and roast beef. Cakes included a celebrated fruit cake or Dundee cake, rich and flavoursome. All that seems to have vanished, and my great suspicion is due to cost. If you are doing tea, make it a darn good one. Celebrate Britain! There are so many amazing ingredients right on BA’s doorstep.

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[DavidSmith2]

The cheese, even in long-haul business, is dreadful on BA. That could be partly improved if they didn’t serve it directly from the chiller but still pretty awful… as are the biscuits.

We will be flying London, back to Accra, later this month in WTP (1000 each for the upgrade to club world is ridiculous for a daytime flight (2pm to 8.30pm)). So I will pop in to Paxton & Whitfield and get a mix of 3 or 4 cheeses, some biscuits, nuts and dried fruit for the flight. Hopefully BA will at least have some port to go with it.

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[norbert2008]

Perfect Stephen, Just what I wanted to see and memories of times gone by. Smoked salmon was so on my mind too, I suppose I daren’t mention hot crumpets and muffins? Dundee cake is perfect too but we need to address the dreadful scones and why not cheese ones too?

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PatJordan, StephenLondon

[DannyBoy]

Not just cost but the availability of high quality produce. British produce is I am sorry to say mostly totally rubbish. Compared to what you can find on the continent, be it cheese, fruit, vegetables, or meats. British food has now become mass produced and I fear it following the USA in production by being highly processed. If the airline were to start bringing back high grade cuisine onboard the increase in cost would be passed on to customers, but how much more would you be willing to pay?

[Gold-2K]

On a Club Europe flight a couple of years ago, the person next to me looked quizzically at the oatcake next to the cheese, put it on the table and placed his wine glass on it. To be fair, the standard issue BA oakcakes look at taste like cork coasters so an easy mistake to make 🤷🏻‍♂️

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[cwoodward]

Cathay current business class cheese offering

Pecorino Sardo, Taleggio and Gorgonzola Piccante with crackers, red grapes, Francis Miot’s fig chutney

First
French Brie, Arenberger, Fourme d’Ambert

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PatJordan

[AlanOrton1]

Personally, I think BA using the term ‘cheese’ to describe what it serves in J could be a breach of the trade descriptions act.

Quite enjoy afternoon tea as a second meal, westbound to the US. (Normally the last semi nice cuppa for a week).
However, being offered a really nice salad as an alternative would be good.

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PatJordan

[FrDougal]

It shouldn’t be just cheese, BA has access to some of the continents finest meats, veg and fish.

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PatJordan

[norbert2008]

Just thinking what do we see as a truly British dish? A good prawn cocktail? Singapour has the satay, Denmark open sandwiches, Swiss Fondu, etc……

[CathayLoyalist2]

Fish and Chips and a side dish of mushy peas !!

[esselle]

Plenty of choices which would work well on an aircraft; Cottage Pie, Shepherd’s Pie, Hotpots……

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DerekVH, cwoodward

[nevereconomy]

Not correct DannyBoy – there are a host of top quality food producers here and in the US too. Problem is that they are mostly not of the size to service someone like BA, for a variety of reasons, main one demand but also no support from government as the other countries mentioned have in bucketfuls. I think it could be done with some encouragement from BA and a middleman to handle the logistics. Also price is an issue as their main market – speciality retail – is almost certainly more profitable than any BA contract might be….

[sparkyflier]

Firstly Norbert2008 well done on starting an interesting discussion. I think many airlines worldwide could do more to give a “nod” to the country they in theory represent. Years ago I flew Royal Jordanian and remember thinking their were quite a few examples which showcased their cultural heritage.

But back to BA – examples have already been given but sometimes it can be smaller examples – how about shortbread with the afternoon tea or welsh cakes or a couple of After Eight with a coffee. And these things can easily be served in Economy as well.

And I wish airlines (as well as hotels come to think of it) would have more local beers for example. In so many places they serve Heineken for example and in Spain for example in my opinion their main products are far superior.

[Harbord1]

Having been responsible some years ago for catering at a major airline, this problem has nothing to do with the desire to deliver top quality meals onboard. Our catering team would have liked nothing better than to deliver the quality being described and was well aware of the desire of our passengers for organic/free range and hand made products. However the bean counters were the problem as they would prescribe a very small budget for each meal – even in business class I seem to recall something like £7 for the whole meal. By the time you have worked through all of the elements you are left with just pence for the cheese and for sure you can kiss organic/free range goodbye. Even the locally made sausages had to go in the end. It was a case of better quality food not being a significant driver of customer choice – at least not compared to the power of corporate deals, an excellent schedule and a perception of reliability and punctuality. A sad fact of life.

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[Author]

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