[robsmith100]

Agreed with all the coments above. I found this show completely cringe worthy. Is it time to completley ditch Gate Gourmet?

Any one wanting to by a Nasal Douche can get one on the link below.

http://www.multipharmacy.com/shop/customer/Emcur-nasal-douche-pid-10049.html

I wonder if i can get one through prescription from my GP?

[CallMeIshmael]

What beggars belief was
– the “food tasting committee” approving food from a sea level boardroom and not in situ.
– Heston not replicating galley conditions – facilities and space – to ascertain the viability of plating up within a very short time frame.
– The nasal douche was not being immediately rejected as being impractical and unacceptable.

Although food is a hygiene factor (ie has to be of a minimum standard) it is just within the top 10 selection factors after – Route, Schedule, Comfort, Price, Service, Points, IFE, Lounge and maybe Checkin it is a differentiator, though minor one.

[ProfPeterJones]

What tosh. See chapter 4 on Passenger appetite and behaviour in my 2004 book ‘Flight Catering’, or the chapter I wrote with Dr. Lumbers on this topic in Robert Bor’s book ‘Passenger Behaviour’. This is possibly the “scientific research” that Blumenthal briefly referred to in the programme. Singapore Airlines have a pressurised room in their flight kitchen that enables them to dehydrate the air and reduce the pressure so that it replicates onboard conditions. They use this to taste wine and new menu items. Everyone in the industry knows this – don’t they? Like I said – tosh Heston.

[VintageKrug]

Having perused the shelves in the library at VintageKrug Towers, it appears my prized copy of “Flight Catering” is missing.

Could you possibly elucidate a little on the content of Chapter 4?

Or should I resort to the Yellow Pages?

[NTarrant]

VK – Amazon have 11 new copies from £34.55 or 12 used copies from £12.00 and you can get it tomorrow if you order in the next 5 hours.

Although it might be better if the Proffessor did elucidate a little as you suggest

[VintageKrug]

I am looking forward to a blow by blow account of chapter 4

[ScottWilson]

Funnily enough there are two airlines that could have been looked at for food that do things quite differently:
– Austrian has a cook on board for business class in long haul and a far larger galley as a result, as more effort is put into seasoning and preparing the food. It is light years ahead of others, just shame the hard product is sub-standard.
– Air NZ is installing induction ovens in its new 777-300ERs so it can actually cook steak, fish and eggs properly from scratch in Business Premier. A toaster has been installed as well. Apparently premium economy and economy will also have in between meal snacks like pizzas and burgers able to be made on demand.

I’ve flown Austrian long haul 3x in business and the food has always been the best part of the experience. I have yet to try Air NZ’s new offering (except as part of a ground tasting sampling), but it seems very promising.

Heston’s approach is very innovative as well, but it isn’t the only way to get around reheated tastelessness.

[ProfPeterJones]

“Blow by blow” is an unfortunate turn of phrase given the earlier reference to “nasal douching”. (It helps to have a sense humour if at earlier stage in one’s career you were the “world’s first and only professor of inflight catering” – a role not to be sneezed at). In summary, just in case you are genuinely interested, taste derives from taste buds in the mouth and aromas in the nose. The former perform differently according to air pressure, and the latter according to humidity. Cabin pressure is low and dry. Food tastes different – usually more bland. (And my book remains unsold on the shelf…).

[CallMeIshmael]

VK I think your will find your copy of “Flight Catering” is hiding between your copy of “Hegemony and Socialist Strategy: Towards a Radical Democratic Politics (Phronesis)” and your copy of “The Frock-Coated Communist: The Revolutionary Life of Friedrich Engels: The Life and Times of the Original Champagne Socialist” and under a well thumbed copies of Who moved my Cheese, Jupiters Travels and High Endeavours.

[NTarrant]

Proffessor – Perhaps I have some strange taste or there is some explaination. I don’t as a rule drink much alcohol but do enjoy a glass of wine with my meal in Club World. Why does it always taste better in the air to me than on the ground.

I recall having a delightful glass of Port on Concorde, but having purchased the same Port a couple of weeks later it tasted awful compared to having it at 58,000′. Any explaination?

[robsmith100]

Looks like someone lost their job recently as BA are hiring a new Head of Catering, come on folks who is going to be brave to take up the challenge??

Job Details
Head of Catering

Ref UKLHW1668
Region UK – Heathrow
Location London – Heathrow – Waterside
Category Customer Contact

Job Description

Closing Date 20th March 2011

Job Purpose

To create customer value, this role will ensure that customer views are heard and proactively used to design a catering proposition that exceeds their expectations.

This role develops global food & beverage strategy and the holder manages relationships with catering suppliers, ensuring a world-class and continuously improving service to BA and customers by delivering maximum value in terms of cost and quality.

Job Dimensions
Budget: £300m
Manpower: c 30 direct 2,500 indirect

Principal Accountabilities

Defines & develops the medium term strategy for all catering suppliers
Drives the sourcing strategy responding to market demands to ensure maximum value in terms of cost and quality
Manages the day to day premium services for lounges worldwide
Accountable for the strategic relationship with catering and service providers/service partners in relation to cost, quality and service standards
Use current and potential catering/hospitality partners to drive maximum value to BA and our customers
Manages all catering commercial and operational relationships
Accountable for a key part of the day to day global airline operation
Responsible for punctuality, safety & security
Drives change in products & services to reinvest in the Food and Beverage products
Drive the strategy for menu development
Create a central repository for all menu and pricing information
Manage a process to ensure quality in our food procurement process
Supports overseas line management teams with the day-to-day supplier management of service providers to exploit maximum value in terms of cost and quality
Working in close partnership with overseas line management teams, ensures corrective action is taken to prevent or resolve service failure of suppliers/service providers
Ensures continuous improvement in services provided by catering suppliers and service providers through robust management of contracts and benchmarking other providers
Provides input into the procurement process, ensuring all contracts with suppliers and service providers achieve maximum value in terms of cost and quality
Manages all aspects of Safety & Food hygiene
Key Interfaces

Internal:
Inflight Customer Experience
Commercial Operations
Safety & Security
External:
BAA
Local Authority
Department of Transport
Third party suppliers

The Individual

Skills

Strong leadership, influencing and negotiating skills internally and externally across all levels
Able to build and develop effective working relationships across all levels
Excellent communication skills both written and verbal) and effective networker
Strong people management skills
Strong commercial acumen
Deveveloped analytical and decision-making skills
Experience
Experience of managing significant 3rd party supplier contracts and of managing service level agreements
Expertise
Procurement and/or supplier management expertise
Contract Management skills
Broad understanding of catering operation

The Individual

You are required to submit your CV and answer the following question:
Describe the skills and capabilities that you would bring to this role focusing specifically on experience of managing a best in class food & beverage operation.

http://www.britishairwaysjobs.com/baweb1/tpl_ba01.asp?s=yLuWtZEbOmDPuRrDmj&jobid=33627,4156864671&key=26257555&c=214862582123&pagestamp=setpphzsgyqxfoodwt

[BlackTower]

I am regularly dismissive about BAs food offering in all classes. It would be great to get past the dispute and invest more in the food it is ghastly even in First.
Frankly a good start would be just offering M&S sandwiches and readymeals in CW ex London and telling foreign suppliers to match its quality or be fired. Amusing posts keep it up

[Deleted User]

create menu’s to suit the environment – some foods do not reheat well at 37000′ – but you didnt need to hire a celbrity chef to tell you that.

I thought the pie was a great idea, but whether an entire menu could be created is another matter.

[NTarrant]

I doubt M&S sandwiches would taste the same at 37,000′ equally ready meals are not that good at 0′. It is all a matter of taste, some say its good some say its not. Charles is right that the menu does need to suit the environment.

Blacktower is right to say there needs to be investment in food, even to replace what has been removed, particularly the chocolate on the Club Europe tray.

[VintageKrug]

I just don’t agree that BA’s food is “ghastly” in all classes.

Now, I haven’t been on BA longhaul for about ten weeks, but prior to that I have NEVER had a genuinely bad meal on board.

About the worst I experienced was an attempt at Lobster in Club World about ten months ago, which was high risk and predictably dry. YES, LOBSTER IN CLUB WORLD. But at least they had a go!

Shorthaul CE cold offering is pretty good, apart from the artichoke salad. The breakfast remains very good, in my opinion.

On board longhaul I always choose carefully; I don’t expect them to produce a decent steak and choose based more on what I know is less likely to be messed up by GateGourmet, rather than anything else.

Curries always work well in Club, in First the Loch Fyne offering is consistently good in my experience, and the soups are tasty.

I do make more use of the salt and pepper at altitude than I would on the ground, and that’s a good tip to better enjoy what you eat.

I don’t expect Michelin star food at altitude; I want something tasty, moist and filling, and the further forward I sit, the better I expect the quality in terms of quality/freshness of ingredients and the way in which it is presented on the plate.

Having said that, anecdotal evidence suggests there have been some quite serious reductions in longhaul catering quality lately; given the previously reduced demand for premium tickets, lower margins on premium fares and need to preserve cashflow, this did seem to be the right thing to do at the time, given budgets/orders are set several months in advance of delivery.

Most companies have trimmed budgets across the board (I’m sure we’ve all seen cost cutting in our personal budgets and at those of the firms at which we work), so it was the right thing to do.

The time of austerity is now passing, the threat of strikes is now immaterial, and strength is returning to premium volumes and margins are increasing.

It is my understanding that there will be considerable investment in redesigning catering on board all routes during the course of 2011 (I was told May, but of course that could change), and some of this might incorporate some of the aspects HB brought to bear during his experiments on board.

[Author]

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