To celebrate Finland’s 100th year of independence, Finnair is launching new in-flight meals.
The airline has partnered with the ELO foundation, a non-profit that promotes Finnish food culture, providing meals that focus on “healthy and hearty food”.
In business class, passengers flying out of Helsinki on long-haul flights between October 4, 2017 and January 9, 2018 will be offered a menu themed around the centennial anniversary, featuring Baltic herring, Karelian stew and a cep mushroom soup, flavoured with cured elk.
The menu was designed by the airline’s signature menu chef, Eero Vottonen, who finished sixth out of twenty-four participants at the Bocuse d’Or competition in Lyon last January.
For business class passengers flying to Helsinki on most long-haul flights between October 4, 2017 and January 9, 2018, the airline will offer “elements inspired by the 100 years menu”, with pickled salmon, rainbow trout and a Karelian stew with beef and pork.
Inflight meals in economy were inspired by traditional dishes in school meals. Passengers on long-haul flights between July 5, 2017 and January 9, 2018 will be offered dishes such as potatoes and meatballs as well as macaroni and meat casserole, as part of a partnership with the ELO Foundation and the Cygnaeus elementary school in the southwestern Finnish city of Turku.
“Our main objective in partnering with the ELO Foundation on these great initiatives is to help promote Finland’s healthy and delicious food culture to hundreds of thousands of international passengers flying with us this year,” says Maarit Keränen, head of inflight service at Finnair.
“Healthy and balanced school meals are an essential element of the well-recognised Finnish school system, and we are proud to highlight these tasty meals as part of our in-cabin service.”
In addition, rye bread and Karelian pies will be served on long-haul flights.
Finnair flies from London Heathrow, Manchester and Edinburgh direct to Helsinki Vantaa airport.
