It would help if we actually had some decent caterers at LHR. Your Executive Chefs creations have to be prepared by minimum wage earners who could care less who will eat the stuff and when. Meat is always overcooked (your example is quite understandable coming from YVR) unless we have cuts in First where we cook from raw and can actually do something about it. CE is all about pre-plated means which are heated and served on the same plate. We can do our best but we are only as good as the produce. I often make sure that I am watching over the meals whilst the crew are in the cabin to try and not overcook. However if the service takes a bit longer the most perfectly cooked meal will go on cooking as the over stays hot even if the cooking cycle is over. Food in sauce works better - stews, casseroles, anything which will stay tender.

Ultimately it boils down to one thing. Spending money. You can make a silk purse out of a sow's ear but it will show. The best meals that you will ever get will be cold meals - but they are not really what people want. I could think up an excellent cold menu which would be delicious but when we are given salads and the choice of dressing is some disgusting orange tinged gloop or a nasty hard to open little bottle of oil (and nothing else as he says) you put people off for ever