I'm not a very regular SH flyer like some here. Most of my flights are long haul or pseudo long hall (DME), but I occasionally use SH from London or Moscow to Germany, Poland, Belgium, intra Russia/CIS and the occasional LED / LHR flight.

I tend to use BA from LHR as I collect the TP's. If there is a cheapish upgrade offer I mostly take it, but book ET, as there is so little difference between it and CE, especially having a GC.

The only times I actively go for Business Short Haul is on LED/LHR, Intra Russia/CIS, Cyprus when I use SU, S7, FV or UN all who have cabins similar or better than US 1st.

If BA had an US style Business/First cabin, I probably would actively fly a business product as I do on routes with operators that do have, but I honestly think I am not a typical flyer and the competition created by Low Cost Airlines means the European Airlines will never go this way again. In Russia and CIS there is no real low cost players, though some tout this. They are all pseudo mixed low cost airline / standard airline.

Even Easy Jet cannot support their normal price structure on the Moscow Route due to long turn around times and other issues, so price about the same as BA.

As to food... Well I gave up on airline food a long time ago. If it's a dinner type meal, I tend to go for it, but for a breakfast meal I try and either eat before or take my own.

Each to their own I guess, but CE is not going to change as the economics do not work. They only work in an environment where Low Cost Airlines cannot compete due to logistics or regulation like in Russia. In Europe it's only ever going to be an ET plus product