Old Apr 16, 2017, 1:12 pm
FlyerTalk Forums Expert How-Tos and Guides
Last edit by: corporate-wage-slave
Club Europe Catering Guide 2017.

This thread outlines the new arrangements for Club Europe catering, introduced on Sunday 26 March 2017 and due to end on Tuesday 11 September 2018, based on 3 zones. A new Club Europe catering product is due to be launch on Wednesday 12 September 2018, and this is based on 4 bands. The main information piece - in terms of timings and the distance zones for the meals can be found in post 1. The following cross references the photos below against the matrix of options. In addition to the photos, some FTers have written extensively on their experiences so there is more to this thread than the pictures. Also note that there was an increase in food offered on some combinations shortly after the start-up, so the more recent photos may be the best place to start.The previous shorthaul catering guide, now locked but which had the previous 4 band system, is to be found here.

Numbers relate to the post number. Vegetarian means the alternative option provided as standard rather than the pre-ordered versions - which are VLML (Lacto-ovo), AVML (Asia) and VGML (Vegan) . There are differences between the offering in/out of LHR, LGW, LCY+STN. Last update: 833
-------------------------
Note posts before 1-832 are typically the April 2017 menu. 833 and above is from the menu for May 2017.
----
Chef's Chat sheets for:
CE LHR Summer 2017 - Rotation A
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28338151-post954.html
http://www.flyertalk.com/forum/28339641-post958.html

-----.
Short Band (UK, France, Ireland, BeNeLux, Germany)
Breakfast: 279, 570 (vegetarian), 629, 674, 821 (Express breakfast for MAN and LBA), 1343 (Vegan), 2285 (Express for LBA and MAN), 2445

Brunch: 180, 289, 469, 563, 685, 716, 2625 (AVML)

Lunch: 207, 545 (diabetic), 644 (first photo), 680 (VLML), 802, 928, 1322 (Kosher), 2284


Afternoon tea: 339, 404 (vegetarian), 480, 600 (VLML), 710 (including low lactose), 800, 882 (gluten free), 1281, 1322 (Kosher), 1673, 2679 (Kosher), 2792


Dinner: 563, 630 (VGML), 669 (Kosher Passover), 771 (VGML LCY) 799, 819 (AVML), 833 (May 2017 menu), 1283, 1287, 1674, 2446, 2616 (Kosher), 2793


Comments on difference between AVML and VLML here.
-----
Medium Band (e.g. Madrid, Nice, Prague, Copenhagen)
Breakfast: 645 (vegetarian), 724 (vegetarian), 1003

Brunch: 199 (VLML), 600 (VLML), 659 (Kosher Passover)

Lunch: 239 (child), 251, 425, 641, 733

Afternoon tea: 332 (also includes vegetarian), 426 (GFML), 813 (Muslim)

Dinner: 456, 551 (also includes VLML), 666, 1004,
1278
-----
Long Band (e.g. Lisbon, Rome, Warsaw, Stockholm).

Breakfast: 195 (vegetarian)

Rest of the day: 306 (LFML), 345, 427, 443, 468, 597, 676, 687, 695, 783 (VLML)
======
NOT MAINTAINED AND OUT OF DATE: The complete Short Haul meal structure for the longer flights as of October 2017 is:

LHR
Meal 1: Chicken / red pepper risotto
Meal 2: Beef cheek
Meal 3: Chicken supreme / gnocchi
Meal 4: Miso glazed cod
Meal 5: Chicken khao soi
Meal 6: Hot smoked salmon linguine

LGW
Meal 1: Thyme roasted chicken
Meal 2: Spicy corn and paneer masala
Meal 3: Thai Penang chicken curry
Meal 4: Roasted red pepper tortellini
Meal 5: Beef and mushroom caserole
Meal 6: Tomato and four cheeses tortellini


Structured into:

Rotation A
LHR outbound
Meal 3
Meal 4
inbound to LHR
Meal 5
Meal 6


Rotation B
LHR outbound
Meal 5
Meal 6
inbound to LHR
Meal 1
Meal 2


Rotation C
LHR outbound
Meal 1
Meal 2
inbound to LHR
Meal 3
Meal 4
===
October 2017 = Rotation C
November 2017 = Rotation A
December 2017 = Rotation B
January 2018 = Rotation C
etc
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Club Europe catering guide

Old Apr 25, 2017, 2:24 am
  #781  
 
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LHR-AMS on Thursday at 08:20 - what should I be expecting?!
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 3:07 am
  #782  
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Originally Posted by teledude
LHR-AMS on Thursday at 08:20 - what should I be expecting?!
Breakfast
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 3:14 am
  #783  
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Originally Posted by teledude
LHR-AMS on Thursday at 08:20 - what should I be expecting?!
Originally Posted by Tobias-UK
Breakfast
And if you look in the wiki, under Short / Breakfast, you will see some photos relevant for that sector.
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 3:17 am
  #784  
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Originally Posted by subject2load
Interesting comments.

I obviously have no precise intelligence on actual figures, but the more photos I see of these 'new' CE meal offerings, the more I wonder just how hard BA have pushed their food suppliers on costs.

Most of the food looks reasonably ok if the aim is to purely fill a gap (let's just make sure we give them something to eat .....), but much of it seems to lack imagination or interest. That's fine for an economy cabin on s/h sectors ; but IMO very little of what has been pictured & reported recently projects any kind of premium impression.

Where there are accompanying garnishings / side dishes, the main driver appears to be to keep portion size to the bare minimum. Viz post #758 above, where there looks to be just half of a cherry tomato provided - presumably on the grounds that a whole cherry tomato would be way over budget .....
Of course all meals are costed, but in this sense its definitely a pejorative term and anyone with a brain can see there are significant savings of old vs new, even starting domestic CE is a matter of cost. Before every pax would get a full HBK and three different types were loaded (full English, vegetarian and continental) now its only available in the CE cabin but its basically a plated version of the previous free one down the back which is not new and has been the case with the CE breakfast for a long time. The night stop hot breakfasts seem to be particularly bad.

On short-haul is there really a single carrier from LHR who have an inferior onboard Business Class offering to BA? Perhaps SN.

It's long being mentioned by myself and a few others how the F & J lounges at LHR are just a carb fest and a shadow of themselves going back to the earliest memories I have 2012 or whenever it was Diamond Club was taken away from us.
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 4:30 am
  #785  
 
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Hello, flying to FNC on the Sunday 7:25 flight, in CE, I take it I get a breakfast which is a fruit plate and cooked breakfast as I am assuming that FNC is considered long. I also may have to ask to make it a champagne/vodka/beer breakfast as they sometimes do not pro actively offer this.

Flight back is 12:00 leaving FNC, so I get a starter and main, but may not be that substantial. Driving on return so not bothered about alcohol.

FP
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 4:35 am
  #786  
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Originally Posted by Fatpenguin
Hello, flying to FNC on the Sunday 7:25 flight, in CE, I take it I get a breakfast which is a fruit plate and cooked breakfast as I am assuming that FNC is considered long. I also may have to ask to make it a champagne/vodka/beer breakfast as they sometimes do not pro actively offer this.

Flight back is 12:00 leaving FNC, so I get a starter and main, but may not be that substantial. Driving on return so not bothered about alcohol.

FP
I think you can safely assume it it long - if FNC is not considered long, I don't know what would be!

See the links to example long flight food in the wiki - the long flights are definitely substantial and I don't think you'll stave.
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 5:07 am
  #787  
 
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Thanks, as ever on here, for the answer. Still may drop bag and nip back to Hilton for breakfast at 5:30 just to be on the safe side, I think it may be better than a bacon roll in the lounge!!!

FP
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 5:22 am
  #788  
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Originally Posted by hugolover
On short-haul is there really a single carrier from LHR who have an inferior onboard Business Class offering to BA? Perhaps SN.
OS and LH for starters...
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 5:25 am
  #789  
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Originally Posted by hugolover

It's long being mentioned by myself and a few others how the F & J lounges at LHR are just a carb fest and a shadow of themselves going back to the earliest memories I have 2012 or whenever it was Diamond Club was taken away from us.
I think the LHR lounges compare favorably with food offerings to most major European carrier's hub lounges on a like-for-like access basis.
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 5:57 am
  #790  
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Originally Posted by sts603
OS and LH for starters...
Huh? On LHR-FRA/MUC and LHR-VIE you really think the BA CE product is better?Or is it in fact the same and perhaps LH/OS are even better, which shows you the terrible state it has fallen to. They were never a bellwether.

Originally Posted by sts603
I think the LHR lounges compare favorably with food offerings to most major European carrier's hub lounges on a like-for-like access basis.
So what? AMS has always been total crap. And SEN lounges haven't really changed in years, but BA was always much much better. My post stands. A shadow of themselves since 2012. Recent AF reports even suggest improvements.

And really, CCR as good as AF P, LX F and LH F? Tosh. The last two I can personally attest are far superior to the CCR.
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 6:19 am
  #791  
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Originally Posted by hugolover
Huh? On LHR-FRA/MUC and LHR-VIE you really think the BA CE product is better?Or is it in fact the same and perhaps LH/OS are even better, which shows you the terrible state it has fallen to. They were never a bellwether.



So what? AMS has always been total crap. And SEN lounges haven't really changed in years, but BA was always much much better. My post stands. A shadow of themselves since 2012. Recent AF reports even suggest improvements.

And really, CCR as good as AF P, LX F and LH F? Tosh. The last two I can personally attest are far superior to the CCR.
Have you been in the SEN lounge in T2?

It leaves BA lounges standing as does the Business Lounge.
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 6:58 am
  #792  
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Originally Posted by sts603
OS and LH for starters...
Before the changes of catering, I would somewhat agree (Although on some points like legroom LH and OS are betters). Now I disagree LH and OS are better in all aspects, including the lounges, seating (on 2*2 planes like Embraer, you have a free seat on LH, not on BA LCY), food, service.
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 9:50 am
  #793  
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Originally Posted by sts603
OS and LH for starters...
Euh??? The catering I am getting on OS C in particular is very good. LH is average but better than BA on similar routes.
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 12:22 pm
  #794  
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Originally Posted by Dover2Golf
Have you been in the SEN lounge in T2?

It leaves BA lounges standing as does the Business Lounge.
Yes I have! Very good it is too. But if time permits, why even bother with that when you can have far better cocktails than the CCR in the UA lounge? The list is very extensive and its only a Business lounge and I think even a short-haul Business BP will get you access. Have you seen the showers? .

My point was that the SEN lounges in general are not particularly good when it comes to food, drinks can be better, for example FRA and MUC have SEN lounges with staffed bars to make cocktails and very good coffee (really good IMO for lounge) even fresh OJ...yes can you believe that. Not some pasteurised crap from Brakes but real OJ squeezed before your eyes. BA pax would fall down in shock at the notion.

BA was better, indeed it was much better but one has to go back before the slop trays and the stodge fest that fills the chillers of the F lounge.

Originally Posted by fransknorge
Before the changes of catering, I would somewhat agree (Although on some points like legroom LH and OS are betters). Now I disagree LH and OS are better in all aspects, including the lounges, seating (on 2*2 planes like Embraer, you have a free seat on LH, not on BA LCY), food, service.
Exactly- except breakfast. But thats a unique UK thing where you can get a huge breakfast from some pub chain for 3.99, the point being breakfast meats are very cheap.

Originally Posted by orbitmic
Euh??? The catering I am getting on OS C in particular is very good. LH is average but better than BA on similar routes.
Precisely. And while this is the CE thread remember you can order a Do&Co Schnitzel down the back to enjoy with your complimentary snack and beer. But then Do&Co is hardly exceptional as all LOT's lounges & meals are catered by them.
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Old Apr 25, 2017, 12:45 pm
  #795  
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Originally Posted by hugolover
even fresh OJ...yes can you believe that. Not some pasteurised crap from Brakes but real OJ squeezed before your eyes. BA pax would fall down in shock at the notion.
I know. I've been suggesting an orange/grapefruit pressing machine in the CCR to BA for years but have always been superbly ignored. I still think it would be such an easy/cheap way to give a bit of a wow factor.
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