corporate-wage-slave

I think it's probably more that brands do matter here, rather than aspiration. Not sure M&S has ever been aspirational actually.

So to continue with NickB's thought process and putting some possibly meaningless stereotypes across:

- Mid 50s mum, Tory voting Facebooker, grown up daughter. Reluctant to pay for onboard foods, sees it's M&S, knows it's OK for her, reaches for credit card.

- Mid 20s hipster, Corbynista Twitter person, would greatly prefer something like sushi (which few airlines offer) or noodles (which LCC offer); M&S sandwich? Oh well it's not Prêt, but it will do.

- Mid 30s Bangalore Tech worker on Instagram: never heard of Waitrose (OK he's also not a cricket fan!), but he saw about M&S on the BBC. Does it have beef it it?

- Hungry person - any age, any demographic: doesn't greatly care but wants it now!

Oxon Flyer

That may well be the case in Midsomer Flatland, but one (or maybe "1", given it's Waitrose) would rather not to be stereotyped as such.

Perfect match for BA then.

Dubh

If M&S used to provide aspirational food, and are associated with the back end of a BA A320, maybe someone at a recent M&S board meeting might have also asked "Have we backed the right horse here?"

HIDDY

That was me when I flew SAS and it had BoB. I decided just to make do with a coffee after seeing the overpriced sandwich on offer was a dry piece of bread with a slice of rubbery cheese and ham on it. Any M&S sandwich would have been a culinary delight compared to that thing. Although it did seem to prove popular with the Scandinavian contingent on board who were mostly retired folk off to Scotland for a rambling holiday.

Sohan

M&S used to sell an amazing cheese and tomato sub. I used to buy it every time I travelled, before take off and at services landing. They stopped selling it a while ago and the vegetarian options for their sandwiches are just awful.

I don't even bother to stop there anymore - their food and store has lost it's sparkle for me and I'm finding it more and more tesco express than M&S anymore.

Raffles

They are launching the new in-store coffee roaster this month - you don't get that in Waitrose .....!

Harrods Food Halls are having a massive revamp at the moment. The problem is that they are caught between being a corner shop for those of us for whom it is actually a corner shop and a purveyor of food-based tourist souveniers.

Beltway2A

You can probably add my folks to the list as well.

Left the UK in the late 80s. Never heard of Waitrose, but remembers M&S fondly. As long as there's no beef in it.

Cap'n Benj

I remember being shocked to find Findus Crispy Pancakes available in the Harris’s food court! This was in 1997 though!

Roger

Inspirational ET catering?

OP probably has it right, but for me the M&S menu in ET, now much reduced in choice, is far from inspirational. For a start, the BA prices are much higher than in M&S, albeit you can't pay with Avios at M&S. Better value at Boots and WHSmugg meal deals at LHR airside. (I don't bother.)

I haven't been in M&S for years. Other outlets are available.

Looking at M&S over the years, it seems almost every year's results bring further news of products failing to catch customers' attention. Bring on new management, new ranges and see what happens. Nothing. Try again next year. Same result. Open up branches in France and elsewhere, get lots of PR for providing the French with mode a la M&S, close the branches, rinse and repeat. Inspirational?

Oh, they're the ones that bought Brooks Brothers a few years ago, a complete mismatch for the M&S generation and sold at a loss IIRC.

And since someone upthread mentions class, where do we fit in? We have a Waitrose within walking distance. ^ And their selection and quality improve from week to week. Sadly, Sainsburys is not much further but they are so advanced, I can't even use contactless cards there. Tesco is about 4 miles away, so usually ignored by The Boss.

So on this sample of one, WR is inspirational. I wonder what BA would charge for WR catering.

beachmouse

I think British food in general is a whole lot better than it gets credit for and have felt like I have eaten very well in my trips to the UK. The big exception for me is the grab-and-go squishy cellophane-wrapped sandwich, which is a fail for me in both taste and texture. The panini option is often slightly better, if only because the bread isn't the European equivalent of Wonderbread or Bimbo, but my sandwich purchases in the UK have typically been of the aspirational type because that's the point where they're only two steps below what I can get from US regional powerhouse Publix back home rather than being inedible.

TyneTraveller

In a similar way to that of Mr Shearer saying no to Man Utd

I would also take a punt on saying it has something to do with Keith Williams being a non-executive director on the JLP board, and on retirement being given the deputy chairmanship too.

BlueThroughCrimp

With M&S foods available at many decidedly average to poor motorway service stations, it's the perfect match for BA economy.

LordBuckethead

When did you last go? Most if not all branches now do accept contactless. They made a huge fuss when they started, but customers just laughed at them for being so behind!

Jagboi

I must be out of the mainstream, but when I visit the UK I always go to M&S to stock up on things to bring home to Canada. I find them to be excellent quality at a good price. Mind you, I'm bringing home thing like tea, jam and chocolate, but I always look longingly at the dessert cooler and all the tasty things I can't bring home. I did get a case of the Mint Truffle bars last time!

It's easy to complain, but I think the selection and quality of the food I see at M&S (and Waitrose to be fair) are very good indeed.

I thought the merchandising at M&S's Oxford street flagship to be terrible and I wouldn't touch the clothes, but I love the food.

Tobias-UK

And there are some great exponents of that artform in these fora!