I do like a ploughmans but why on earth do they put the pickle/chutney on the plate (or on the same bowl as the cheese in pics upthread).

I loathe pickle and I'm not the only one. just put a sachet of it on the plate so people can choose!

Oh and battenburg should be yellow marzipan!

PRG - LHR 14th Sept. BA863 CE (Band 2)

Lunch menu as 13:45 departure. CE had 3 rows but only 8 people so a nice small cabin and relaxed service. CSM (so WW crew?) and one other staff member served the cabin. Great service obviously as nearly 2 hours and 2 staff with only 8 of us...

Meal choices were apparently (didn't see the other choices so can't confirm) 1) Roast Beef plate (which I had and has already been posted), 2) Chicken Caesar Salad (also posted) and 3) a Courgette salad...I will do a lot for FT but I draw the line at a Courgette salad (when I'm hungry at least)...only 8 meals loaded apparently and I did ask afterwards if there were any others leftover that I could get a picture of but alas everyone decided to eat. (only 3 roast beef loaded, btw).

Coffee was indeed good and drinkable now, I like the tactile feel of the new mug with the raised profile it provides around the circumference when not using the handle.

Pics for those interested. (I found the amount of roast beef quite good and the side salad was also tasty as plenty of flavours in there.)

https://cimg7.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...34855f2fcb.jpg

Roast Beef lunch option
https://cimg6.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...806093e587.jpg

Coffee cup detail

My only very slight gripe would be that there were no warm options for those that would want this.

Safe travels.

That Beef looks lovely. A pot of horseradish, a bottle of Shiraz and a second roll and I would have been away!!

Cheers, BotB ^

I await orbitmic's view on the above. To me it looks like a pretty reasonable meal for a NCE length route, but I can understand the preference for a more substantial hot dish. Also note BotB's comment that only 3 beef loaded out of 8 meals for 8 pax - clearly could lead to disappointment.

!

https://cimg2.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...19901fe423.jpg
Just had the below on a MAN-LHR flight. Way better then 2 weeks ago

The part that puzzles me here is that I thought that the sole differentiator between bands 1 and 2 is that band 2 was supposed to get a nicer starter with a protein element (like one prawn). Yet, here you are band 2 and are getting the same coleslaw as band 1.... I wonder if the caterers are not understanding their own band r if I am the one not understanding them...

+1, horseradish or some nice mustard and I would be an even more very happy camper with that.

At the moment I'm not due a CE for a little while but will comment. My intuitive reaction is that this is still a bit weak for band 2 but I'll reserve judgement till I try the actual thing. On the face of it, it now seems closer to LH quantities and style on similar route lengths, though still well below AF offerings for which hot food starts kicking in for significantly shorter flights.

As mentioned in an earlier post about loadings (3 beef salads for 8 pax or more), I also worry about people on band 4 being limited to the band 1 meal+cheese once the hot options have run out.

It was excellent. They did go through a few times asking if anyone wanted a second roll or further drinks...can't help with the Shiraz though! :)

It did (lead to disappointment). I didn't overhear everything but I believe there was a Gold in row 3 (F side) and although the CSM did greet the golds in row 1A and 3F, they may have forgotten to take 3F's choice before serving the rest of the cabin (or IIRC, at first 3F said they weren't hungry...) In any case, there was some back and forth as I believe the poor chap was only left with the Courgette salad as the other two options were gone by that stage and after a bit of back and forth, he did get something in addition to/other than that (but I believe it may have been one of the pilots meals (or bits taken from one) as I heard the cabin crew say one of pilots wasn't hungry and didn't want a meal)...I may have got that wrong and obviously wasn't privy to the whole conversation but just happened to hear snippets. Sit in row 1 or row 2 if you want roast beef I'd suggest.

That puzzled me as well as from what I could see, the roast beef and the chicken caesar were the exact same meals as Band 1. I promise I didn't eat a prawn out of my starter before the pic! (Maybe the cabin crew did? :D) I'm joking about the crew bit before anyone becomes outraged! Wonder if this was a mistake or Band 1 and 2 are the same but just with a third option?

Oh yes, if there had been a spot of mustard with that it would have been perfect. ^

Agree, this was very much in line with what I've been getting with LH/OS meals in J EU SH flights...so very pleased with the change personally.

Definitely worth sitting in row 1 or 2 for food choice it seems though, especially for longer band 3 or 4 flights.

Safe travels everyone. Off to VIE in two weeks in CE so will see what that brings...

I was actually expecting the salad option to be the last remaining option, so I asked when probably about the last 25% of the meal service if there was any salad option remaining for me to have a look at (not to eat - I'd already had mine).

To my amazement, they had already run out of the salad option.
It appears to have been pretty popular. (It was a Caesar salad with chicken.) The others were beef or vegetarian option, and beef seemed to be the most popular option although I suspect they loaded more beef than others.

I honestly thought that the salad would be the least popular. Maybe the flight being at lunch time contributed to the popularity of the salad.

The roast beef salad is (or should be) served on Tartar sauce base, which has mustard and I think some horseradish in it, but I suspect one would wish to turn up the heat a few more notches.

Indeed, (in my case) the sauce is under the roast beef and while it complemented the beef, it had no kick or 'spice' to speak of in my opinion.