caribbean catering rough!
Jul 15, 2019, 8:38 pm
#1
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caribbean catering rough!
Just on return flight from st Lucia up front in FIRST
Crew Lovely, wines lovely, but the food! . Chunks of dull fish and chocolate bread and butter pudding like they have come out of the St Trinians canteen
Almost inedible, but presentation brilliant !
How variable is outstation catering? Is this one of the worst? Flight originates in Trinidad
Crew Lovely, wines lovely, but the food! . Chunks of dull fish and chocolate bread and butter pudding like they have come out of the St Trinians canteen
Almost inedible, but presentation brilliant !
How variable is outstation catering? Is this one of the worst? Flight originates in Trinidad
Jul 16, 2019, 1:57 am
#2
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Returned from St Lucia in J two weeks ago. 'Creole Chicken' was OK, if largely unmemorable ... I've had worse.
Edit: my wife reminds me that her 'warm chocolate brownie, dark rum and vanilla sauce' was close to inedible and abandoned after one mouthful.
Edit: my wife reminds me that her 'warm chocolate brownie, dark rum and vanilla sauce' was close to inedible and abandoned after one mouthful.
Last edited by T8191; Jul 16, 2019 at 2:35 am Reason: Poor Pudding!
Jul 16, 2019, 2:18 am
#3
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The story behind this is that at some locations, there really isn't a lot of choice to BA or any airline - there may only be one kitchen available to service aircraft. Smaller islands, somewhat isolated from global supply chains, pose an issue here. The airline - or perhaps the airline's main catering provider - may set guidelines and policies but if the local kitchen only has (e.g.) one provider of chicken meat then there's not a lot that can be done about it. Seychelles is where I know the set-up a bit. There is only one locally owned company that can supply food to BA, and indeed to all airlines there. If you want fish, you will probably get a reasonably good quality product there, anything else then the local supply lines aren't great frankly.
I won't name the location, but at one recent USA city that BA has started flying to in recent years, BA had to arrange for a new kitchen to be built, not that BA owns that kitchen. The only other airline with catering supplied locally was AA, and they got their food from an old age people's centre which had a sideline in external catering.
There are also a few places where it seems difficult to get good food, regardless of airline. Hong Kong and Singapore spring to mind, though in my view the Do&Co management has improved both locations, particularly HKG. CPT and JNB are also somewhat in this group despite the ferociously good food available in South Africa. Durban doesn't seem to have this problem luckily, given that is a day flight.
I won't name the location, but at one recent USA city that BA has started flying to in recent years, BA had to arrange for a new kitchen to be built, not that BA owns that kitchen. The only other airline with catering supplied locally was AA, and they got their food from an old age people's centre which had a sideline in external catering.
There are also a few places where it seems difficult to get good food, regardless of airline. Hong Kong and Singapore spring to mind, though in my view the Do&Co management has improved both locations, particularly HKG. CPT and JNB are also somewhat in this group despite the ferociously good food available in South Africa. Durban doesn't seem to have this problem luckily, given that is a day flight.
Jul 16, 2019, 2:25 pm
#5
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Other half said felt sick after food as so unpalatable!
It was strange to see all the nice new table ware with the contents not living up to the presentation
Jul 16, 2019, 4:57 pm
#6
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The story behind this is that at some locations, there really isn't a lot of choice to BA or any airline - there may only be one kitchen available to service aircraft. Smaller islands, somewhat isolated from global supply chains, pose an issue here. The airline - or perhaps the airline's main catering provider - may set guidelines and policies but if the local kitchen only has (e.g.) one provider of chicken meat then there's not a lot that can be done about it. Seychelles is where I know the set-up a bit. There is only one locally owned company that can supply food to BA, and indeed to all airlines there. If you want fish, you will probably get a reasonably good quality product there, anything else then the local supply lines aren't great frankly.
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Jul 17, 2019, 6:41 am
#8
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I thought the food in F from Barbados was pretty good. Can't remember what the starter was but the beef main was delicious and not cooked to death. I will agree that catering from South Africa is dreadful. BA either need to spend more or switch suppliers.
Jul 17, 2019, 7:42 am
#9
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Our last 2 CPT-LGW mains in J were perfectly acceptable. Beef and Fish were both fine, as were the peripheral courses. Inconsistency, perhaps?
But we digress...
But we digress...
Jul 17, 2019, 8:46 am
#10
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Jul 17, 2019, 9:21 am
#11
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When commuting home from work, I don't eat on the plane leaving Ghana, and treat myself to Eggs Benedict and tea at F&M in St Pancras before my train... Just not worth the disappointment.
Jul 17, 2019, 9:46 am
#12
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I won't name the location, but at one recent USA city that BA has started flying to in recent years, BA had to arrange for a new kitchen to be built, not that BA owns that kitchen. The only other airline with catering supplied locally was AA, and they got their food from an old age people's centre which had a sideline in external catering.
Jul 17, 2019, 10:47 am
#14
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My sister in law has a catering business in Fiji and I remember her supplying food for (what was then) Air Pacific. I was quite jealous of what the passengers were going to receive, local curries, cakes galore, local beef... and though she didn't cook it, I had the best ever fillet steak on Air Pacific flying NAN - SYD on the only 747 they used to lease.
So not all outstation catering need be dire... just unpredictable!
So not all outstation catering need be dire... just unpredictable!
Jul 17, 2019, 11:46 am
#15
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There are also a few places where it seems difficult to get good food, regardless of airline. Hong Kong and Singapore spring to mind, though in my view the Do&Co management has improved both locations, particularly HKG. CPT and JNB are also somewhat in this group despite the ferociously good food available in South Africa. Durban doesn't seem to have this problem luckily, given that is a day flight.