nonsoloinglese

'I prefer Big Macs to airline meals'
Celebrity chef Marco Pierre White says airlines do not use enough fresh ingredients in their food and says burgers are preferable

http://travel.timesonline.co.uk/tol/...cle1839982.ece

We all talk about the food on BA, what do we all think to this article?

ajax

Marco Pierre White can eat what he likes.

I think ground beef - especially of the fried variety, a la McDonalds - is disgusting and a health hazard. Perhaps Mr White should read Fast Food Nation before comparing BA food to a Big Mac.

nonsoloinglese

He probably eats neither! Such is his palette. Thought it was interesting seeing the comments at the bottom where someone paid J on BA from SYD-LHR and thought the food was not upto scratch. I concur entirely with J food on BA.

Reminds of a few years ago of when my dad wrote to the captain complaining that he couldnt cut his steak in CE due to it being rock solid, probably about 12 years ago.

harryhv

Celebrity chefs are costantly bagginig airlines food, but try asking them to cater for 300 diners in a cramped space approximately equal to the area of the dustbin in their restaurant.

Not to mention the problems with the lower boiling point of water (coffee=very hard, tea=impossible, many dishes fail) and pressure (all beer tastes like soda water or Miller Lite).

Gaz

I sort of agree with him. My airline food experience which has involved J on lots of airlines and F on a handful has never been espeically great. Plentiful, yes, well-served, yes... and with foods that don't really need any sort of expert preparation, sometimes very tasty (ie: Haagazn Daaz with melted fudge sauce in UA F).

BUT, the fact remains - however good the ingredients are, as long as the food is pre-prepared, packaged in a sterile environment, then re-heated at 35,000 feet, it'll never compare to even a decent mid-range independent restaurant. How can you try and compete with fresh ingredients, cooked by an expert chef in a real kitchen ten minutes before you eat it?

I guess I'd put it on the same sort of level as a Tesco Finest meal - tastes decent, is pricey, but it's essentially still a ready-meal.

hairpeace

Marco White Who?

anc305

When BA had the catering strike , I recieved 700 HKD at HKG. Went to eat in the CX 1st lounge several hours before departing so did not need it at HKG. Went to Burger King before departure and spent it all " to go " . Must say , not all that bad . Simple , quick , and consistant . Different strokes for different folks. I have done countless surveys , feedbacks , etc. over the years and always given the same reply . It dont have to be fancy to be good. Granted , hamburgers and fries aint that good for you but there are many food offerings that are healthier that could be served on airplanes. Nothing worse than a bunch of hoppla presentation crap and then get a plate of slop.

pjoalfa

You got almost USD100 in food comps for no catering? Wow!
You spent USD100 in Burger King on yourself? Wow!

(and Burger King to go...6 hours into a flight...hmmm. Compared to that even AA has good food )

LapLap

Actually tea isn't impossible. There are lots of people who would be happy to drink green teas and other kinds which require a lower boiling point. On long flights I take a little tea pot, a flask (which the crew fill with hot water), sencha tea leaves and make my own. Comes out perfectly.

Despite my limited experience in C, I kind of agree with Marco Pierre White too.

For all it is lauded, I didn't think much of my business class meals in ANA - I probably would have prefered fast food too. That was certainly the case for my C class meal on AZ (awful - apart from the dessert^) . UA's was OK (although an Asian Veg meal in Economy - prepared in LHR - was outstanding... proof that quality in quantity can be achieved)

AC served me a very good meal in C, and bmi have served me excellent ones on the LAS-MAN route.

Ex Amex Card

Last time I came out of one of Marco Pierre Whites restaurants, it was still in exactly the same place as when I went in. It hadn't moved anywhere....

vla

Honestly I don't understand why the entire catering operation wasn't outsourced to Marks and Spencer years ago.

Ex Amex Card

Because compared to what BA are willing to pay, M&S charge a fortune for their food.....

Quite aside from that, "years ago" M&S food wasn't up to much anyway...

vla

Fair enough, but let's say five years ago when M&S made their expansion to (so it seems) every high street and railway station in the country and added more variety and flair to their products. With the increased economy of scale some Wally World Alan Sugar type, perhaps, could have done a more wholesale deal.

That said, and the Beef Wellington at Ł6 per person retail is really very nice to eat, somehow I don't think it would pass the snob test in the pointy end of the plane.

jamojdm

Burgers sound good to me Been on quite a few flights where all I've wanted was some junk food as a hangover cure.

Although I had a great curry the other day on UA LHR-SFO in F. ^

Infact why not introduce donner kebabs? That way we can replicate a night out on the town! Drink ur beer/G+T while listening to iPod and once suitably drunk have a donner and pass out in your bed

Aus_Mal

He sounds like a clown who wouldn't know what food he was served in the air if he was paid...

Yes, I know, harsh, but realistic from what I can see.

How on earth does he earn his stars?