Improved Food on Some Flights
Dec 1, 1998, 3:54 pm
#1
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Join Date: May 1998
Location: Canada
Programs: AC SE 2MM, HH Dd, SPG; IC Pl/A; AA; DL
Posts: 14,321
Improved Food on Some Flights
Just found this news release about Canadian airlines business class food (only on select routes)--any reports back from the field on how good this stuff is?
NEWS RELEASE TRANSMITTED BY CANADIAN CORPORATE NEWS
NEWS RELEASE TRANSMITTED BY CANADIAN CORPORATE NEWS
NOVEMBER 17, 1998
Canadian Airlines' Chefs' Conclave Takes Haute CuisineMiles Higher
Canadian Airlines and several of Canada's best-known chefs meet today in Toronto to launch a first in the Canadian airline
industry -- a unique food program combining a Chefs' Conclave, Menu By Design and French-style service. Canadian's Business class
passengers will now be treated to gourmet meals created by select restaurant chefs and tailored to suit their tastes. Canadian has assembled an impressive list of chefs, including: Glenn Monk, Chateau Whistler, Whistler, Marc Thuet, Centro's Grill, Toronto, John Bishop, Bishop's, Vancouver, Normand Laprise, Toqué, Montréal, Frederic Couton, The Cannery, Vancouver, Robert C. Bourassa, Café Henry Burger, HullMichael Allemeier, Teatro, Calgary, Dale Nicols, Crown Bistro, Hotel Halifax, Halifax,
Mark McEwan, North 44,
The Chefs' Conclave brings these renowned chefs together with Canadian Airlines' Executive Chef, Jean Pierre Guerin, to create unique gourmet meals adapted to serve in flight at 30,000 feet. The resulting creations are showcased as the Chefs' Conclave appetizer and main course for the new Menu By Design. The defining element in the new menu is choice, with plates prepared from a variety of main courses and assorted side dishes according to passengers' preferences. An elegant French-style service has been adopted for the Menu By Design, and the service is available in business class on flights longer than three and a half hours, including flights from Toronto to Vancouver, Vancouver to Boston and Toronto to London, U.K. "The Chefs' Conclave and Menu by Design are Canadian's response to
customer feedback and business traveller studies indicating that the quality, consistency and distinctiveness of an airline's menu and food service rank among the most important factors in choosing
an airline," said Barbara Amster, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Canadian Airlines. "Some of the best chefs in Canada are creating a menu that is unique to Canadian Airlines and offers maximum flexibility and appeal for our most discerning flyers."
CHEFS' CONCLAVE & MENU BY DESIGN BACKGROUND INFORMATION
- Canadian Airlines' Menu By Design and Chefs' Conclave programs, complemented with elegant French-style service, are a first in the history of food service in the Canadian airline industry. Six months of comprehensive customer research and testing preceded the launch of this new inflight program.
- Menu By Design offers a full range of main course selections for Business Class customers, including new French-style service. Meals will now be served individually in the aisles on china plates rather than plated in the galley.
- Menu By Design gives Business Class customers the ability to choose their entrée, sauces and vegetable accompaniments and control their portion sizes, allowing for greater personal attention to individual preferences and giving customers the
opportunity to see all the elements of a meal before making a choice.
- Canadian Airlines' Chefs' Conclave chefs are developing creative menus that reflect current food trends and preferences from across Canada. The chefs will meet regularly to consult with Canadian's
Inflight staff and Executive Chef, Jean Pierre Guerin, to adapt their cuisine for the unique heating, serving and presentation
challenges on board an aircraft.
- Each chef provides six appetizers and six entrée choices for adaptation for inflight service. Six choices of each are required
to accommodate the cycles and rotations of Canadian's domestic, transborder and international flights over three and a half hours.
- Each month, Canadian Airlines' Business Class service will feature an appetizer and entrée from a Conclave chef. The Chefs'
Conclave is launching with nine chefs, and will add three more chefs within the next three months -- one for each month of the year
- In the past six weeks, over 1500 flight attendants have been specially trained in Menu By Design and French-Style service, and
the unique attributes of the Chefs' Conclave program.
- Canadian Airlines' award-winning inflight wine program, Cellar
Secrets, offers wines that are not available off the shelf.
Cellar Secrets features six wines annually plus an additional selection of red and white Canadian wines presented quarterly.
Chefs will assist in suggesting wine pairing that compliment their appetizer and entrée.
NEWS RELEASE TRANSMITTED BY CANADIAN CORPORATE NEWS
NEWS RELEASE TRANSMITTED BY CANADIAN CORPORATE NEWS
NOVEMBER 17, 1998
Canadian Airlines' Chefs' Conclave Takes Haute CuisineMiles Higher
Canadian Airlines and several of Canada's best-known chefs meet today in Toronto to launch a first in the Canadian airline
industry -- a unique food program combining a Chefs' Conclave, Menu By Design and French-style service. Canadian's Business class
passengers will now be treated to gourmet meals created by select restaurant chefs and tailored to suit their tastes. Canadian has assembled an impressive list of chefs, including: Glenn Monk, Chateau Whistler, Whistler, Marc Thuet, Centro's Grill, Toronto, John Bishop, Bishop's, Vancouver, Normand Laprise, Toqué, Montréal, Frederic Couton, The Cannery, Vancouver, Robert C. Bourassa, Café Henry Burger, HullMichael Allemeier, Teatro, Calgary, Dale Nicols, Crown Bistro, Hotel Halifax, Halifax,
Mark McEwan, North 44,
The Chefs' Conclave brings these renowned chefs together with Canadian Airlines' Executive Chef, Jean Pierre Guerin, to create unique gourmet meals adapted to serve in flight at 30,000 feet. The resulting creations are showcased as the Chefs' Conclave appetizer and main course for the new Menu By Design. The defining element in the new menu is choice, with plates prepared from a variety of main courses and assorted side dishes according to passengers' preferences. An elegant French-style service has been adopted for the Menu By Design, and the service is available in business class on flights longer than three and a half hours, including flights from Toronto to Vancouver, Vancouver to Boston and Toronto to London, U.K. "The Chefs' Conclave and Menu by Design are Canadian's response to
customer feedback and business traveller studies indicating that the quality, consistency and distinctiveness of an airline's menu and food service rank among the most important factors in choosing
an airline," said Barbara Amster, Senior Vice President, Marketing, Canadian Airlines. "Some of the best chefs in Canada are creating a menu that is unique to Canadian Airlines and offers maximum flexibility and appeal for our most discerning flyers."
CHEFS' CONCLAVE & MENU BY DESIGN BACKGROUND INFORMATION
- Canadian Airlines' Menu By Design and Chefs' Conclave programs, complemented with elegant French-style service, are a first in the history of food service in the Canadian airline industry. Six months of comprehensive customer research and testing preceded the launch of this new inflight program.
- Menu By Design offers a full range of main course selections for Business Class customers, including new French-style service. Meals will now be served individually in the aisles on china plates rather than plated in the galley.
- Menu By Design gives Business Class customers the ability to choose their entrée, sauces and vegetable accompaniments and control their portion sizes, allowing for greater personal attention to individual preferences and giving customers the
opportunity to see all the elements of a meal before making a choice.
- Canadian Airlines' Chefs' Conclave chefs are developing creative menus that reflect current food trends and preferences from across Canada. The chefs will meet regularly to consult with Canadian's
Inflight staff and Executive Chef, Jean Pierre Guerin, to adapt their cuisine for the unique heating, serving and presentation
challenges on board an aircraft.
- Each chef provides six appetizers and six entrée choices for adaptation for inflight service. Six choices of each are required
to accommodate the cycles and rotations of Canadian's domestic, transborder and international flights over three and a half hours.
- Each month, Canadian Airlines' Business Class service will feature an appetizer and entrée from a Conclave chef. The Chefs'
Conclave is launching with nine chefs, and will add three more chefs within the next three months -- one for each month of the year
- In the past six weeks, over 1500 flight attendants have been specially trained in Menu By Design and French-Style service, and
the unique attributes of the Chefs' Conclave program.
- Canadian Airlines' award-winning inflight wine program, Cellar
Secrets, offers wines that are not available off the shelf.
Cellar Secrets features six wines annually plus an additional selection of red and white Canadian wines presented quarterly.
Chefs will assist in suggesting wine pairing that compliment their appetizer and entrée.
Dec 1, 1998, 4:01 pm
#2
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 1,433
All I can say is that Bishop's (Vancouver) is a great restaurant. I went there as a student, expecting it to be expensive. It cost more than double the amount I'd budgeted, but it was worth it... If the other chefs are half as good it should be a great menu.
Dec 2, 1998, 4:05 pm
#3
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Pasadena, CA. USA
Posts: 1,438
Visited Vancouver last month on Canadian. Much better service and equipment on Canadian vs. UA. Had reservation and dined at Chartwell at Four Seasons. A delicious tasting menu dinner that might have costed $100 at FS Boston is only $50 at FS Vancouver. Lovely city and gotta love that exchange rate.
Dec 2, 1998, 5:46 pm
#4
Original Member
Join Date: May 1998
Location: Cambridge, MA
Posts: 1,433
The sun must have shone while you were there...