Last edit by: jspira
United Airlines' Chelsea Food Services at Newark makes over 30,000 meals a day for 200 flights. This photo essay shows how the meals are actually prepared.
Photo Essay: How Your Airline Meal Is Prepared
Behind the Scenes in United Airlines Kitchen
Photo Essay: How Your Airline Meal Is Prepared
Behind the Scenes in United Airlines Kitchen
Love it or hate it, airline food is a popular topic of conversation amongst travelers.
In the earliest days of commercial aviation, airlines copied what others in the transportation industry, such as operators of rail service and passenger ships, were doing and offered food and drink.
Today, airline meals are big business but there are still real people in the kitchen chopping, mixing, sauting, grilling, and garnishing what is served to you in the air....
<SNIP>
In the earliest days of commercial aviation, airlines copied what others in the transportation industry, such as operators of rail service and passenger ships, were doing and offered food and drink.
Today, airline meals are big business but there are still real people in the kitchen chopping, mixing, sauting, grilling, and garnishing what is served to you in the air....
<SNIP>
Photo Essay: How Your United Airlines Meal is Prepared
#16
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All of the white lab coats they handed out for the tour (and relatively few people went on the tour) had Continental on them. When it came time to turn mine in, I wondered (briefly) how much these would go for on eBay.
#17
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That comment about hospital food... I spent 5 days in the hospital the end of May...the food was a whole lot better than anything I have had on UA in recent years. I was pleasantly surprised by the hospital food. Oh, the service was better too but the destination was not fun. They did get me better so I guess that is a good thing...
#18
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Most meals prepared in test kitchens under favorable conditions will turn out ok. At altitude when prepped and re-heated by indifferent flight crews with various skill levels it becomes a different story. That is why the consistency of the BOB menu offerings is preferred by many to the typical UA domestic F meals.
SunLover
#19
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The quality of ingredients is key. The other thing is the ability to have the dishes translate to the conditions at 30,00 ft. where food loses ~30% of it's flavor profile.
Most meals prepared in test kitchens under favorable conditions will turn out ok. At altitude when prepped and re-heated by indifferent flight crews with various skill levels it becomes a different story. That is why the consistency of the BOB menu offerings is preferred by many to the typical UA domestic F meals.
Most meals prepared in test kitchens under favorable conditions will turn out ok. At altitude when prepped and re-heated by indifferent flight crews with various skill levels it becomes a different story. That is why the consistency of the BOB menu offerings is preferred by many to the typical UA domestic F meals.
#20
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#21
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That comment about hospital food... I spent 5 days in the hospital the end of May...the food was a whole lot better than anything I have had on UA in recent years. I was pleasantly surprised by the hospital food. Oh, the service was better too but the destination was not fun. They did get me better so I guess that is a good thing...
#23
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Just like with airline food, one cannot making generalizations. I've been to a few hospital cafeterias where it was really good and also a few where it was really bad.
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#26
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#28
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But you have to compare apples to apples (no pun intended). The finished product (we sampled a variety of dishes) looks a lot different than the ingredients in the kitchen.
#29
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The problem with UA catering isn't Chelsea - it's the budget they are given. They also cater for EK and SQ at IAH I believe and BA in DEN, IAH and EWR.
When Icahn took over TW and slashed the catering budgets it was the same kitchens and same cooks making the food -- they just went from getting premium ingredients to the cheapest possible.
In FRA the same kitchen that caters LH F caters UA F.
When Icahn took over TW and slashed the catering budgets it was the same kitchens and same cooks making the food -- they just went from getting premium ingredients to the cheapest possible.
In FRA the same kitchen that caters LH F caters UA F.
#30
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