Catering at 35,000 or 40,000 feet can be tricky and there is much more to having a hot meal in the clouds than just shoving it in the high-speed oven. For business aviation users, much depends on the quality of the food and the preparation that enables a tasty meal even when your taste buds have gone dormant.
Yet another benefit of private aviation is your ability to order whatever you want, including your favorite restaurant meal – which gives new meaning to take away. Even so, catering companies curate over-the-top menus for the most delicate palate.
“A lot of people don’t know this, but it’s a fact that the sensitivity of our taste buds is reduced at altitude due to a combination of the cabin pressure and very low humidity in flight,” said David Henninger, president of AtYourJet, a catering company designed to make dining worthy of the private aviation experience.
“We’ve all had a crummy in-flight meal and it’s not just bad cooking, but rather, science working against you. Or sometimes both,” Henninger notes. “Hence, almost no one on a commercial flight turns down the free pretzels and cookies because a bunch of salt, sugar, and fat is an easy way to get anybody eating in these conditions.
Henniger explains that when designing a menu for in-flight dining, the trick is to pay extra attention to flavor balance, making bold choices using a lot of fresh herbs and produce to get the job done. “Throwing salt, sugar, and fat at the problem not only isn’t good for you, but it’s also an oversimplified fix to a complex problem, and it will only take you so far,” he says.
LSGSkyChefs’s Kimberly Plaskett, director of marketing and communications Americas, agrees. “There are a number of factors that affect a passenger’s taste in flight,” she says. “This includes everything from an arid environment, which affects the sense of smell and saliva production, to pressure, that reduces the sensitivity of taste buds to sweet and salty foods by 30 percent. Even the sound of the engine can affect how certain foods taste. Our chefs are specially trained to create meals that are more flavorful in this type of environment, focusing on flavors and spices that are not affected by the changes, or in fact are enhanced, such as umami.”
Return of the Golden Age?
Dining has become a major focal point for upscale travelers, prompting both airlines and private aviation companies to up their game to reflect the kind of restaurant experience travelers are used to on the ground. It really harkens back to the Golden Age of travel when airlines like Pan American World Airways partnered with famous restaurants such as Maxim’s of Paris to cater meals, prepared in the Maxim kitchens, for Pan Am’s transatlantic flights.
“The biggest difference for private aviation,” according to Paul Schweitzer, senior vice president global sales and marketing for Air Culinaire Worldwide, “is passengers dictating their preferences to the private aviation charter and aircraft management companies, who in turn provide those details to catering. In some cases, there are set menus, but that does not occur often.”
And it isn’t just bespoke private aviation caterers providing the service. While business aviation is a small part of its business, LSG SkyChefs leverages its experience with airlines for missions that include professional and collegiate sports teams and other VIP charters, according to Plaskett.
“We work individually with our private clients on the menus and specific food/beverages they would like served on their flights,” Plaskett told BTE. “Just as with our commercial airline clients, we work with our private clients on their menu needs including any special dietary restrictions, regionality and cultural requirements such as halal or kosher menus. All this is to ensure we’re providing the ultimate culinary experience.”
Much as Pan Am worked with Maxim’s lead chefs, Wheels Up recently announced a strategic partnership with AtYourJet and their culinary advisor Chef Robert Irvine. The move is powered by the large AtYourJet network of company-operated kitchens that enable consistency and quality control in key markets, elevating cuisine across every aircraft, departure point and destination.
The network also enables ingredients to be locally sourced based on departure point, and crafted into meals designed specifically for the skies as part of the company’s efforts to transform the standard of private jet dining. Founded in 2022, AtYourJet’s digital platform lets travelers browse menus with full price transparency, make adjustments, track orders, and handle payments seamlessly – bringing restaurant-level service directly to their flight. The new partnership was launched simultaneously with the Wheels Up’s Signature Member offering and is complimentary to that tier of service.
“Local sourcing is key for all aviation,” said Henninger. “We believe what’s different about our approach is we’re curating for elite clientele and must be very selective. We’re not just looking to serve them with whatever is fresh, but the very best of what that location has to offer – that goes for produce and proteins, as well as bread and other baked goods.”
Act Local, Think Memorable
Indeed, the two biggest challenges for both airline and private aviation kitchens is sourcing fresh local food and making it memorable.
With business entities that include 27 owned and operated kitchens in the US, UK and France, Air Culinaire works with a 1200-strong network of global suppliers, including aircraft operators, handlers and fixed based operators, managing 1000 orders a day. And much like the airlines, global operations require unique menus available online for both charter companies and passengers.
“We have built a global menu,” Schweitzer says. “There are over 3,000 airports that have menus available for our customers. The most commonly ordered items include fruit, charcuterie, sandwiches, salads and desserts are considered the basics. The local cuisine is then layered into the menu based upon what is popular in that specific region. If you take Tampa, FL, as an example, you can select a pressed Cuban sandwich, which is amazing and ordered often.
However, our Boston offering features a lobster roll which is very popular,” Schweitzer explains.
Moreover, the last food items added are specialty items that are only offered in a specific kitchen based upon the individuals on the culinary team, he notes. “If one of our team members grew up in Brazil, you will see that influence on the specialty menu items. Lastly, we work with some of the most prestigious restaurants and food establishments to provide certain menu items from their restaurants.”
Henninger advises it is better to go to the food rather than vice versa especially when it comes to quality and freshness. “Here’s a simple example: you might be able to walk into a supermarket in the Midwest and buy Florida oranges, but the difference in freshness when you go to the food is so significant that everyone can taste it.”
Fresh is the watchword for even large operations, explains Plaskett. “Our airline catering kitchens are constantly cycling fresh supplies to ensure high quality and safety of our food. As part of our sustainability efforts, we make every effort to source locally and only purchase what we need to serve our clients. We use digital platforms to manage our inventory and minimize waste, which also ensures cost-efficiency. This is standard practice and does not differ for our private aviation clients.”
The new partnership at Wheels Up is part of a deliberate strategy, according to Kristen Lauria, chief customer and marketing officer. “Chef Irvine’s deep understanding of the private aviation lifestyle ensures that every dish is designed to translate seamlessly from kitchen to cabin. The result is a refined culinary experience – restaurant-quality flavors, seamlessly integrated with the trusted reliability, flexibility, and premium experience. He brings his culinary expertise and passion for hospitality to the skies in a natural extension of his craft,” she says.
“Combined with AtYourJet’s digital ordering platform and its large network of company-operated kitchens enabling consistency and quality control in key markets, this collaboration provides seamless ordering and elevated cuisine across every aircraft, departure point, and destination,” Lauria adds.
Elevating the Exceptional
Private aviation is designed to be an elegant experience, making each facet of the journey, including catering, exceptional. With that in mind, menus are created to support and enhance that overall experience. While last-minute orders can be accommodated. it is best to give advanced notice to charter and catering companies. Even so, meals are prepared in the hours before takeoff and delivered to the aircraft to ensure both freshness and proper presentation.
Despite the size of its global operations, Plaskett said the key is to be able to pivot to meet client needs in every aviation setting.
“We have the flexibility and adaptability to manage on-demand service, though we prefer receiving a few days’ notice so we can address any special requests and source them,” she advises. “In addition, our airline catering kitchens are designed for large-scale food production, so we are able to use the resources we already have in place to serve our private aviation customers.”
Lauria notes that Wheels Up worked to design a thoughtful menu of unique meals based on traditional favorites and inspired by AtYourJet’s Chef Irvine. “The menus have a variety of options, aiming to provide something for every palate from the most adventurous eater to a child traveling with their family. Additionally, because aircraft vary in their heating capabilities, menus are curated to align with the on-board equipment and ensure an optimal mealtime experience.”
Schweitzer also highlights the flexibility of private aviation. “Yes, the private aviation catering business is based upon off-menu requests (anything you want), coupled with short notice,” he concludes. “Our teams can react to the requests and bring it all together in a very limited amount of time.” But Schweitzer also recommends choosing popular local menu items that are made frequently. The ideal window for ordering is 72 hours, enabling the culinary team to review the requests and source specialty items and fresh food.
Equally important is the partnership between the charter company and catering. “Given that private aviation is an on-demand business, it’s important to partner with a catering company that has the capability to deliver with great distinction,” Henninger cautions. “The catering must be delivered on time in advance of departure, tracked upon delivery to the airport/FBO, and supported by a customer service team every step of the way to ensure the catering gets placed in position on the jet for the passengers, every time.”
For that reason, he also advises corporate travel managers to source catering that can be properly scaled to the private jet travel experience. “Private jet travel is an important investment in their executives, partners and customers, and corporate travel managers should also source a catering provider that can match the worth of this investment. Considerations should certainly include cost per passenger but importantly, should also include menu item selection, food quality, presentation, and packaging to ensure food integrity.”
This is all making me very hungry. I wonder if it would be too much trouble to have that Chinese Morning Glory dish I discovered in Thailand.
