Travellers flying to and from Cape Town in British Airways’ business class seats are in for a treat, as the airline has introduced refreshed menus in its Club World cabin.
The new food offering forms part of the airline’s much-vaunted £5-billion ($7.7-m) investment in new aircraft and onboard product, with revamped first class menus also on the cards from October.
“South Africa is a very distinct market for us, with a lot of business traffic. People also have a high expectation of food and drink on our South African routes, because of the experience they have on the ground,” explained Christopher Cole, British Airways’ Food & Beverage and Product Change Manager. “A lot of research we’ve conducted recently shows that on long-haul flights the food and wine served on board is – after safety, punctuality and price – the biggest driver of customer satisfaction.”
Menus rotate on a monthly basis to keep frequent flyers happy, but could include anything from asparagus spears to antipasti platters for starters, and grilled fillet and celeriac mash, or seared hake with herb risotto for mains.
“Wine is a further point of difference that the airline is investing in heavily,” explained Keith Isaac, General Manager of London-based Castelnau Wine Agencies. He is responsible for compiling the long-haul Club World wine list, and sourcing the almost one million bottles of wine consumed each year.
The BA wine lists to Africa typically feature both South African and European wines, with plenty of wines boasting five stars in the respected Platter’s guide. Last year the airline also walked away with an armful of awards at the Business Traveller UK ‘Cellars in the Sky Awards’, bagging Best Overall Cellar and Best Business Class Wine Cellar.