With a background in building airplanes, boats and even custom furniture, Max Hazan has an endless list of references to pull inspiration and ideas from. Through this varied experience Hazan has found motorcycles to be his…
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The airline industry has achieved a new level of universal hatred in recent years, and it has little do with TSA restrictions. Surprise fees, security management akin to cattle herding and consistently poor customer service turns what…
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Just after midnight on 4 May 2013, a plane eased into Phoenix’s Sky Harbor International Airport after completing a journey from Moffet Airfield near San Jose, CA. With the wingspan of an Airbus A340, it nevertheless landed as delicately as a single prop…
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We fly far and often, and because of this we’ve become quite particular in our ways, spending a lot of time sorting out which airlines, planes, routes, seats and amenities are going to provide the best case scenario for painless travel. Promising…
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By Josh Rubin and Evan Orensten “For the tenacious, no road is impossible.” So goes the Spyker motto, a saying that has taken on new meaning with this week’s unveiling of the Spyker B6 Venator at the 2013 Genenva International Motor Show. Designed by CEO Victor Muller, the mid-engine coupe…
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Focus sur le travail de Simon Wannaz qui vient de réaliser le nouveau clip du musicien Buvette pour le morceau « Airplane Friendship ». Avec une atmosphère singulière, la photographie et la lumière viennent ici illustrer à merveille le morceau original. Un rendu décalé et réussi à découvrir dans la suite de l’article.
Whether you’re a million-miler or a once-a-year traveler, you’ll likely agree that commercial air travel has become a hassle. For those few that can afford it, owning your own plane could be considered the epitome of luxury. That option becomes available to more individuals and businesses with the various…
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Private jets epitomize luxury for being convenient and, most importantly, supremely expensive. But Nextant Aerospace in Cleveland, Ohio has cut the cost of a small jet in half with the Nextant 400XT. Instead of starting from scratch, the company takes an inefficient jet and upcycles it into something new,…
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British Airways caters to the tastes of their smallest passengers
Parents flying with children of any age face the sometimes harrowing dilemma of keeping everyone happy. Best-case scenario, kids spend the entire time quietly occupied by in-flight entertainment, games or books—or even take a nap. At mealtime, the food an airline serves can greatly influence a child’s experience. Plopping down a plate of gooey mystery meat in front of a hungry five-year-old can turn the flight into a warzone for not only the parents, but, potentially, anyone else within earshot.
Knowing that keeping kids happy during the flight goes a long way toward enhancing the experience for the entire plane, British Airways has established some clear guidelines for their kid-friendly amenities as part of their Height Cuisine program. Children have the option to order special, age-appropriate, healthy and satisfying menu items ahead of time. The policy to “feed families first” helps hungry children keep their cool in situations where they may otherwise have to wait longer than usual for their food, especially on long-haul flights.
“Caterers design kids meals around our child meal style guide,” says menu design manager Sinead Ferguson. “We incorporate healthy and nutritious ingredients along with some fun things to achieve a balance so that both child and parent are happy with the offerings.” The British Airways culinary team gathered information about what their youngest passengers would like to eat by assembling a group of regular child travelers and their parents as the official “British Airways Kids Council.” Council meetings helped establish a proven strategy to providing the best options approved by every member of the family.
“When we carried out our research, the parents told us they wanted the children to recognize the food they were eating,” says Ferguson. “There had to be an element of fun, and above all it had to be nutritious.” Not surprisingly, chicken nuggets were revealed to be a consistent favorite among kids, and a go-to meal for parents to serve. On British Airways, however, tenders are homemade from fresh chicken breast. Another perennial favorite, spaghetti, hides vegetables in the bolognese. Plus, points out Ferguson, all children’s meals include yogurt or cheese and a portion of fresh fruit.
Another secret BA learned from talking to parents and kids about how they survive air travel—it’s all about the treats. Cool Hunting contributor, frequent traveler and mother of two Julie Wolfson lets her girls order ginger ale when they fly, and, she says, “I pull out a candy surprise just at the moment when the flight begins to seem a bit long.” On BA, kids’ meals come with a small candy bar or chocolate-dipped strawberry for a little sweet reward for patient sitting still. Another frequent-traveler parent, Matt Anaya, points out that his daughter, Zoe, loves to fly. With decent meal options that justify the all-important small treats, not to mention her own tray table, she sees the experience as it should be—her own personal adventure in the air.
Aromas, appearance and even noise play into menu development on British Airways
When it comes down to it, says British Airways Height Cuisine chef Heston Blumenthal, “Eating is the only thing we do that engages all five senses.” Certainly air travel provides a challenging forum for a sensory experience, but Blumenthal and his culinary team have risen to the occasion to create the most visually appealing, delicious food possible—even at 35,000 feet.
When British Airways initially set out to evaluate their culinary program, they began at the micro level of investigation, examining the science of taste buds at high altitudes with a series of experiments. In such conditions, which are also hindered by cabin pressure and extremely low humidity, most people lose about 30% of their ability to taste food while flying. Based on their research the team worked to maximize each of the five flavors—salty, sweet, bitter, sour and umami—in thoughtful combinations on the menu, without simply adding salt or sugar.
Banishing bland and gooey meals, the team assessed the colors of food to understand how much the visual aspect enhances the meal. Partnering with the Taste of London, British Airways conducted an experiment at the festival to see what flavors people expect when eating certain colors—red, for example, being associated with strawberries or raspberries, orange with oranges, etc. The team placed a new focus on the visual interest of each dish, adding color-rich herbs that look and taste good. Presentation also comes into play when it comes to one’s expectations of a meal based on what they see, so the British Airways team incorporated a menu-design document that outlines the proper plating of dishes to ensure they look their tastiest.
According to British Airways Menu Design Manager Sinead Ferguson, noise is another, perhaps surprising, environmental factor that hinders flavor. Ferguson conducted a unique experiment in which people were served two dishes—both tiramisu—while listening to Italian music, then Indian music. The conclusion: people were more inclined to focus on the music than what they were tasting. Many of the test subjects described the food completely differently, then found out it was the same dessert. The culinary team discovered that the flavors in airline meals have to compete with the noise level on the plane as well.
Perhaps most closely tied to one’s sense of taste is the sense of smell. Because the power of taste buds draw from that relationship, the impact of altitude and humidity starts to have an affect at your nose. To combat the assault on one’s olfactory capability, the BA culinary team decided to add citrus juices to add fresh acidity and brighten scents in various foods. Tom Badcock, director of the cheese program for the airline, uses his lifetime of experience to select the ideal balance of pungent cheese so that they taste great in the air, but sit well with other passengers in close quarters.
In their book The Flavor Bible Karen Page and Andrew Dornenburg describe flavor with this mathematical equation: flavor = taste + mouthfeel + aroma + “the X factor”. With a similar holistic approach to their culinary program, the team at British Airways factors in closed cabin at 35,000 feet to their menu creation for all-encompassing good meals.
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