In-Flight Catering

Any air traveler to ever suffer through a stale cold-meat sandwich on a commercial flight likely appreciates the idea of something tastier and fresher – the sort of specialized food service available on-the-fly, if you will, from a myriad of catering services. Let there be no doubt. If satisfying discriminating tastes sounds like a tough call in a sit-down restaurant, imagine the challenges of satisfying the varied tastes of travelers in corporate aircraft. As one wag explained it, “It’s somewhat similar to the line about Ginger Rogers and Fred Astaire – you know, she has to do everything he does, but backward and in high heels. if you will, from a myriad of catering services.

For these jobs, advanced preparation remains the core of the cooking, with aerial food preparers performing much of their work before the flight begins. Still, finishing the cooking in-flight has its limitations – many of them due to the available equipment in the galley. As a result, most consumables served in-flight remain the preparatory purview of the traditional in-flight catering companies. Though they may be called on to supply the fresh ingredients for preparation by a high-flying chef, it’s still from their own kitchens with their own staff that most meals emerge.

It’s up to the people who book the food service order to impart to the caterer information ranging from the passengers desires to any special needs or dietary demands. That Thai chicken salad with peanuts may be verboten for a client with a peanut allergy. In fact, some so-afflicted suffer may have such a high degree of sensitivity that there is a risk in even having peanuts used on meals for others.

Vegan or vegetarian needs require advance notice, as do the dietary concerns of any passenger who is diabetic or required to control their food intake because of a medical condition.

Similarly, the limitations of the galley and length of a trip should also play into the preparation and fulfillment processes. For example, if a jet lacks a way to store foods that require chilling, an order of chicken, egg or tuna salad – whether in sandwiches or as a part of a leafy salad – can provide an opening to food poisoning if the food is going to sit for hours before consumption.

And the basis of a decision on how far into the flight these foods will get served fails to take into account the time of transport to the airport and the time the food sits without refrigeration between delivery to the aircraft and its actual consumption.

Isaac's Catering is your #1 source for aviation catering in San Diego and California! They have the background, experience, and equipment to exceed your expectations with aviation catering. Choose Isaac's Catering for your next in-flight catering event!