From biscuits to burgers: the evolution of airline catering

In 1927, British Airways' predecessor, Imperial Airways, removed two seats from the Argosy aircraft it operated on the London/ Paris route to allow a steward to serve food on board.

It was a move which soon came to define the service. Although the fare was simple; sandwiches or biscuits, beef tea and a choice of beer, whisky or mineral water - passengers considered the idea of being served a meal in flight as the height of luxury.

Many years later, the competitive advantage that a good onboard dining service could provide was not lost on the Late Lord Marshall, former British Airways' CEO and later chairman.

Around the time of its privatisation the airline was struggling on some previously popular early morning domestic routes. This soon changed when he introduced a better breakfast service and won back customers.

Things have come a long way since the sandwiches and biscuits of the Silver Wing service, but the huge advances in aircraft technology have also posed some challenges. Amongst these is the height at which modern aircraft fly.

88 years ago altitude was not a problem as aircraft flew relatively low and were not pressurised. A modern jet aircraft cruises at around 35 000 feet and the cabin is pressurised to 8 000 feet (see the effects of altitude on the body). Under these conditions most people lose about 30% of their ability to taste, so food can seem bland or insipid.

It's also impossible to make a piping hot cup of tea or coffee because at the reduced atmospheric pressure water boils at 91 degrees rather than 100. Boiling it longer will only create more steam and not make the water any hotter.

With ample evidence indicating that the meal service can materially affect the enjoyment of a flight, it is no surprise that catering forms part of British Airways' five year, £5 billion investment in products and customer services.

New aircraft, such as the Boeing 787 Dreamliner and Airbus A380, go some way towards addressing a few of the issues associated with enjoying a meal and glass of wine at altitude. The climate control system in the A380 is one of the most advanced in any commercial aircraft. The A380 is also one of the quietist airliners, making it easier to savour a meal without the accompanying muted roar of jet engines.

Boeing's Dreamliner's composite airframe means that it can be pressurised to 6 000 feet, lessening the effects of altitude. It is also less prone to corrosion, so the cabin air can contain more moisture, enhancing passengers' senses of taste and smell compared to what they might otherwise experience at cruising height.

Despite the benefits that advances in aviation technology are bringing to the flying experience, some years ago the British Airways' catering team decided to adopt its own approach to counter the effects of altitude, lower humidity and other sensory inhibitors in aircraft cabins. It calls this Height Cuisine.

Part of the approach is to use ingredients which are high in umami, a savoury flavour known as the 'fifth taste', which occurs naturally in foods such as seaweed, tomatoes, mackerel and parmesan cheese and works particularly well in catering at altitude.

Umami-rich dishes on the new Club World menu served on Cape Town/ London flights include grilled AAA Karan beef with coriander jus, celeriac mash, French beans, carrots, peppers and onions or seared hake fillet with tomato and herb coulis, herb risotto and grilled mixed vegetables.

The concept of Height Cuisine isn't limited to making food taste better and pairing it with suitable wines, typically those with lots of fruit and for reds, ripe tannins with a subtle, silken palate. It's a holistic concept that extends to the choices customers have as well as how the food is served.

Innovation and keeping abreast of food trends is part of the recipe. An example includes the pulled pork sandwiches introduced in the First cabin in September last year. This gourmet treat includes pork which is slow cooked for 14 hours and then hand pulled before fried sage and onions are added, to ensure a full smoky flavour, even at 35 000 feet. It is served on artisan bread with apple, ginger and sultana chutney and candy stripe beetroot, red beetroot and purple potato crisps.

Other catering developments include the fish and chip supper served on selected European shorthaul flights as well as the flying gourmet burger available on the First bistro menu. There's a grounded version of the flying burger available in the First and Concorde lounges. Since being introduced in June last year both have proved enormously popular.

Similar attention has been lavished on the wine selection and it is delivering results, with British Airways named the world's best airline for wine and picking up three other awards at the 2015 Business Traveller's Cellars in The Sky Awards.

Cabin service is another important part of the experience. In the premium cabins this has meant training cabin crew to provide service that's similar to that of a top restaurant. For example in First you can eat when you want and also have a choice of a formal meal service or informal al la carte snack. There is also the bistro selection for customers who prefer something a bit different or lighter. You can even dine with a colleague.

In Club World, the Club Kitchen complements the meal service. It provides a variety of light snacks to which customers can help themselves during the flight. The cornucopia of treats includes offerings from Waitrose as well as smaller, high-quality British brands.

The menu improvements have been extended to the other cabins. World Traveller Plus customers can choose two items off the Club menu. In World Traveller, there's a 'tuck box' of snacks from which customers can choose a treat after the main meal.

World Traveller customers on 10 long-haul North American routes can now also buy an enhanced meal as an alternative to the normal menu. The options include: Gourmet Dining, Taste of Britain, Great British Breakfast, Healthy Choice and Vegetarian Kitchen. The meals can be booked via ba.com from 30 days prior to travel and up to 24-hours before departure at a cost of between £15 and £18.

Other seemingly small innovations, such as a children-eat-first service ensures that parents are able to enjoy their own meals once little ones have settled down to the in-flight entertainment. Late last year the airline introduced a pre-order meal service on some routes to enable customers to guarantee their first choice meals from the al-la-carte menus from between 30 days to 24 hours before departure. This is now being expanded to other routes.

"We make no bones about being a full-service airline and onboard dining is an integral part of this offering," explains British Airways' food and beverage manager, Chris Cole. "Over the years we've learnt that it's not something you just get right, but demands constant innovation and improvement. That's what Height Cuisine is all about."