British Airways has partnered with celebrity chef Tom Kerridge to create special gourmet food items for short-haul customers flying to destinations including Faro. The new Speedbird Café pre-order menu – including signature pies and sandwiches – is available for Euro Traveller passengers.
According to the airline, the initiative marks a renewed focus on the short-haul customer experience, which also includes full Wi-Fi rollout across its Airbus short-haul fleet and the opportunity for customers to pre-order duty free items directly to their seats through the inflight retail site Highlifeshop.com.
In addition, the airline will continue to offer complimentary refreshments in Euro Traveller on all flights, comprising a bottle of water and a snack such as a breakfast bar or crisps. Passengers wanting to purchase more substantial food options designed by Tom Kerridge, as well as other food and drink items, can do so through the airline’s new online Speedbird Café.
Speedbird Café has been launched as a pre-order service, allowing passengers to customise their journey by purchasing food, drink and inflight retail items up to 12 hours before departure. It is also aimed at helping the airline in its efforts to reduce onboard waste (and consequently weight) as part of a commitment to net zero emissions by 2050.
The dishes designed by Tom Kerridge have been created with “a special focus on British provenance”. They include:
- Warm Steak & Ale Pie
- The Ham Hock & Smoked Cheddar Sandwich
- The Spiced Cauliflower Tortilla Wrap (vegan)
- The Chicken, Bacon and Celery Brioche
- The Brie Ploughman’s Sandwich (vegetarian)
Kerridge, who co-owns two Michelin-star gastropub restaurants and has appeared on several TV cookery shows, explains on this YouTube video why he selected these items, and the thought process that went into ensuring that the flavours would work at altitude.
“I am truly happy to be working with British Airways again,” said Kerridge, “and to have the opportunity to champion the best of British to so many people. A sandwich, made with care and great flavours, can be a perfect meal and I hope the passengers enjoy my short-haul menu.”
Added Carolina Martinoli, British Airways’ director of brand and customer experience, “Over the last few months we know that our customers have valued the complimentary refreshments offered, so they’re here to stay. But in addition we also wanted to offer more choice and the ability to buy something more substantial. After a successful partnership with M&S, we have teamed up with another British favourite, chef Tom Kerridge.
“Our expert teams have worked closely with Tom to create delicious British staples for our short-haul menu. We know how popular the menus that Tom designed for our centenary were with our customers, so we are delighted to be working with him again and can’t wait for our customers to experience his fantastic new food at 35,000 feet.”
British Airways stresses that safety also remains at the heart of its customer experience, with the airline introducing a range of protective measures on the ground and in the air to keep passengers and crew safe.
For up-to-date information about British Airways’ and other flight services at Faro Airport, click here.