| Emirates kitchen that never closes
Cooking 175,000 meals daily for additional than 135 airlines is a round-the-clock operation. Emirates Group's decision to retain in-flight catering at a time when many global airlines are outsourcing this function is a way to make sure quality control, the company says. It also means "we are able to amend a recipe instantly upon being informed by a crew member on board a flight that a dish isn't perfect for the passenger profile on board," says James Griffith, the assistant vice president for production at Emirates Flight Catering. While some raw materials are flown in from Europe and South America, others such as tomatoes come from as nearby as Oman. The catering building that supplies Emirates opened in 2007 and added 3,760-square-metres of cold storage in February to serve the expanding airline, which has 69 Airbus A380 aircraft on order. This logistical operation involves a food-supply line that stretches three months to a year down the road, as well as in-house bakery, hot kitchens and a dedicated sushi kitchen to offer a "restaurant feel" to airline food, Emirates Flight Catering officials say. On average, 105,000 meals go aboard 185 flights a day for Emirates. If the next time you fly a dish arrives submerged in oil or a particular option runs out before the food cart reaches you, take a minute to fill out that complaint card. "This is where the chefs have to be planning their menus against not the season they are in, but the season they are going to fly their menus, and [this is] where good procurement and buying teams come into their own and do their jobs well," said Ian Rutter, an airline food expert based in the United Kingdom. Coconut oil is used for flights to South India, while it is desi ghee for Delhi flights, says Mukesh Tugnait, an executive chef with Emirates Flight Catering. Prices for many food supplies also are fixed a year in advance, which offers some protection against price fluctuations caused by issues such as crop failures. One of the highest concerns while handling the food is maintaining the continuity of the cold chain. Herbs for continental dishes usually come from the Netherlands, and eastern spices come from India and Sri Lanka. On-board meals are allocated on the basis of what passengers liked on previous flights and on the choices that a caterer offers an airline. Food might not be the deciding factor for passengers in choosing an airline, but "it emerges as a highly significant post-purchase factor", Peter Jones, a professor of hospitality management at the University of Surrey in Britain, wrote in an academic paper in 2007. With food becoming a marketing tool for long-haul airlines, Emirates Flight Catering uses a total of 381 menus every month, with regional variations for Emirates Airline's 122 destinations in 72 countries. |
Thursday, 26 April 2012
Emirates kitchen that never closes
