Times Square in New York City is known for its bright lights, towering billboards, and lively atmosphere.
Amidst the hustle and bustle, a mouthwatering billboard advertisement by Air France, showcasing the delicious food offered, caught the attention of many passersby recently.
This captivating display taste sparked curiosity about Air France’s approach to their in-flight meals.
For years, it seemed as if food had become an afterthought at best on most flights. Air France’s Manhattan billboard seemed to be sending a very different message.
A dive into the world of Air France’s food offerings and explore what sets them apart was the logical next step.
In addition to handling the foodservice on Air France, Servair, a major player in airline catering and food services in France and Africa, handles on board dining for 120 airlines, operating at 22 airports in 18 countries and employing 10,500 people.
Since it was founded by Air France in 1971, Servair has made its culinary identity a strategic priority and partnered with the world’s greatest chefs.
Air France is renowned for its commitment to offering high-quality cuisine on its flights. The airline prides itself on partnering with renowned chefs and experts to curate menus that cater to diverse palates.
By collaborating with Michelin-starred chefs, Air France ensures that their passengers experience culinary excellence even at 30,000 feet.
“Air France has always wanted to showcase French gastronomy,” François Adamski, Servair corporate chef and member of the Servair Culinary Studio detailed.
“Great names such as Alain Ducasse, Gaston Lenôtre and Paul Bocuse have all shared their genius at Servair. Then Servair created the Studio Culinaire Servair with Joël Robuchon, voted Best Chef of the 20th century with his 32 Michelin stars, to bring French cuisine to all Air France passengers. This story continues today with a true dream team of French cuisine: Anne-Sophie Pic, Régis Marcon, Michel Roth, Guy Martin, Mauro Colagreco and others. In 2023, Air France is working with nearly 20 top French chefs to treat its customers. A record!”
The stars of that culinary team include Chef Pic, the world’s most Michelin-starred chef, who shares her flavors with us, with her unique feminine, floral and full-bodied touch.
Régis Marcon (3 Michelin stars) takes us into the world of mushrooms and local produce from his native Auvergne.
Mauro Colagreco, whose Mirazur was recently named Best Restaurant in the World with 3 Michelin stars, takes us on a journey into sustainable gastronomy.
“As recognized French chefs and honorees including Michelin stars, Meilleur Ouvrier and Bocuse d’Or, I believe we are ambassadors for French cuisine,” Adamski continued.
“Air France has always promoted French gastronomy with pride and panache, and Servair has always defended the values of cuisine and honored the signatures of the chefs with whom it works.”
Servair then entrusts each of those chefs to create specialty menus items. “Each chef has their own culinary universe, representing either their region, their creativity, or their attachment to a particular product (mushrooms, fish, etc.),” Adamski said.
“Each time, we ask them to translate their gastronomic universe into the constraints of air travel for passengers. When the chefs sign dishes for Air France, this involves discussion sessions between the chef, Servair and Air France teams.”
For many passengers, the in-flight dining experience plays a pivotal role in shaping their overall perception of an airline.
Recognizing this, leading international carriers have started prioritizing the quality of their onboard meals, shifting from the conventional perception of airline food.
By offering a diverse selection of delectable dishes prepared with fresh ingredients and innovative culinary techniques, airlines can transform the perception of in-flight dining into a truly delightful experience.
By investing in premium food and collaborating with renowned celebrity chefs, international airlines can elevate their brand image and foster customer loyalty.
Air France and Servair have built a model that ensures consistency and quality.
“Airline catering is based on two pillars: naturally, the quality of the cuisine, but also strict compliance with food hygiene and safety standards (HACCP, cold chain, etc.). This is not a job that can be improvised and relies on great professionals. The Servair touch is to bring the codes of haute cuisine to the table, which is why Michelin-starred chefs don’t hesitate to entrust us with their signature dishes, because they know that we respect their cuisine and the spirit of the kitchen. Air France also has very high standards and always favors local and seasonal products.”
Servair’s “Make Eat Better” mission is the tangible expression of its commitment to sustainable catering, aimed primarily at promoting responsible and sustainable food products, including Made in Local.
To achieve this, Servair strives to find the right balance between financial efficiency, social fairness, our impact on the environment and keeping a local foothold, in all its decision making and running operations.
To accomplish consistency and safety, most of Servair’sr production units are located at airports, with public access for supplies on one side, and stringent security constraints on the other.
Leading to airside access to supply aircraft. All this is in keeping with the concept of ‘forward motion’, where a delivered product never goes backwards, and is always checked in terms of safety, hygiene and food safety.
“As you can imagine, Servair is at the cutting edge of all cooking techniques, and we keep a close eye on new developments,” Adamski added.
“Together with Joël Robuchon and Bruno Goussault (the world expert scientist in sous-vide cooking), we are proud to have developed and improved the sous-vide technique, which is totally adapted to our needs and guarantees softness and flavor.”
While some may argue that investing in high-quality food and celebrity chefs is an unnecessary expense, the reality is quite the opposite.
The cost of food and beverage on each flight is minimal compared to the revenue generated from ticket sales, often amounting to thousands of dollars per passenger.
Consequently, the return on investment from providing exceptional dining experiences can significantly outweigh the initial cost, making it a worthwhile investment for international airlines.
Adamski outlined the Servair/Air France recipe for success: “Each menu is first a story. Every airline has its own story, and every chef has his or her own story to tell. At Servair, we are the storytellers who must connect all these stories and share them through taste with all our passengers.”
