Onboard Hospitality 77 December/January 2018

ONBOARD HOSPITALITY � ISSUE 77 � DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018/19

DECEMBER/JANUARY 2018/19 ISSUE 77

Asian insights Authentic flavours and cultural heritage in flight

FORUM - ASIA � FORUM - RAIL � IFSA REVIEW

SENSATIONAL SINGAPORE RAIL REPORT - INNOTRANS IFSA/APEX REVIEW

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Serving the US and Canada more of the meals they adore We’re committed to delivering the best possible experience for your passengers.

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Inflight catering • Inflight retail • Food & beverage

In the air, on the ground, by your side Visit dnata.com for further information.

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DECEMBER/JANUARY / 03

Inside this issue...

07

IT'S TIME TO VOTE!

34

56

34 37

56 Launching a brand: The tale of two new beverages 59 Take your pick: Cold brews 61 Focus on: Ditching dairy

ENTERTAINMENT & CONNECTIVITY

REVIEWS

18 FTE Asia: photo gallery 20 Onboard Hospitality Forum - Asia 51 IFSA: new products 62 Onboard Hospitality Forum - Rail

38 39 41 43

FTE Asia/APEX: Tech updates In conversation...

Linda JoJo, United Opinion: Views on viewing Case study: Iberia Express How to... ensure land-quality wifi onboard How to... support wellbeing

BEVERAGE

64

DESIGN & INNOVATION 64

23

FOOD 23

A taste of Asia: Authentic flavours inflight 27 How to: reinvent airline food 29 Take your pick: Vegan snacks 30 Ambient foods: Time to think again?

33 Focus on: Air Transat

44

WELLBEING 44

47 49

Stress buster: Products that bring a little calm onboard Focus on: Time for tofu?

Opinion: Vegan to-go

Rail Personalisation: Customisation on track 67 How to... add surprise 68 Designing for women 71 Focus on: DoN in Austria 73 How to... create a circular economy 75 Opinion: From air to rail 77 Focus on: Beautifying rail 78 How to... reflect your diversity

80

RETAIL

80 WARS: Retail franchising for rail in Poland 83 Focus on: Smart shopping inflight 85 Focus on: Menu design 86 Chocolate for retail 89 Opinion: En route to loyalty?

REGULARS

09 Industry update / 79 New arrivals / 90 Galley Gossip / 92 Global Perspective / 94 Events

onboardhospitality.com

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WELCOME / 05 SALES & EDITORIAL Publisher: Sue Williams sue.williams@onboardhospitality.com

Event director: Craig McQuinn craig mcquinn@onboardhospitality.com Editor: Julie Baxter julie.baxter@onboardhospitality.com

Let's entertain them...

I

Deputy Editor: Laura Gelder laura.gelder@onboardhospitality.com Contributing Editors: Steve Hartridge, Andy Hoskins, Jo Austin (For Taste of Travel enquiries: jo.austin@onboardhospitality.com Contributing Writers: Jessica Pook, Benjamin Coren, Nik Loukas, Roger Williams, Rob Britton, Marc Warde, Richard Williams, (For IFEC enquiries: richard@appinpublishing.co.uk)

Of course, like most travellers they had never really thought about the world of onboard hospitality or even considered just how their inflight meal or amenities got onboard but in an instant, in the midst of the plastering, plug sockets and painting chaos, they could all remember one particularly great experience, and one particularly bad.

Everyone can, right? But more interesting was this parting shot from Adam, the carpenter, who has only ever flown economy, and said smiling: "The food isn't always great, but I just love getting that tray. It's so exciting to see what you're going to get and sometimes it's really good. It's my favourite part of the flight!" It's a sentiment that was widely reflected at our recent Onboard Hospitality Forums - in Asia and Berlin, and at IFSA/APEX in Boston, where it was clear the industry's focus really is increasingly on creating memorable passenger experiences, special surprises and 'wow' moments for both air and rail. Catering and comforts are key to that, and are clearly seen as part of the onboard entertainment for carpenters at least!

Read on, for an issue full of innovative ways to deliver just that!

DESIGN & PRODUCTION Creative Director: Matt Bonner

Lead Designers: Louisa Horton & Monica Notarnicola Designers: Ross Clifford & Zoë Tarrant Production Manager: Clare Hunter Production Controller: Steve Hunter Subscriptions: Kay Fisher subscriptions@bmipublishing.co.uk

recently had the builders in at home and a random chat with them about my job was surprisingly revealing.

Julie Baxter EDITOR Onboard Hospitality

Managing Director: Martin Steady Onboard Hospitality is published by: BMI Publishing Ltd Suffolk House, George Street, Croydon, Surrey CR9 1SR, UK Tel: +44 (0) 20 8649 7233 Fax: +44 (0) 20 8649 7234 © BMI Publishing Ltd 2017. Whilst every effort is made to ensure accuracy, BMI Publishing Ltd cannot be held responsible for any errors or omissions.

ISSN: 2046-2042 Cover image: istockphoto.com Regularly viewed by readers in over 70 countries worldwide. Read this magazine in digital form, share it virtually or subscribe • catch up on back issues • find contact details for key suppliers and caterers in our Directory of Caterers and Suppliers • advertise and search for jobs and promote your events

DON'T MISS IT...

Get yourself connected online  @OBHMagazine �Onboard Hospitality at linkedin.com onboardhospitality.com

GET CONNECTED

CELEBRATING EXCELLENCE IN AIR, RAIL & CRUISE onboardhospitality.com/awards

Our next Onboard Entertainment & Connectivity supplement will be out for AIX & WTCE in April, covering hot trends and innovation in this sector. Contact: Richard Williams

STAY CURRENT

For the latest onboard news and interesting quick reads don't miss Onboard Hospitality Weekly our regular enewsletter, in your inbox every wednesday.

Contact: Julie Baxter

GET INVOLVED

The 2019 Onboard Hospitality Awards winners will be announced on April 1 during AIX & WTCE. Get your product the recognition it deserves Contact: Sue Williams

onboardhospitality.com

TASTE OF TRAVEL

The Onboard Hospitality team will once again be collaborating closely with Reed Exhibitions to create an inspiring Taste of WTCE. See you there.

Contact: Jo Austin

ALL OF A TWITTER

We aim to help you connect in the virtual world too.

Follow us on Twitter (and Linkedin) and Use #onboard #OBHawards to follow the conversation. @OBHMagazine

A

The Onboard Hospitality team champions new talent and professional development.

Our Mentoring Network will help you make all the right connections

s part of our ongoing support director, said: “The Onboard Hospitality for industry mentoring, Onboard Awards are the leading awards in our sector, Hospitality is pleased to reinvest set up to recognise excellence and champion in you... offering two valuable innovation. They encourage and reward forward mentoring grants each year as part of our thinking and help emerging talent and new Onboard Hospitality Awards. ideas in the sector. The Hayward Partnership is This year the grants are offered in similarly keen to support the next generation collaboration with The Hayward Partnership, of entrepreneurs and business leaders a consortium of industry experts with and pleased to sponsor the Onboard a wealth of hands-on business Hospitality Mentoring Grants as Supporting experience across the travel an opportunity to champion new business catering, retail and hospitality new talent and support the talent... Breaksectors, and beyond. dynamic exchange of best Through Grant The Partnership works to practice. We wish all entrants Acknowledging promote knowledge transfer good luck in the process.� industry leaders and is actively involved in Any business entering our Leadership the mentoring and support of annual Onboard Hospitality Recognition a wide range of businesses of Awards has a chance to win one Grant all sizes, and aspiring individuals of 15 category awards plus one of within them. Lance Hayward, managing two valuable mentoring prizes.

Encouraging new talent and creative innovators to enter the onboard hospitality sector is key if the industry is to remain fresh and vibrant in the long term MIKE POOLEY, NETWORK CHAIR

Mentoring Network Grants Awards-Mentoring.indd 6

Recognising leadership and supporting new talent...

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AWARDS 2019 / 7

Time to get involved Get set to vote online and help our elite panel of judges identify this year's Onboard Hospitality Awards finalists. We're looking for innovation, quality, usefulness, durability, and assessing how products enhance the customer experience in categories for:

AMENITIES • BEVERAGE • CATERING INNOVATION • FOOD SERVICE EQUIPMENT • KIDS ONBOARD • SNACKS • SUSTAINABILITY • ONBOARD TECHNOLOGY • TEXTILES • WELLBEING

Vote now Your chance to support your favourite entries and help identify our finalists

Winners announced At our Hamburg Awards event, April 1, 2019.

Entry by invitation only

VOTE NOW!

FOR FURTHER DETAILS AND QUERIES CONTACT: sue.williams@onboardhospitality.com

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For 40 years, WESSCO has specialized in supplying a wide range of products for our airline customers worldwide. From amenities, to passenger comfort, to food & beverage service ware, we design and deliver the items you need to provide an exceptional experience for your passengers.

We would love to see you at WTCE in Hamburg. Please email info@wessco.net to arrange a meeting.

www.wessco.net

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info@wessco.net

+1 (310) 477-4272

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industry update / 09 Top stories from across the industry

industry

update

Top stories from across the industry

Catering rethink

Do&Co and Newrest win new deals as British Airways rethinks its strategy

10

Fashion flair

Galileo Watermark forges EVA Air partnership with French brand SPORT b

11

Going global

Gastro Culinary Innovation relaunches with worldwide ambitions

16

10

Airline ambassador

ANA champions its nation's cultural heritage worldwide onboardhospitality.com

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10 / industry update Top stories from across the industry

ANA's new campaign to promote Japan As Japan sets its sights on 40 million overseas arrivals by 2020, its five -star airline, All Nippon Airways (ANA) has launched a ‘We Are Japan’ initiative, aimed at creating a deeper understanding of the islands and their culture.

The platform is based around experiences including eating and drinking and Nanako Murakami, manager, EMEA Marketing, says: “There is no better time for ANA to celebrate its proud Japanese culture, with so many influences and trends coming out of the country right now.

“By bringing some of these to life in an authentic and vibrant fashion, ‘We Are Japan’ tells the story behind the ANA brand. With our expanding network and the Japanese way, we’re proud to provide enriched travel experiences. Now we want to better connect people to our culture – and to encourage them to enjoy their own journey of discovery. The campaign shows ANA is Japan and Japan is ANA.” ana.co.jp

Catering shake-up for British Airways brings Do&Co success Do&Co will cater all British Airways meals out of Heathrow from 2020 as the airline reverses its strategy of using multiple suppliers in London.

Gate Gourmet currently provides most of the long-haul catering, Tourvest facilitates the M&S buy-on-board range and Do&Co already has Club Europe and a transatlantic contract. DHL has

gate for Alitalia Alitalia and gategroup have signed a long-term agreement for catering out of Rome. The Gate Gourmet team serves Alitalia flights from Rome, Milan Linate, Milan Malpensa, Catania and Palermo.

The Rome hub will be served from a new, dedicated 8,000sqm facility employing 300 staff. gategourmet.com

Rituals for KLM KLM is working with the Rituals beauty brand to offer its wellbeing toiletries exclusively onboard KLM flights. There is a hand foam in Economy and a hand foam, hand & body lotion, hair gel and body mist in Business.

Travellers in Business also get a face moisturiser and lip balm. rituals.com

been providing logistics.

At Gatwick the airline will move its catering from Alpha LSG to Newrest with a 10-year contract starting in 2020.

Newrest is currently investing in a new, state-of-the-art catering facility at Gatwick due to open 2019 and designed to support a strongly enhanced F&B offer for BA. doco.com; newrest.eu

FFG new deals Flying Food Group EWR has won the contract to cater the new Singapore Airlines ultra-long-haul flight between Newark and Singapore. In addition, FFG's Miami facility has renewed contracts with SWISS, Qatar, TAP and Aerolineas Argentina and has a new client, GOL. flyingfood.com

onboardhospitality.com

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industry update / 11 Top stories from across the industry

Newrest reports a buoyant year

EVA Air partners French fashion brand SPORT b through GW

Newrest has reported year-end turnover of €1,382 million in 2018, representing annual growth of 8.5%. Airline catering business grew by 16%, with 42% of revenue coming from catering (including onboard sales) and rail catering revenues up 21%.

Business in Europe grew 10% and generated 63% of revenue. Africa generated 22% of revenue and the Saudi Arabia subsidary generated revenue of €525m over the year.

The Group opened two new inflight catering units in the US for Delta and plans to expand its US network. New UK contracts have been secured with United, British Airways and Air Canada and a new unit has opened at Charles de Gaulle airport in France. Rail expansion included contracts in Morocco and Saudi Arabia and an initiative with Virgin in the UK. newrest.eu

EVA Air has partnered with French fashion brand SPORT b. for its new Premium Economy kit facilitated by Galileo Watermark to combine modern design and functionality.

The stylish unisex kit is monochrome in design to reflect the iconic style of SPORT b. The kit includes a SPORT b. eye mask, dental kit, ear plugs, comb and a lip balm and face cream from British skincare brand Scaramouche + Fandango.

SPORT b is a subsidiary of French fashion house agnés b. and this partnership marks the brand’s debut onboard an international airline.

Combining a sporty style and minimalistic attitude, SPORT b. has inherited its brand identity from sophisticated agnés b., but caters for a more vibrant and modern lifestyle, infusing an energetic and contemporary twist into its fashion designs. galileowatermark.com

We are putting together the

Chef dream team Fly as an onboard chef for very special clients in absolute five star environments Sous chef and above, with high end restaurant experience

Scan to learn more and submit your CV FIVE STAR HOSPITALITY

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12 / industry update Top stories from across the industry

Egypt Air Business deal for SPIRIANT SPIRIANT has unveiled a new collaboration with Egypt Air to offer Business passengers a new amenity kit combining a Cerruti design bag and sophisticated Aigner cosmetics.

“Egypt Air was looking to bring an internationally well-known brand onboard for its new amenity kits,” said Roxanne Radwanski, sales manager at SPIRIANT. “We used our relationship brokering expertise to co-brand with Cerruti and Aigner, two names that embody the luxurious and classic qualities that are synonymous with Egypt Air.” Amer Hamdy, general manager procurement at Egypt Air, adds: “Trust, commitment and expertise are all extremely important to us in our collaborative endeavours and we were looking for a partner who could rise to deliver them.

We’re excited about bringing these amenity kits onboard and look forward to a bright partnership with SPIRIANT in the future.” spiriant.com

Etihad Airways updates its kids pack with new characters Etihad Airways has collaborated with Milk Jnr’s & Kidworks to update its Etihad Explorers activity packs.

The age-appropriate kits aim to instil a sense of excitement and engagement in younger flyers. Kits (for 3-7 year olds) feature Jamool the Camel and Boo the Panda on inbound flights to Abu Dhabi and contain activity booklet, crayons,

JetBlue updates with Clip JetBlue has updated its amenity kit offer for the 2018 holiday season in its latest collaboration with CLIP. The move strengthens the airline’s partnership with HAYWARD and HOPPER with kits reflecting the brand’s glamorous Hollywood heritage. cliponboard.com

Virgin cooks with Donal Virgin Atlantic has partnered with food writer & TV host Donal Skehan to reinvent its onboard dining experience. The new 'dine with Donal' dishes debuted in the airline’s Upper Class cabins and airport Clubhouses, but will come to other cabins next year. virginatlantic.com

card games and a colour-in mask. The outbound pack features a suitcase board game, foam Boo, colour-in postcards, crayons, and travel wallet.

A kit for nine to 13 year-olds includes Sudoku, mazes, lined notes, join-the-dot games, pencil case, pencil, a dualfunction bookmark, ruler and a notepad. milk-jnrs.com

LSG in Nigeria LSG Sky Chefs has opened a new halal catering facility at Murtala Mohammed Intl Airport in Lagos, Nigeria.The collaboaration with local caterer Things Remembered Nigeria, operates under the name ‘Sky Chefs Things Remembered Services FZE’ and will produce 10,000 meals a day. lsg-group.com

onboardhospitality.com

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industry update / 13 Top stories from across the industry

F.S.P. GmbH Flight Service Products GmbH

Air Europa adds Business and family initiatives Air Europa is to launch child-friendly entertainment on its long-haul and European business flights.

The airline has teamed up with Lingokids, a leading English learning platform, to offer 50 animated songs and a variety of videos for children aged two to eight. All content will be in English with a focus on educating and entertaining, and will be free to access across the entire fleet through the airlines’ new streaming service.

The collaboration is part of an on-going series of enhancements for young travellers which also includes a new nutritious children’s menu. The meals come in a cardboard tray with individual food compartments, alongside hidden stickers, paper and colouring pencils designed to keep children engaged while they dine, and beyond. aireuropa.com; lingokids.com

New boss for Servair Michel Emeyriat, chairman and chief executive of Servair, and president of gategroup’s Southern Europe and Africa (SEA) region will be succeeded on January 1, 2019 by Alexis Frantz.

Frantz is currently corporate secretary. Emeyriat will continue as non-executive chairman of Servair to further progress the integration of the company into gategroup and the relationship with strategic partner and shareholder, Air France. servair.fr

We are the leading producer of traymats and all kinds of paper products designed specifically for use in aviation, rail, cruise and ground transportation industries.

www.fspgmbh.com

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industry update / 15 Top stories from across the industry

Bunzl offers allergen solutions

A duo of deals for Kaelis

Bunzl Catering Supplies is urging the catering and hospitality sector to provide effective food safety labelling using its new DayMark system.

Bunzl provides a variety of labelling options to easily identify named allergens. Its new DayMark platform allows operators to print labels in-house, ensuring all products display important allergen details as well as nutritional and pricing information.

The package includes the DayMark MenuPilot app and Matt85 system, as well as a tablet and a printer. The company also offers its Caterlabel system, an online option that allows customers to create, find and print food packaging labels on-site from any computer. bunzlcatering.co.uk

Kaelis has teamed up with Air Astana to design a range of educational and fun goodie bags for children aged three to 11.

Children flying with Air Astana now have the opportunity to use their skills to bring characters to life using activities and tasks found in the packs. The junior kids kits for ages three to six are: Super Chef, Smashing Super Hero and Voluntary Vet. Senior kits for children aged seven to 11 are: Amazing Architect, Dangerous Detective and Extreme Explorer. The first kits to fly were Super Chef, giving children the chance to design their own menus and discover new recipes, and Amazing Architects which task young passengers to create a new building.The kits can be used as a post-flight keepsake.

Kaelis has also won the contract to supply Air Europa’s Business class amenity kits featuring Unicskin products. The unisex kits come in neutral grey tones and include Unicskin magic shot 'flash effect', an eye contour, facial cream, hand cream and a lip balm. kaelisgroup.com

Time for a change Fly high and far ONBOARD CHEFS - receiving applications now Qualified restaurant chefs

Scan to learn more and submit your CV FIVE STAR HOSPITALITY

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16 / industry update Top stories from across the industry

Gastro Culinary extends its reach Gastro Culinary Innovation has relaunched and repositioned itself as Gastro Worldwide as it steps up its global proposition, in collaboration with new shareholder Heinemann Scorpio.

The company has a new logo, website, and operational structure focused on three divisions: Gastro Eats (hot snacks), Gastro Bar & Lounge (beverage and snacks), Gastro Classic (ambient meals) and Gastro Brands (brand collaborations).

The new approach will build on the company’s reputation for quality snacks and brand collaborations, to include a greater focus on buy-on-board retail options, bring more household brand names onboard and develop new purpose-made snacks and meal solutions for onboard service. gastroworldwide.com

Turkish Airlines adds pre-order and dine on demand options Turkish Airlines has upgraded its service to intercontinental passengers in Business with two new catering innovations designed to offer enhanced service onboard.

The new ‘Meal Selection Before Flight’ service allows passengers to view the main dishes available and make their choices online or via the airline's app a week before they fly and up until the last 48 hours before departure on certain flights from Istanbul.

The ‘Dine on Demand’ service style offered through Turkish Do&Co flying chefs will give Business passengers the option to dine at any point during the flight for a more customised experience. This service is available on all intercontinental night flights to and from Istanbul. turkishairlines.com; doco.com

Hero chefs London North Eastern Railway (LNER) has selected eight of its top chefs as part of a Hero Chef scheme, designed to enhance the onboard catering experience.

The chefs will be responsible for bringing the latest food trends, local specialities and innovations to the onboard kitchen. lner.co.uk

SAS extends pre-order offer It is now possible to pre-order full day and evening menus on SAS' Scandinavian and European shorthaul flights over 80 minutes duration.

Passengers pre-order through the 'My bookings' page on the SAS website.

The menu includes the Nordic by SAS salad cubes. flysas.com

LSG growth LSG Group reports growth in the first nine months of 2018, generating revenues of EUR 2.4bn.

Adjusted for currency effects, revenue was up 4.4% thanks to increased passenger numbers served through LSG Sky Chefs and Retail inMotion. Adjusted EBIT was EUR 99m, up about 50%. lsg-group.com

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18 / review: Onboard Hospitality Forum Asia 2018

The future's bright...

F

uture Travel Experience's eighth Asian event returned to the Marina Bay Sands in Singapore this November with a record-breaking attendance from airlines, airports, suppliers, tech businesses, associations and stakeholders including - new for 2018 - Onboard Hospitality with leading hospitality speakers and suppliers.

Staged with the official support from APEX, IFSA and APOT, the biggest FTE Asia EXPO included a major exhibition, free educational sessions on stage, a high-level premium conference, and the inaugural Onboard Hospitality Forum - Asia, alongside an impressive social and networking programme and unique 'Street Food Festival'.

This EXPO has gone from strength to strength.

Its partnership with Onboard tion Hospitality is a fantastic evolu JOE LEADER, ceo, IFSA

A very interesting event.

I love it! Very good contacts ANTONIO SAAD, COPA AIRLINES

Be a part of this event in 2019: craig.mcquinn@onboardhospitality.com

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review: OnbOard HOspitality FOrum asia 2018 / 19

The audience was very keen to find out more about the Onboard Hospitality Forum CLARENCE HENG GARUDA INDONESIA

The Onboard Hospitality sessions, exhibitors and Street Food Festival added a wonderful new dimension to the show DANIEL COLEMAN, md, FTE

BE A PART OF THIS EVENT IN 2019: craig.mcquinn@onboardhospitality.com

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20 / REVIEW: ONBOARD HOSPITALITY FORUM ASIA 2018

When tech met

T

We discover the authentic face of Asia as technology and hospitality suppliers combine at the inaugural Onboard Hospitality Forum - Asia

echnology met good taste in Singapore earlier this month as airline executives and suppliers from across the Asian region came together for our inaugural Onboard Hospitality Forum – Asia, within the Future Travel Experience Asia EXPO.

ASIAN INSIGHTS

The event was a great success, and saw leading caterers such as SATS and Aerofood ACS showcase their top-class culinary capabilities alongside great suppliers such as Spargo Mills, top chefs Ms Vy, of Taste Vietnam, and Chef Happy K, and beverage innovators Mohksha Dew and TeaPop. Leaders in the onboard amenities sector including FORMIA, Linstol and Bayart Innovations joined the debate, and packaging innovator Global-C showed just how thinking outside the box created a revolutionary noodle box for the onboard service of Asian cuisine.

Local Asian players Easun, Beijing

Dapeng and Nandan all added insights to the mix, and technology specialists Panasonic and SkyLights Theatre joined us on the EXPO stage to show just how technology and hospitality are coming together with their in-seat wellbeing innovations.

Asia is currently among the most dynamic regions for aviation growth, and getting ever bigger.

Understanding this market is key JULIE BAXTER EDITOR ONBOARD HOSPITALITY

BE A PART OF THIS EVENT IN 2019: craig.mcquinn@onboardhospitality.com

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REVIEW: ONBOARD HOSPITALITY FORUM ASIA 2018 / 21

EXHIBITOR HIGHLIGHTS

We were delighted to see airlines, hospitality suppliers, caterers and digital specialists come together to such positive effect at this new Forum CRAIG MCQUINN EXHIBITION DIRECTOR

Championing stylish packaging & service delivery innovations

Showcasing Asian culinary expertise and hospitality at its very best

Creating tailored kit solutions for an unforgettable experience

Supplying noise cancelling head sets & headphones for all classes

Manufacturing slippers, blankets & amenity kits to assured standards

Leading the way in Asia with trend-setting collaborations

SM

Offering quality products which are both practical and inspired

Serving caterers across the region with high-loaders and more

Unveiling a new world of possibilities in wellbeing with VR

Pioneering a fussfree, mess-free way to serve top teas inflight

BE A PART OF THIS EVENT IN 2019: craig.mcquinn@onboardhospitality.com

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22 / PREVIEW: ONBOARD HOSPITALITY FORUM ASIA 2018

CREATING A BUZZ

Onboard Hospitality Forum debates were run in collaboration with IFSA and brought experts in amenities, culinary creativity, onboard retail and wellbeing to the stage. Lunchtime networking was supported by the fun-loving foodie teams of APOT with an innovative 'Street Food Festival' drawing the crowds. A delicious array of Asian dishes was offered proofing in an instance the true value of good hospitality by bringing people together, adding colour and excitement to the EXPO hall and reminding us all that authentic flavours and warm service delivery should always be at the heart of the onboard experience.

IN THE SPOTLIGHT

Inspiring and insightful presentations and debates were led by Onboard Hospitality editor, Julie Baxter, and IFSA ceo, Dr Joe Leader. Nik Loukas, of Inflightfeed.com, shared onboard retail trends and insights; while Jeremy Clark, ceo APOT, and Mike Pooley, md Purpose-Made Solutions, focused on the added value and culinary creativity onboard caterers can bring to the passenger experience. Niklas Sandor, FORMIA regional director & brand director (pictured left), shared the story of his company's trend-setting collaboration with Singapore Airlines, and Jonathan James (right), for Global-C, explained the innovative materials and thinking behind the Asian noodle box created for Qantas.

BE A PART THIS OF EVENT 2019: IN craig.mcquinn@onboardhospitality.com BEOF A PART THISIN EVENT 2019: craig.mcquinn@onboardhospitality.com

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ASIAN CUISINE / 23

A taste of

The inaugural Onboard Hospitality Forum - Asia shone a light on excellence in the region and focused on the growing demand for authentic Asian food of the highest quality onboard. Jo Austin investigates further

T

hey like it fresh, they like it hot, and it has to be authentic, that's the conclusion of caterers in Asia Pacific as they work to meet onboard demand from the region's fast expanding travelling ‘middle class’. And that is exactly what visitors to the inaugural Onboard Hospitality Forum - Asia got at a unique 'Street Food Festival' run in association with APOT, all within FTE Asia EXPO, Singapore.

Leading the service delivery was SATS, well established as a leading provider of food solutions and gateway service in the region with two inflight kitchens in Singapore and a production capacity of over 115,000 meals. The caterer showed just why it is a culinary powerhouse, serving up dish after dish of delicious locally-inspired cuisine full of flavour.

The company also has an halal boutique bakery and chocolate studio, and a dedicated team of dieticians and food technologists, and manages a repertoire of over 800 weekly inflight menu types within its kitchens. It adopts a technology-driven,

onboardhospitality.com

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24 / ASIAN CUISINE

Above: dnata chefs focus on fresh local produce Below: noodle box for Qantas by Global-C which played a starring role and went down a storm at the Onboard Hospitality Forum 'Street Food Festival'

people-led approach designed to "harness innovation and empower our people to delight our customers."

And the ability for onboard cuisine to delight and enhance the passenger experience was a key theme of the new Forum. Mike Pooley, md Purpose-Made Solutions, was formerly a resident of Singapore, presiding over the gategroup multibrand presence in Asia-Pacific. He says: “In Asia you have to understand the importance of hot food onboard. It has always been a driver to menu development here and there is no sign that will change. Even for the LCCs offering a hot snack or small meal at any time of day remains important.

A cold snack simply would not fly. “The provenance and authenticity are also key criteria. Asia Pacific inflight teams and chefs want local ingredients and flavours and are stringent in ensuring the correct flavour profiles are matched every time. Asian chefs are key for airline kitchens, including those sourcing inbound menus from Europe. The stronger your unit chef's credentials the better and an ability to talk the right language in terms of food and dialect is a real asset."

Inflight catering consultant and APOT ceo, Jeremy Clark, agreed and added: "Airlines should be focusing more on destination identity onboard and need to recognise that the food served can bring far more than it costs, it is a part of the destination discovery process and can help celebrate an airline's destinations as well as being a part of the onboard entertainment."

Caterers such as Aerofood ACS have shown

how attention to catering detail can help truly transform a carrier's reputation and it is now widely acclaimed for the products and services it offers to more than 40 international and domestic airlines. Aerofood ACS provides about 70,000 meal sets a day in the region and joined the Onboard Hospitality Forum - Asia with quality, appetising Indonesian cuisine. Empowered by the Minister of Tourism of Indonesia, Aerofood ACS is fast becoming a culinary ambassador, actively working to bring Indonesia's delicious national cuisine to the international stage.

Getting catering right in the region offers rich rewards. A recent survey by Mordor Intelligence suggests the inflight catering market here is set to see annual growth of eight per cent during 20182023 thanks to rapid urbanisation, a resurgence in discretionary spending, increased demand for travel and rising standards of living.

Steven Small of World Routes says the Chinese market is really the one to watch. He says: "China is the world’s second largest aviation market and still growing. During 2022 it will displace the USA as the busiest on earth and by 2036 its market will have a colossal 1.5 billion passengers a year."

Rising disposable incomes and improved connectivity in countries like India, Vietnam, and China have also given the market impetus, and inflight meals are ranked as a top consideration for these passengers when choosing a flight.

Preparing for growth

Airlines and caterers have been quick to recognise this astounding growth and many are investing heavily in the region. At the same time chefs and

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and Hong Kong Airlines amongst others), has caterers worldwide are working to add Asian entered into a 30-year joint venture with Asiana flavours and styles to their onboard repetoires.

Airlines in Korea where it has a new kitchen.

Robert Smithson, gm culinary at dnata catering The group has hired additional Chinese chefs based in Brisbane, says: “It’s not just flavours and to ensure authenticity and flies its chefs into the ingredients we are dealing with – we are talking region for workshops with local specialists to about an entirely different culture, and this is ensure they have the flavour combinations right. particularly noticeable when it comes to fine dining The team recognises that Asian travellers are in the air. It has been a two-way education for us, looking for regional specific cuisine, have their own and our menus are constantly evolving. We have comfort foods and want to see those reflected in learnt by working closely with our customers, as the onboard choices being offered. well as through collaborations.

“Food in China is very regionalised with eight Regional difference different regional cuisines, LSG Sky Chefs has been and the difference is often in present in the Asian market Hot food is a driver to the simple ingredients such as since the late 1980s when it menu development in rice. For example, jasmine rice launched a joint venture in the region and there is no China, and today it is present is served out of Hong Kong sign that will change and a medium grain rice will at 20 Chinese airports. The be served to customers from caterer has an established mainland China." track record in providing regional Chinese, Chinese airline customers expect to be inspired Thai and Indian dishes. Says LSG: and impressed, and to see caterers use the correct “Generally passengers out of cultural etiquette and meticulous presentations.

Korea will choose bibimbab, Smithson adds: "Chefs across our network Japanese passengers including some Michelin-star trained chefs - work choose Japanese dishes on both traditional and authentic Chinese cuisine. and Shanghainese those We increasingly use traditional ingredients such as from Shanghai. We winter melon, lotus root and century egg." cater different food into Shanghai and Beijing and offer seasonal Local insights are key specialities, such as rice The gategroup, now partly owned by HNA Group (a dishes like donburi Chinese conglomerate which owns Hainan Airlines

Above from left: Japanese choices on SIA Business; SATS collaborate with the Singapore Chefs Association and below: Asian flavours from LSG Group

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26 / ASIAN CUISINE

reputation, especially for Economy and LCC pasengers. Its Gourmet Primo subsidiary supplies Asian meals for buy-on-board and md Linus Knobel, says: “We hope one day airlines will treat us more as a partner than caterer, sharing our philosophy around best quality rather than looking for lowest costs. I truly believe that for an airline to stand out it needs to work alongside a gourmet caterer to provide that difference.”

Farm to table dining

Above: airlines are drawing on the flavours and style of local regional chefs Below: SATS leading the way with Asian flavours

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Some airlines in the region do seem to recognise the need for quality. Korean Air is well known for its authentic cuisine and signature bibimbap.

Its focus on quality is underlined by ownership of an organic farm on Jeju Island which supplies premium, environmentally-friendly produce to and char siu rice pot in winter. For nonredefine the concept of farm-to-table dining at vegetarians, chicken is the top protein but the 35,000 feet. While All Nippon Airways (ANA) has Chinese love pork, while Korean and Japanese launched its ‘We Are Japan’ customers favour beef." initiative, aimed at creating a The company has a new deeper understanding of the base at Wenzhou Longwan nation and culture of Japan.

Airport where passenger Authentic dishes only And SIA supports a new local numbers are growing 10% work if the airline has the chefs' collaboration forged a year and LSG is the sole appropriate tableware

by SATS. caterer currently serving and crew training Asia is without doubt a 120 flights a day. vibrant, fast evolving region for airlines, and onboard innovation and culinary Evolving in partnership excellence are at the heart of all they do. • Vietnam Air Caterers is committed to quality too and has a fully Asian team of chefs actively working on projects in this field, creating several national dishes such as banh mi, pho and the very popular spring roll for airline customers in First and Business where all dishes are fresh rather than frozen. The caterer believes really successful delivery of authentic dishes only works if the airline has the appropriate tableware and crew training and is committed to the correct presentation of national dishes.

Taste Vietnam chef Ms Vy brought the flavours of this nation to the Onboard Hospitality Forum - Asia with a focus on fresh ingredients. She said: "Increasingly consumers are focused on wellbeing and as many local dishes are packed with fresh ingredients, Asian food really can taste good and be good for you at the same time."

Bangkok Air Catering (BAC) believes good food can make all the difference to an airline's

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How to...

reinvent airline food Virgin Atlantic claims it is reinventing inflight dining through a new collaboration with food writer and TV host Donal Skehan. Eloise Bain discovers more Get connected

As Virgin Atlantic strives to become the "first airline that doesn't serve airline food" its latest launch aims to take catering up a notch. New menus have been developed with Irish born, LA based Donal Skehan, an avid foodie and TV personality - regularly hosting the BBC’s Saturday Kitchen and Junior Masterchef - and a bestselling food writer.

Aim high

Inspired by the carrier's global destinations, and aiming to reach restaurant standards in the sky, the recipes were taste-tested by Donal inflight. Recognising that altitude can dull taste by around 30%, the menu prioritises punchy flavours and textural impact. They are full of fresh, healthy ingredients and combine hot and cold, creamy, crunchy and spicy culinary influences.

at 38,000 ft." Daniel Kerzner, vp customer experience at Virgin Atlantic said: “We continue to raise the bar by looking outside our industry for trends and innovation. Donal is the perfect partner to help bring gamechanging food to the skies, and give our customers an elevated experience they won’t find anywhere else."

Share knowledge

This was Donal’s first venture into inflight meals and he admits it was a steep learning curve. The collaboration took 12 months and combined Donal’s culinary expertise and restaurant standard recipes with the Virgin team’s knowledge of the onboard challenges. The goal was to create restaurant quality food at 38,000ft and the new menus included starters, mains and breakfast options.

Skehan said: “Together, we’re turning the industry upside down by creating stunning, delicious and healthy food

Fact file The carrier operates a fleet of 47 aircraft serving 25 destinations A “Mile High Tea” launch earlier this year was created by patisserie Eric Landlard

This project builds on Virgin's partnership with the Sustainable Restaurant Association Virgin carries 5.5m customers annually

Spread the love

Donal’s dishes are now being served in Virgin Upper Class cabins and club houses but will next year also be featured in Premium Economy and Economy too. Already onboard is an aromatic Thai vegetable stew; and charred cod with spicy mango salad and nam jim dressing. In the club houses passengers are offered Spanish inspired spiced chorizo, fennel and tomato stew, a Vietnamese beef and mango salad and a supergreens omelette with goats cheese. •

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TAKE YOUR PICK / 29

Vegan snacks Plant-based snacking is predicted to be one of the biggest superfood trends of 2019, Jessica Pook visited the lunch! food show in the UK to find snacks to suit PLANTAIN CHIPS

OTHER FOODS

Purely Chips are high in potassium, magnesium, fibre and vitamins and contain 30% less fat than potato chips. Plantain can also have a positive influence on digestion. Purely is available in wild garlic, lightly salted and nice and spicy. welovepurely.com

Other Foods has added crunchy mushroom and crunchy okra vegetable crisps to its range. The lightly-salted snacks are high in fibre, vegan-friendly and contain no added sugar.

They come in eco-conscious packaging and have a long shelf life. otherfooduk.com

BOUNDLESS

LOTUS BITES

Lotus seeds are a ‘superfood’ used in Far East medicine.

Now available in a popcorn form, they are low in calories and claim the nutritional goodness of iron, magnesium, potassium and zinc. lotusbites.co.uk

Boundless has introduced its range of gluten-free and vegan activated nuts and seeds. The packs are high in protein and fibre, and flavours include sweet maple, smoky paprika, gingery turmeric, cayenne and rosemary, tamari and aleppo, and orange, ginger and maple. Boundless activates the nuts and seeds before baking to release the natural enzymes and nutrients. weareboundless.co.uk

APE PUFFS

Ape has introduced a range of healthy, vegan-friendly coconut puff snacks this year. Made from a mixture of coconut, rice, coconut oil and all natural seasonings, the puffs are gluten-free, veganfriendly, a good source of fibre and under 115 calories a serving. The on-the-go snacks are available in three flavours: vegan cheese, lightly salted and Thai chilli. apesnacks.com

SEED SNACKS

This three-strong collection of seedy snacks contains a minimum of five different seeds, a flagship ‘superfood’ (wheatgrass, maca or brahmi) and uses apple to bind ingredients resulting in a tasty low calorie baked bite. pepandlekker.com

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30 / AMBIENT FOODS

A longing for

long life

Ambient foods with a long shelf-life can help airlines cut waste and increase choice but do they really have a place in our foodie focused world asks Marc Warde

A

mbient food has an image problem.

Think of it and you probably think gloopy of something gloop y and full of preservatives; army rations or dried space food.. Look at the long shelf life and you feel sure it can’t be good for you.

If you grew up in the 1970s you might think of Dream Topping (a sweet, vanilla synthetic cream I loved as a child), Fray Bentos pies (in a tin and still going strong) or Golden Wonder Pot Noodles (which my friend and I thought they were just fantastic). More recently at WTCE I tried an ambient cooked breakfast which was enough to put me off ambient dining for good. The thought of it still makes me gag (eggs should always be fresh and the mushrooms looked like slugs) but this month I decided to take another look.

Perception overhaul

I visited Foodcase International in the Netherlands, specialists in ambient catering, and discovered that if you choose the right products, ambient really can be good. My snobby prejudice against long-life food has been somewhat overhauled by the visit and whilst I still think some foods just don’t do well in the sterilisation process (the very term sounds more medical than culinary), some foods certainly do onboardhospitality.com

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survive successfully and to my surprise are pretty good, certainly better than some food currently onboard and claiming to be fresh!

Most budget carriers now board long-life snacks including tapas boxes which work really well, as those items are inherently preserved. There are also now lots of long-life biscuits, breadsticks, muffins, cheeses and sweet snacks, a veritable pick-and-mix of good taste, style and costings for airlines. There are also loads of really good hot options.

In praise of ambient

Airlines waste a phenomenal amount of food but loading ambient products allows them to offer and store more onboard. Many low cost operators have

a range which is almost entirely ambient – although they haven’t necessarily chosen the products that perform best regenerated from ambient. High-end operators have ambient food onboard from noodle pots to confit duck and more besides, and there are in fact some surprisingly fancy options.

Wilbert De Louw, the mastermind and founder of Foodcase International, is a specialist in ambient food production and creating long-life solutions for the travel industry. He says the products that perform best are those that also work sous vide or cooked with sauce, while dry meat or proteins are not so successful. Preserved meats like chorizo and salami, are perfect and despite the ghastly little pots many airlines offer, hummus can also be superb. The trick is to choose the right products and work with the right suppliers – those which have foods and meals that taste great and just happen to be longlife too.

It is completely possible with a little imagination to create a menu of great tasting food, snacks, noodles and interesting meals somewhat more exciting than my 1970s Pot Noodle that really work, stop wastage and mean there is something always available for passengers. Airlines might also re-think back catering in this way as some of the meals are every bit as good, perhaps even better, than their frozen counterparts.

Canned food in the UK is having a renaissance and there are even a few new canned food cookbooks. Retailers are canning ever more exotic ingredients and new long-life options and formats are emerging as food technology evolves.

Beyond the tapas I tried at Foodcase, hummus from Mazete gets my thumbs up and Mr Lees instant noodles are great. Other companies working to broaden the options include Gastro Worldwide, En Route, and of course LSG Group which launched its Evertaste ambient brand last year. Delyse is even creating long-life salads.

So while the very idea of ambient has left a bad taste in my mouth for years, I do have to admit it has certainly moved on. If you haven’t tried it for a while, it might be time to think again.

Happy long-life munching all. •

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YOU AT SEE

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1E60

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FOCUS ON / 33

Canadian flair One of Québec’s top chefs is bringing his renowned creativity and flair to Air Transat’s inflight offering. Steve Hartridge discovers more

D

aniel Vézina has been at the heart of the Québec culinary scene for more than 35 years: he's the co-owner of the Laurie Raphaël restaurants in Québec City and Montréal and last May opened a health-food counter called La Serre.

Author of six cookery books and a household name in Québec, where he hosts several cooking shows, in summer 2017 he was invited to create a main course to be served in Air Transat's Club. The feedback was so positive the airline asked him to take care of the cabin’s entire inflight tray.

The Chef’s Menu by Daniel Vézina is inspired by his signature recipes, but even an award-winning chef admits that transferring ‘a refined gastronomy experience’ to 30,000ft is a challenge.

“You simply can’t replicate a restaurant’s excellence in the sky, but you can offer a quality experience by preparing and choosing the right ingredients for your menus and by being as authentic as you can be.

"I try to provide quality comfort food,

Daniel will source Canadian suppliers the sort of meals I would cook myself where practical. The airline’s current on a cold weekend in Québec,” he winter menu includes braised leg added. of lamb; pork filet mignon with Daniel works with Fleury Michon, Québec blueberries and artichoke; based in western Montréal. spinach lasagna with “It’s a big factory ricotta; gnocchi with and when they make bolognese sauce; one of my dishes I try to provide chicken blanquette they produce around 10,000 of them at quality comfort food, ragout with lemon a time, so the most as I'd cook on a cold zest and seasonal important challenge weekend in Québec vegetables; plus a range of desserts is one of achieving and breakfast dishes. The menu is standardisation and consistency. I go complimentary to Club passengers in every three months or so, to work with Economy while the meals and their them to create new dishes, working accompaniments are available for $25 with the produce they have sourced for lunch/dinner and $15 for breakfast. and I have suggested. Usually I create Vézina says: “Air Transat is a big and four or five plates.” exciting challenge for me. What we Despite the big scales involved – have created onboard is already good each year Air Transat carries some but in a few years it is going to be very, three million passengers to around very good. Watch this space!” • 60 destinations in 26 countries –

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34 / TECH UPDATE

W

Talking tech

t our Check ou t supplemen dedicated dates at: & news up com ospitality. onboardh

e have been touring the stands at FTE Asia EXPO in Singapore and APEX Expo in Boston. Richard Williams and Julie Baxter share some highlights. For more, see our Tech News at onboardhospitality.com

AIRFI GETS CONNECTED

FREE BLUEBOX IFE ON JAZEERA

Kuwaiti low-cost carrier Jazeera Airways has launched a free wireless IFE service called Jazeera Screens. Passengers simply connect to the onboard wireless network using their own devices or can preload the Jazeera Screens app before boarding, to stream content. Developed in combination with Bluebox Aviation Systems, content provider Aeroplay Entertainment and advertising sales company Global Onboard Partners, Jazeera Screens will evolve to include onboard shopping next year. blueboxaviation. com

AirFi has announced the launch of its first inflight connectivity services into the airline marketplace. AirFi claims that the low-cost service, called AirFi LEO, combines the simplicity of a walk-on, noncertified system with connectivity that enables real-time passenger experiences. AirFi LEO connects to the global Iridium NEXT network via one or a number of patent-pending internal cabin antennas, bringing the AirFi Venus Box online. Faroe Islands-based Atlantic Airways has been announced as the global launch partner for AirFi LEO. airfi.aero

JADE DEAL FOR DIGECOR

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IFE specialist digEcor and aircraft interiors designer JADE have partnered to drive more efficient retrofits.The partnership announced at the FTE Asia EXPO will see JADE’s structural, electrical and systems engineering and design expertise play a major role in retrofitting aircraft with digEcor’s cabin technology products in the Asia Pacific region. digecor.com

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TECH UPDATE / 35

AEROMEXICO SELECTS VIASAT FOR B737 MAX

10 YEAR PLAN FOR INMARSAT AND PANASONIC AVIONICS

Aeromexico will deploy the Viasat in-flight internet system across 18 In a ground-breaking deal Inmarsat and Panasonic Avionics will new Boeing 737 MAX aircraft, now market each other’s products to airlines. Inmarsat with an option to extend becomes the exclusive supplier of Ka-band satellite up to 60 aircraft. First capacity to Panasonic Avionics, enabling it to line-fit installations of sell GX Aviation. In a shift of focus, Panasonic Viasat’s equipment now sees GX as the primary offering for have already begun. new business but will maintain its Ku-band Low-cost Indian carrier Spicejet has Aeromexico says the network to support the 2200-plus aircraft announced that it will soon be offering ability to tap into the now flying with that. Inmarsat will offer internet connectivity on its new 737 MAX ViaSat-2 satellite as its customers Panasonic’s portfolio of aircraft. The company signed a $22 billion deal well as Viasat’s future services and NEXT solutions. They will with Boeing for up to 205 aircraft in 2017. satellites, gave the work together on connectivity-enabled The new aircraft comes fitted with satellite airline confidence it services, data analytics and technology. communications, which enable wifi would be able to offer panasonic.aero; inmarsat.com connection to the internet. the best service in the spicejet.com market. viasat.com

SPICEJET GETS CONNECTED

GARUDA OPTS FOR GX AVIATION

Garuda is adopting Inmarsat’s powerful GX Aviation inflight broadband service for its domestic and international fleets.

Lufthansa Technik will manage the hardware, engineering, installation design and certification for the project, while Lufthansa Systems is in charge of the software platform and integration, using its BoardConnect system. The airline plans to launch the service next year. inmarsat.com

AIRCALIN CHOOSES SITAONAIR

Aircalin is partnering with SITAONAIR to add the Internet ONAIR solution, powered by Inmarsat’s Ka-band satellite network GX Aviation, to its fleet. The airline, based in the French territory of New Caledonia in the south-west Pacific, serves Japan, Australia, New Zealand and the Pacific Islands, and is renewing its fleet with A330-900s and A320neos over the next three years. sitaonair.aero

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IN CONVERSATION / 37

airline app visibility needs to match that of tech players like amazon Linda Jojo, executive vp technology and chief digital officer at United, talks future planning and digital disruptors

O

ften, I am asked what I think will be the digital disruptors of the next five years and how will AI, machine learning, data, and wifi help shape the future of the industry.

There are certainly challenges and opportunities ahead. The level of sophistication required to run an airline from a technological perspective is very high so thinking ahead is essential.

We need to be thinking about the fact that consumers are increasingly switching to apps, and our visibility needs to match the existing tech players they already know, such as Amazon.

There has to be an added value or reason for them to share their personal information. Younger passengers increasingly expect a level of personalisation and this requires us to use tech to understand the nuances of a person’s trip and preferences, and support those from booking to the day of travel and beyond.

Getting relevant information to flight attendants will help us monetise the journey and enable them to provide the very best of customer service to each individual traveller. Sometimes chatbots can also help for situational issues.

Entertainment

On domestic flights we are seeing a move away from seat-back entertainment and towards providing or allowing personal electronic devices (PEDs) to be used onboard. We have also looked at trying to utilise virtual reality. When you remember that 10 years ago we didn’t have smartphones and now they are everywhere, you know other changes are inevitable in the next 10 years too.

Retail

We’re pulling duty free from our onboard retail offer and have already done so on domestic flights but instead we have something called Miles Play, which is a gamification platform, which can support retail.

The system incentivises different customer behaviours. It's a kind of points scheme which gives them incentives to change their purchasing behaviours. We have found it to be very successful already and it only launched in February. We are able to regularly adjust the incentives, to encourage certain spending, and can clearly see when passengers react. This is the kind of technology that works for both the consumer and the airline. •

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38 / OPINION

views on viewing

Vive la différence Onboard viewing analytics won't solve your inflight programming challenges, says Jovita Toh, ceo of Encore Inflight.

What you need is content knowledge and true variety

IFE specialists all ask: “What do passengers want to watch on a flight?” They wonder if analysing passenger consumption habits and usage data can provide programming solutions, or whether they should emulate the content available on the ground.

There are of course opposing opinions on the usefulness of passenger usage data, but the truth is that it is almost impossible to identify any accurate consumption pattern based on this information.

Every plane carries people from different cultures and upbringing, all at show that foreign different stages in language content their lives. Some are appeals to the locals holidaymakers, some as much as domestic on business, they Passengers don't just could be heading to a want to watch the same content. In Hong Kong for instance, as of wedding or a funeral, content they see on the September 2018, nine to a very stressful and ground. They are open to of the top ten movies in important meeting or new ideas and influences the box office listings for a fun convention. They 2018 are international. will choose different In my business, I have seen a 159% things on different days and there are just increase in Chinese carriers taking European too many varying factors to carve out any and independent English titles over the meaningful pattern of consumption. last five years. But this is not just one-way Nor is it true to say that passengers traffic. In that same period, while witnessing want to watch the same content as they a 212% growth in the number of orders for do on the ground. Inflight they are open European content, we have also seen a 132% to new ideas and influences. growth rate for Asian content worldwide.

Over the last five years, I have definitely The key to selecting the right mix of IFE seen the growth in alternative content for an airline client is to understand the on airline IFE systems. By this I mean many possible reasons for travel and all content that is not easily accessible on the contributing factors in terms of age, the ground, for example festival gems, gender, culture, nationality, destination and independent arthouse movies, foreign interests. The solution is to have expert language content and documentaries. knowledge of the content available, and use To take one of these examples, the your experience to provide a healthy variety belief that foreign language content of programmes for all ages, cultures and is only viewed by natives is a myth. mindsets. • Box office results in various countries

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CASE STUDY / 39

Sky-high success Iberia Express was Immfly’s first partner for its onboard digital services platform and now has statistics to show how it is affecting its NPS. Richard Williams crunches the numbers

I

n 2014 the Immfly onboard IFE and digital services platform was installed on the first Iberia Express aircraft, and given the name Club Express Onboard (CXO).

User feedback of the service across the fleet over the last three years gives an insight into the evolution of passenger satisfaction.

In 2016, passengers were asked a general question about their overall satisfaction with the Immfly digital services platform, and whether or not they had used it. A gratifying 31.6% of passengers gave it a top three response (8, 9, or 10 out of 10), with a Perceived Level of Quality (PLQ) of 5.4 out of 10.

Not a bad start, you might say. In 2017

the survey gave results of 35.5% Top 3 responses, with a PLQ of 5.8. The survey also included questions about usability and content.

In 2018, the survey, now including over 10,000 passengers, was giving a Top 3 approval figure of 44.5% with a PLQ of 6.1. Usability had increased to 45.3% Top 3 and PLQ of 6. The major improvement was on content, up to 37.3% Top 3 with a PLQ of 5.9.

The passengers giving the CXO system a Top 3 response (described as 'lovers' in marketing-speak) have increased from 31.6% to 44.5% in the last two years. The average score is now 6.1 out of 10, an increase of 13% when compared to 2016.

Paloma Cabañas, head of customer and inflight services at Iberia Express, said: “Passengers’ assessment of content has improved most over time, and we know that the average time of use of the platform has increased substantially from 30 to 50 minutes per flight. Favourite content for passengers is movies (FOX) followed by TV shows.”

Cabañas added: “CXO is an added value onboard that passengers value highly positively. The growing number of reviews reveals the continuous improvement that both Iberia Express and Immfly are constantly working for.” In 2017 Iberia Express decided to renew the partnership with Immfly for a further five years. •

HOW CXO IMPACTED THE IBERIA EXPRESS NET PROMOTER SCORES Passengers who have used the Immfly digital services platform give the airline a higher Net Promoter Score (NPS) than those who have not used it. Paloma Cabañas at Iberia Express, says: “We know the onboard experience improves substantially

when our passengers fly connected to CXO.” Passenger feedback includes these positive remarks: “The flight felt shorter “; “ I forget I am flying “; “Before, I fell asleep, now I can see a movie “; and “After a long day, I can keep myself posted with the daily news.”

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EMPOWER AIRLINES. WE CARE FOR YOUR CREWS. UNIFORM DESIGN - PRODUCTION - LOGISTICS - DIGITAL

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HOW TO... / 41

How to...

ensure land-quality wifi A third of passengers insist inflight wifi must be as good as they get on the ground. Richard Williams asks satellite operator SES how to deliver just that ©ARIANESPACE

ESTABLISH YOUR NETWORK

©AIRBUS DEFENCE AND SPACE

SES has a diverse fleet of geostationary (GEO) satellites and a non-geostationary (NGSO) constellation in medium earth orbit (MEO) designed to meet the fast-growing demand for inflight connectivity. Senior vp of aero market solutions, Aditya Chatterjee, explains: “We believe the aero industry is entering a new era of intelligent connectivity where each aircraft will be provided with a software-based ever-adaptive connectivity pipe irrespective of its route. Capacity will then be allocated as needed based on passenger demands. This is why we are investing in more high-powered multi-orbit, multi-band satellite capacity, giving the faster internet speeds that support bandwidthhungry apps and services onboard.”

EVOLVE TO MEET NEED

Recently launched high-throughput satellites coupled with established wide beam coverage will enable airlines to tailor connectivity to demand. Live TV/sport is best delivered over wide beams while the HTS beams are best for internet use. Emerging apps, gaming and virtual reality (VR) work best with lower latencies offered through SES’s O3b MEO constellation, and nextgeneration O3b mPOWER technology.

LAND, SEA AND AIR

Chatterjee adds: “Today our O3b MEO fleet … has absolutely redefined

FACT FILE GEO satellites are located 22,000 miles over earth SES-17 and the O3b mPOWER constellation are to launch in 2021 The NGSO O3b

constellation is in medium earth orbit (MEO), at 5,000 miles above the earth The new SES-14, SES-15 and SES-12 are all equipped with high throughput capabilities

connectivity for cruise ships and aero is next up as we… bring the ultra-low latency and ultra-high throughput of our O3b MEO constellation to market.

INCENTIVISE THE AIRLINES

“The connected aircraft enables airlines to obtain better real-time information and improved fleet management; and with predictive analytics airlines can eliminate F&B waste, and refine their retail and meal inventories.”

MAKE IT GLOBAL

Looking ahead is key. Chatterjee adds: “We are bringing more multi-orbit, multi-band capacity to market, with the launch of the high-throughput (HTS) SES-17 and the O3b mPOWER constellation scheduled for 2021.

This will support Thales’ FlytLIVE connectivity, enabling social media, and streaming on a global scale." •

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How to...

use tech that cares Airlines can now use technology to promote wellbeing in the air. Julie Baxter discovered two companies doing just that during the Onboard Hositality Forum - Asia USE TECH TO INNOVATE

This year both Panasonic Avionics and SkyLights VR have unveiled developments designed to show technology can help care for your passengers onboard. Al McGowan, Panasonic director of innovation, and Laurence Fornari, founder SkyLights, showcased their wellness innovations on stage with IFSA ceo Dr Joe Leader at our inaugural Onboard Hospitality Forum - Asia in Singapore.

As presented at FUTURE TRAVEL EXPERIENCE Read more on pages 20-21

FOCUS ON WELLNESS

INVOLVE SPECIALISTS

Mimi technology uses advanced audio fidelity algorithms to personalise sound. Active noise control employs tiny speakers and microphones embedded in the seating space to cut ambient noise by 15 decibels. The nanoe air cleansing system eliminates odours and allergens using a 30ml cartridge to expel tiny droplets of water around the passenger. It reduces airborne viruses and bacteria in the cabin.

©SKYLIGHTS

Panasonic's Wellness platform aims to improve comfort, health and wellbeing inflight through a suite of products which include premium LED seat lighting, active noise control and nanoe air cleansing technology.

A health advisory app from detalytics can also be integrated into the seatback screen or used on PEDs to give tailored wellbeing advice. It can link to Panasonic’s Marketplace platform selling wellness amenities.

FACT FILE The launch client for Panasonic's wellness platform is due to go live in 2019-20 VR headsets have already flown on 6000+ flights. 90% of users say they would recommend them

Mimi technology uses algorithms to personalise audio to suit an individual's hearing. Apps can store the settings VR business is expected to reach $182bn by 2025

IMMERSE THE PASSENGER

SkyLights, the market leader in immersive Inflight Entertainment, has just merged with Allomind, the maker of premium cinematic VR headsets, to bring high-end cinematic VR entertainment onboard. Alongside its cinematic offering is an immersive in-seat wellbeing solution designed to take passengers to a whole new environment while within the cabin.

CREATE NEW WORLDS

Working in partnership with Stelia, SkyLights has created immersive relaxation content with therapeutic music and relaxation commentary combined with an integrated in-seat massage system. Passengers can be transported to a tropical island or lie beside a pool, and report feeling 'in a bubble' of relaxation while inflight.

The rise of VR is expected to open the door to a new world of wellness. •

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Sit back and

relax

Airlines keen to ease traveller stress, support wellbeing and calm their nervous passengers have a wealth of wellbeing products they can offer. Jessica Pook explores your options

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he moment that ‘out of office’ message goes on, travellers should be nothing short of euphoric, but for nervous flyers an imminent flight can bring extreme stress and anxiety. The fear of flying, or aerophobia, is believed to affect one in ten of the population, and as airlines work to soothe the fears away there's a growing range of products they can offer, specifically designed to relax travellers during and post flight, without reaching for the xanex.

Relax and unwind

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Botanic Lab, for example, has developed its adaptogenic stress busters, a range of three tonics: one to be taken first thing, an afternoon pick-me- up and one for bedtime.

The shots use ingredients found in Ayuredic and Chinese medicines which are designed to have a balancing effect on the body. Adaptogens use plant ingredients that offer strength and support to the adrenal glands, helping to regulate stress hormones and boost overall wellbeing.

To add a little sweetness, WellbeMed has created a chocolate bar designed to encourage sleep onset using only natural ingredients. The WellbeSLEEP bar contains a mixture of herbs, lemon balm, hops, along with oats and oat fibre, developed through research from the University of Lund in Sweden. Passengers are advised to have the snack 30 minutes before they want to go to sleep as the

sleep-promoting effects only last for 60 minutes.

“It is well known that a lot of people find it hard to sleep onboard and the remedies used are not always that good for the body. WellbeSLEEP constitutes an alternative for those wishing to try something new," says Victoria Lagnevik, managing director of WellbeMed. “Research suggested that lemon balm and hops had a sedative effect.”

Similarly, milk drink specialist Sleep Well has designed a naturallyenhanced UHT milk drink which encourages passengers to relax.

Available in 200ml sip ‘ n’ sleep cartons, the drink is made using Jersey milk, valerian, honey and vanilla and has a long shelf life.

Onboard pick me up

Feeling groggy and fatigued can last long after a flight, but there are also products which can enhance the passenger experience by providing a general pick-me-up while en route.

Uppy! – The genius flyer claims to strengthen the immune system and ensure passengers recover faster from jet lag. Made up of an oral rehydration solution, electrolytes and minerals, the tablet or sachets quickly dissolve in water and are already offered onboard all Emirates flights. Its latest

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launch is a flavoured energiser made from grapefruit and ginger with added caffeine.

Alternativley, FlyFit offer a range of shots and tablets to maintain wellbeing in the air. The FlyFit Flow tablets help to maintain a healthy blood flow using 100% natural ingredients, while the FlyFit hydration vitamin and mineral shots contain a range of B,C,E vitamins as well as specific balanced minerals (micro-nutrients) to reduce tiredness and fatigue, support a normal energy-yielding metabolism, help maintain proper brain function and protect cells from oxidative stress. The shots are available as direct to mouth as well as a water soluble solution. Boudewijn van Eeghen at FlyFit says: "Airlines want to show that they really care about passenger wellbeing, it's those little touches that encourage repeat custom."

Matcha is a hot health trend and Chaadao tea brewers offers ceremonial grade Matcha made from 100% ground tea leaves. Matcha is rich in catechins, which act as natural antioxidants and can be calming. The L-Theanine also enhances mood and helps decrease stress levels. It’s also said to make skin look more youthful… where do I sign? •

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Time for tofu?

Tofu is something of a misunderstood ingredient currently riding a wave of popularity as vegans and flexitarians look for choices, says Julie Baxter

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here is a huge and growing trend towards people switching to a plant-based or flexitarian diet. They have money to spend, just like their meat-eating friends, but by and large they still don't have the same amount of choice.

One product making a bid for the limelight is tofu, a product that has been around for a while but has perhaps been somewhat misunderstood.

Made from soya milk in the same way as cheese is made from cow’s milk, tofu can be marinated, used in sweet or savoury dishes, and works for meat eaters and non-meat eaters alike.

It comes in two main types – block tofu, which is stored in water and has the firm texture good for stir fries and kebabs; and silken tofu which is softer in consistency and good for mousses and smoothies.

The health benefits of this proteinpacked, cholesterol-free food are impressive as it contains all the essential amino acids, plus iron, zinc, calcium and B vitamins. The quality of the protein in tofu is similar to that in

meat and dairy but tofu also provides fibre, healthy fats and a low amount of saturated fat.

squeezes excess water from a block of tofu, while at the same time capturing the fluid in an outer container.

Inventor, Adam says: “Unless tofu has been pre-marinaded, braised or Positive credentials flavoured, it will take According to the British on the flavour of Dietician Association, whatever you mix it soya is nutritious, safe with but it will do that and easy to digest. It Tofu has the better if the excess is also economical to combined appeal of water has been grow and replenishes being good for the removed first. The rather than depletes consumer and good gradual nature of the the soil. Soya is protein pressing gives tofu efficient with 20 times for the planet the perfect texture more usable protein and consistency to absorb marinades or than grazing cattle, so it carries the flavours added. combined appeal of being good “Once pressed, tofu can be roasted, for the consumer, for the grilled, fried, baked in a pie, used in planet and for the cows. mousses, veggie burgers and egg-free In a bid to help caterers quiches, or even as a completely new make more use of tofu, Tofuture pizza topping or to create scrambled has invented a new tofu press. 'eggless'.” tofuture.com • A simple to use kitchen gadget it

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OPINION / 49

onboard challenge

Vegan to-go Dominika Piasecka, of The Vegan Society, explains why offering vegan products is good for business

Vegan scrambled egg, pulled jackfruit and dairy-free Bailey’s are just some of the innovative vegan products new to market this year. And people from all walks of life and backgrounds are going vegan – it’s no longer an unusual choice.

Vegan alternatives to meat, dairy and eggs are widely available and attitudes are changing: 56% of UK adults adopt vegan buying behaviours and a half know someone who is vegan, while the global market for vegetarian and vegan products is worth over $5bn (2016).

While supermarket a vegetarian sandwich shelves are groaning with a vegan version, under the weight of or using vegan mayo in vegan products and Customers don’t have to wrap fillings. Sometimes restaurants boast vegan be vegan to make all it takes is removing menus, rail companies a small amount of dairy and airlines could do delicious, plant-based or egg. Meat alternatives better. The Vegan food choices go down well with the Society is trying to help. young vegan population, The charity found that as do vegan versions of popular sandwiches 9 in 10 vegans struggle to find ready-made such as BLT, ploughman’s or pulled jackfruit meals and 80% go hungry on trains with only instead of pork. Think beyond boring falafels! a packet of crisps to suit. This is Marketing your products at the general a huge gap in the market. population is more effective than slapping a Offering vegan options makes ‘vegan’ sticker on – it’s crucial to highlight that clear commercial sense – it customers don’t have to be vegan to make opens the potential market up delicious, plant-based food choices. not just to vegans but also Clear labelling is important but having vegetarians, the lactose a separate vegan menu isn’t necessary; intolerant, followers incorporate vegan dishes into your existing of certain religions, menu or place vegan products on the same environmentalists, shelves as their non-vegan counterparts the healthinstead of creating an exclusive spot. conscious and The Vegan Society can help buyers and those who simply suppliers improve their vegan food offer – enjoy vegan food. just contact campaigns@vegansociety.com for Existing menu meals free and confidential advice and our handy can be ‘veganised’, for Vegan Catering Made Easy booklet. • example by replacing cheese in

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IFSA Conference & Expo 2018

Boston bounty

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his year’s IFSA Conference & Expo in Boston, Massachusetts attracted new delegates with an expanded programme of events. Julie Baxter reports.

To encourage more attendees and larger airline teams to attend, IFSA Expo ran at the same time as APEX Expo and AIX and associated conference streams included tracks covering the passenger experience, inflight services, technology and IFE content opportunities. Speakers included gategroup’s cco, Federico Germani, Black Swan’s ceo, Steve King, and top executives from Aeromexico, American Airlines, Air Canada, Aer Lingus and LATAM Group.

IFSA president, Paul Platamone, said: “Our goal is to have IFSA and APEX work in lock step for at least the next five years and to make our annual event more content driven. The two organisations are very complementary, with both focused on the passenger experience and the user at the heart of all we do. Shared events and educational tracks make great sense and allow for the cross pollination of ideas. Co-locating with AIX adds a further relevant element.

Around 800 attendees visited the IFSA halls and over 3000 the APEX & AIX halls. As the IFSA halls were in a different venue this year, the full benefits of co-location was not achieved but Platamone added: “We don’t intend for that to happen again, however people do tend to forget that whereas in Europe there are at least 150 airlines, in North America there are just eight and five of those drive 87% of the US domestic flights. Every relevant influencer attended, but there is never going to be huge numbers.”

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1. Sid Wainers & Sons

Sid Wainers & Sons is focused on sourcing speciality charchuterie, oils, vinegars and spreads for onboard. New are Pearls, an edible seaweed gel which presents like caviar but can be filled with 12 flavours including cranberry and yuzu. Pearls can be heated. The company also offers a new Japanese chilli paste, ramen bases and broths, and the Bangers and Bratwurst range of pre-cooked sausages. sidwainer.com

2. McGuire & Associates

McGuire & Associates is working with UK broker The Gourmet Centre to offer

artisan UK products to the U.S. market.

Products include West Country Little & Cull premium pies and terrines, (already onboard American Airlines), NibNibs, Great British Biscotti, Soffles pitta chips, Kent Crisps and baby figs from The Bay Tree. matgci.com

3. Wildway

Wildway Granola is offering a grain-free breakfast alternative which is nut based and contains no added sugar. Already selling in over 800 U.S retail outlets, it's available in single servings though DFMi. Flavours include coconut cashew, banana nut, and vanilla bean espresso. wildwayoflife.com

4. Bayart Innovations

Bayart Innovations showcased amenity kit concepts including a new Constance range of pouches and triangular 3D bags with bright orange detailing to coordinate with orange socks and other inclusions. They also offer natural fabrics and Irish toiletries brand Human Kind. bayart-innovations.com

5. AUI

AUI has launched a new range of savoury pastries and handheld snacks for airlines. Options include a frittata with hash browns and an egg, bacon and cheese croissant. Sweet treats include new pralines, a range of

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frozen fruit purees and a raspberry, passionfruit and chocolate dessert. It also offers organic museli mixes. auifinefoods.com

6. Bobby Sue's

Bobby Sue’s is a quality range of flavoured nuts with a cute back story.

The family-owned business was started as a way to raise funds for an animal shelter she supports. Flavours now include Nuts over Olives and It’s Raining Chocolate. A percentage of all sales still goes to the animal shelter. The mixes use quality nuts with an egg white binder used to adhere the flavour mixes. bobbysuesnuts.com; dfminc.biz

7. DFMi

DFMi, celebrating its 30th year in the business, is broadening its range of ‘clean’ products with whole and natural ingredients, in response to growing demands from health-conscious millennial travellers. New options include a dairy-free cream, Silk; 88 Acres all-seed snack bites and butters; and Power Up snack mixes. dfminc.biz

8. Clip

Jetblue has launched new Hayward and Hopper amenity kits for premium passengers, reflecting the retail brands’ most popular look. The kits, in gold and silver, celebrate the retail range and are

expected to become collector’s items.

The range has been facilitated by Clip. cliponboard.com 9. Buddig Meat snacks specialist Buddig is offering a Natural Cut range of smoked snack bites, sticks and sausages without nitrates, preservatives and fillers and using top end ingredients. The range is packaged in a textured, film package with a natural look to help it stand out as a natural range for meat-eaters increasingly concerned about ingredients. Celebrating its 75th anniversary, it is represented by DFMi. buddig.com

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10. Buzz

Buzz has launched a new “Join the Movement” programme to help airlines reduce waste and become more environmentally engaged. The project includes a Plastics Reduction Programme: showing options to replace polybags; Waste Minimisation: repurposing waste into new products; and Another Chance: ways to close the loop by maximising usability of material. buzzproducts.com

11. K&W Food Brokerage

K&W Food Brokerage has added Supernola granolas, Gorilly Good fruit, nut and chocolate snack mixes and The

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IFSA announced it will next year combine its Compass Awards with the APEX awards

Daily Crave vegetable crisps to its portfolio. The company also offers a wide range of bakery products, beverages, shelf stable snacks, sous vide and premade meals.kwfoods.com

12. Delyse

Delyse's own-brand C’Bon snack range includes roasted snacks, pretzels and shaped crackers which can be supplied in novelty shapes such as aircraft, stars or hearts, or even pigs for a ‘pigs can fly’ snack onboard. Also new to the portfolio are Earth Water, Tony’s Chocolonely, IPS Chips and Laiki three-ingredient rice crackers. delyse.com

13. McGuire & Associates

McGuire showcased a portfolio of products which includes some the world's most popular brands. It also highlighted its expertise in product packaging solutions. matgci.com

14. RMT Global Partners

RMT Global Partners has added a new cork screw to its portfolio, designed to make life easier for crew.

It has a double hinge which allows greater leverage and includes a flight-safe foil cutter. rmtglobalpartners.com

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15. Flying Food Group

Flying Food Group is developing connections with Asian specialist chefs to ensure authentic flavourful catering on Asian flights served out of its 20 U.S kitchens. The focus is on simple but effective menu design, created in collaboration with Chinese, Japanese and other local culinary experts, with guidance and support available to ensure local kitchen teams can maintain authentic flavours. flyingfood.com

16. Galileo Watermark

GW’s non-slip tray for Business service is offering weight-saving benefit to

United, in its Polaris cabin. The tray looks like stainless steel but weighs 400g compared to the original’s 1.2kg. Light to use, it has been well received by crew for its non-slip feature. The company is also working on new ceramic concepts, designed to cut components needed on the tray by giving each multiple uses, so a spoonholder doubles as a chopstick holder, a bowl doubles as an espresso cup, and a charger doubles as a side plate. galileowatermark.com

17. Global-C

Global-C has supplied a new wine glass range for Cathay Pacific. Designed to reflect the classic style of high-end,

bespoke glassware, the stemless glass was manufactured by Ocean Glass. It is a cold cut sodalime glass, durable yet refined. global-c.nl

18. HACO

HACO remains focused on representing 25 key brands exclusively to airlines including Coca-Cola, Kraft and Cadbury but also gave stand exposure to the new Evertaste joint venture with LSG Group. The Evertaste packaged products proposition features Oakfield Farms' ambient range primarily in the U.S. and ambient or chilled options in the UK and Europe, although both are available in all markets. haco.us.com •

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56 / LAUNCHING A BRAND

trials, duct brings ro p e g ra ve new be n goes Launching a joy. Jo Austi ly te a im lt u have nd couples who tribulation a o tw t e e m brands to to market behind the ks offerings n ri d w e n t ugh recently bro

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deas and inspiration for new beverage products can come from a variety of sources but for the Cederberg range it was botanicals, a baby and the trend towards non-alcoholic drinks which came together to create the light-bulb moment.

Craig Hutchinson from South Africa and his wife Maria Sehlstrom from Sweden, got the idea for Ceder’s during Maria’s pregnancy when they both came to recognise the shortage of sophisticated non-alcoholic drinks on the market. This coincided with a visit to a magical valley in the Cederberg mountains on the Western Cape in South Africa.

Maria says: “It was the discovery of the varied and intriguing natural botanicals in the Cederbergs that inspired us both.”

Fusing together their Swedish and South African roots, they collected exotic Cape botanicals from the valley, which they now co-own, to distill in the same way as a classic gin, and then blended it with pristine Swedish water. Their

three varieties include juniper, coriander, geranium, Cape floral fynbos, rooibos and buchu.

Tapping a trend

Their aim was to make a great tasting adult drink with no alcohol and yet with all the juniper flavours of a traditional gin – akin to a classic alt-gin. They were looking to tap into the reported 41% of consumers who are actively trying to drink less, “It is a big step to go from an idea to actually making it happen,” says Maria. “We had both worked in the spirit industry before so we utilised our network and a lot of great services and professionals we found online such as the platform 99designs.com. Once we had decided how we wanted the brand to look we started the daunting task of actually creating a product.

“From the time we started crafting the brand to the moment we had something to put on the shelf took a year. As our product is non-alcoholic there were less regulations than for an alcoholic product, especially in Sweden but it would be a lie to say it is easy to start up a business/brand and succeed

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and it's too early to say how Ceder’s will do. The important point is that these days anyone can try and do it.” ceders-alt-gin.com

Finding a market

For husband and wife team Shaun and Lindi Hancke the journey to create a new brand began when Lindi accidentally spilt the last of her very expensive gin! The couple were not gin experts when they bought their first 380 litre still, and the formation of the artisan OakVilla Distillery was backed by family, friends and a lot of hard work. “Some couples ski together, others climb mountains,….we distill gin!” they say. The still delivers just under 300 bottles at a time and batch 5 of Vryheid gin has just been completed.

Says LIndi: “My mother’s family in South Africa were grape farmers and much of my childhood was spent listening to adults talking about spirits.

Our craft-gin idea was born in 2015. We bought books and absorbed every bit of information we could on the production of gin from the internet, industry professionals, suppliers and tradeshows."

When Shaun became unwell Lindi left her job and started on the business plan using funds from her redundancy package, savings and bank loans.

Vryheid means ‘freedom’ in Afrikaans and the name ties in with the history of their home town in Norfolk, England where rebels used to meet to seek the freedom to own land. It is also a recognition of their South African heritage.

Locally picked poppies, elderflowers, orangeblossom honey and a range of traditional botanicals make up this modern craft gin which has already won awards in the International Wine and Spirit Competition and was short-listed in the Fresh Discovery Awards by Speciality and Fine Foods.

LIndi says: “Craft gin is flooding the market at the present time and there is simply not space for them all in every shop so I'm learning how to target customers, ask the correct questions and crucially get the buyers to taste Vryheid, then a ‘yes’ comes our way. Having a quality product is key but getting up every day and going out to sell it is an achievement.” oakvilla.co.uk Both brands are looking to get onboard. •

Opposite page: Cape botanicals and Swedish water inspired Craig and Maria's Ceder's. Above: Vryheid gin is on batch five

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Cold brews Cold brew coffee is an easy and safe way to perk up passengers on the move.

Jessica Pook samples a few 'hot' choices FITCH BREW CO

Fitch Brew Co. uses ethically-sourced coffee, water and a precise brewing process for its cold coffee range. Flavours include original still, made from single origin coffee beans distilled in cold water; nitro, single origin still cold brew infused with nitrogen; Sicilian lemon, infused with lemon for a refreshing zing, and blood orange, infused with orange for a fruity twist. A Dark Fortunes option combines coffee with tonic in a collaboration with Bermondsey Tonic Water. fitchbrewco.com

POINT BLANK

Point Blank markets itself as a natural alternative to a traditional energy drink. With no sugar, no fat, no additives and no preservatives, Point Blank drinks have 65mg of caffeine per 100ml. pointblankcoldbrew.com

COOL COLD BREW

This range of doubleshot coffee includes black coffee, coconut coffee, latte and mocha. Arabica coffee is chilled in water for 17 hours, then triple filtered for a whisky-like clarity. Hand brewing ensures a naturally sweeter brew. coolcoldbrew.co.uk

LAND & TIDE

All of Land & Tide’s iced coffees are dairy-free. The range of oat iced coffee, oat iced mocha and coconut iced coffee is made using a cold brew blend and plantmilk recipes. The natural sweetness means there is no need for added sugar. landandtide.com

FAR SIDE COLD BREW

Far Side uses single origin beans which are then steeped in cool filtered water for 18 hours. The beans from Peru are fruity with a hint of orange peel and cacao, while the Rwanda offering is bold and chocolatey with an undertone of lemon and maple. farsidecoffee.com

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Ditching dairy Plant-based milk products are fast becoming a hot trend, even among dairy consumers. Jessica Pook discovers why

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t wasn’t long ago that alternative milks were stored only as a courtesy for those that suffered from dairy allergies – and even then the offering was sparse. But in recent years almond, oat, rice, coconut and soy milks have been leading the way in the dairy-free market, a trend that is expected to increase by 50% in the next four years.

And it’s not just because of the increase in flexitarian diets, consumers are becoming more conscious than ever about health and it has been suggested that a plant-based diet can help prevent obesity, heart disease, stroke and even some cancers. Animal welfare and the environmental impact of eating animal foods is also a contributing factor and some dairy consumers admit to just preferring the taste.

Power of the plant

Plenish is a plant-powered drinks brand producing alternative nut milks made from organic, sustainably-sourced

mental focus and clarity. And Plantmilk3 nuts, filtered water and a pinch of salt. matcha with a citrus twist of raw yuzu The range includes almond, cashew, and lemon releases caffeine slowly and oat, hazelnut and coconut. Plenish theanine and magnesium aid relaxation. prides itself on maximising plantRebekah Hall, founder fuelled nutrition and of Botanic Lab, says: minimising our impact "Our Plantmilks are on the planet, it also Dairy-free packed with delicious uses three times as many nuts as the consumption will plant-based ingredients. market average. increase by 50% in Whether you are in Alternatively, Botanic the next four years need of a quick and easy (but nutritious) Lab has produced a start to the day, an alternative to your range of plant milks with additional morning latte, or an afternoon sweet uplifting functional botanicals. The (but saintly) pick-me-up. single-serve drinks come in three "There is a growing recognition of both flavours and give a healthy energy boost the health benefits and the reduced throughout the day. impact on the environment of following The Plantmilk1 coffee/damiana a plant-based diet. Historically veganism offering combines cold brew coffee with has been very niche, but we are damiana leaf, revered for its anxietyincreasingly seeing a much wider group reducing property. Plantmilk2 contains of people adopting aspects of a vegan chocolate/yerba mate which has energydiet, if not adopting it fully. • inducing qualities and helps maintain

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Opportunity knocks

he inaugural Onboard Hospitality Forum – Rail was held in partnership with the International Rail Catering Group alongside the biggest bi-annual rail show, InnoTrans, at the Messe Berlin.

Julie Baxter reports.

The Onboard Hospitality Forum Rail was born out of a desire to raise the profile of catering and hospitality initiatives within the rail sector and give due attention and recognition to those championing innovation and best practice on the rails

Rail in focus

If you’ve never been to InnoTrans, believe me, it’s big. Some 25 halls crammed with all things rail from rolling stock to tunneling technology, track to train seats. Not exactly the usual Onboard Hospitality territory, but as we joined the 14,000 visitors there each day, there was one hall – Hall 1:1 Travel Catering and Comfort Services – where we really did feel at home. Exhibitors here included Kaelis, LSG group, BB Inflight, Orvec, Ibena, Italcarrelli and Multi Rail, all keen to do what they can to enhance the passenger rail journey and most already working closely with rail operators around the globe.

JULIE BAXTER EDITOR ONBOARD HOSPITALITY

Driving change

Our Onboard Hospitality Forum - Rail, co-ordinated by IRCG’s chairman Roger Williams of Explore Catering, was a chance to shine a spotlight on collaborations and initiatives turning heads in the sector and to debate the challenges ahead. Six top class speakers joined us and as they took to the stage there was standing room only.

Leaders in the field Christine Stockmann of Deutsche Bahn, Marc Noaro of Eurostar and Graham McKinnie of LNER gave clear insights into how extensive customer research is being used to drive change in their service offer and delivery. DB has embarked on a major programme of lounge onboardhospitality.com

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enhancements; Eurostar has launched a new Amsterdam routing and a raft of bespoke product initiatives; and LNER will see its new fleet of 65 high-speed Azuma trains roll out from December.

Rail

A strong theme emerging from the Onboard Hospitality Forum was the push to personalisation.

ROGER WILLIAMS CHAIRMAN IRCG

The focus is increasingly on finding ways to treat every passenger as an individual and speakers representing leading suppliers highlighted how. Nicola Webb from rail caterer RG and Manoj Pridhanani from Kaelis showed how attention to onboard product design can transform the rail experience, and Simon Pont from ECR Retail Systems highlighted the potential for onboard revenue growth beyond F&B. Pont said: “Rail has the opportunity to do all the ancillary business that aviation does and more, the technology and the tools are there and as end-to-end wifi becomes increasingly prevalent there will be further revenue streams.”

Webb said: “We have to be ready for the trend towards customisation.

We cannot deal with every passenger in the same way. The future is about customisation and providing options.”

Marc Noara agreed saying: “Changing passenger habits and expectations means we have to consider new ways to support a more personalised journey.”

The rail operators attending were engaged and inspired by the debate and all left with plenty of food for thought.

As Pridhanani commented in his presentation: ”Travel comes with a ‘tiring’ tag but travel time really can be a chance to stop, think, reflect and enjoy.

Give your passengers moments which emotionally touch their senses and you can transform the journey from a chore to a real pleasure.”

There is certainly a growing clan of suppliers and operators working to do just that, and we are glad to support their efforts and champion their successes through the Onboard Hospitality Forum - Rail and beyond. •

IMAGES: COURTESY OF INNOTRANS

now it's personal

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64 / PERSONALISING RAIL

Rail gets personal

Roger Williams asks how can today’s intercity trains offer personalised hospitality and become all things to all travellers…

E

mbarking on a rail trip to a new city destination or foreign country is an adventure. It should be shaped to suit your personal choices, and savoured from the beginning to the end.

Train companies everywhere are trying to add excitement and personalisation, into every journey, by ensuring access to the right hospitality at the right time. The industry is buzzing with possibilities! From limousine lifts from home, to luxurious lounges at stations, to sumptuous cuisine, to super-comfortable cabin facilities, to fine dining restaurants and attractive café bars, to integrated connectivity direct to your smart devices, to services at-seat … the list goes on!

Deciding what to offer requires research, so you really understand the true diversity of your audience and their specific needs and aspirations.

The evidence often shows up the unexpected. For example, recently Eurostar revealed that 14% of their customers come from the USA – more than from Belgium – surprising given Brussels is a key part of their route!

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Changing passenger expectations have inspired Eurostar think its catering services and consider new ways to support a more personalised journey in the future. With different passenger types wanting different experiences, the team wants to find new ways to respond.

Business travellers who need to eat first and

then work, or alternatively linger over a meal in conversation with colleagues must both be catered for. Leisure travellers, too, have different priorities when dining and all these needs are not always compatible. And just because someone travels standard, it doesn’t mean they aren't a foodie.

At the Onboard Hospitality Forum - Rail in Berlin, Marc Noara, Eurostar’s cco, explained: “35% of Premier Business passengers change their reservation on the day of travel.. This is a challenge that really requires pre-ordering to ensure we match their wishes. This trend is making us think perhaps we need to reconsider our cabin structure to offer a more bespoke preordered personalised journey in some carriages and not in others.”

In standard cabins the potential for people to upgrade their food through pre-order is positive, and a simpler way to deliver a range of menu options. A 'reserve & collect' service, perhaps with meal boxes ready for passengers to take onboard, or delivered to their seat en route, would appeal to customers reluctant to leave their seats.

Nicola Webb, cd of RG, Eurostar’s UK catering partner, agrees: “Onboard service is an operator’s point of differentiation, and has to adapt as passengers’ needs change. To meet trending expectations, the offer can continuously add fresh vibrancy and choices, bringing more spontaneity in product evolution, excitement from true provenance, an affinity for the community they serve, and reflecting that community onboard.”

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Rail As presented at INNOTRANS Read more on pages 62-63

Specialist help

The International Rail Catering Group’s research suggests there is still a strong case for in-house catering operations, which can give an operator greater control over the final product served to the customer.

But when specialist food development is required, so the catering supply partner comes to the fore.

Using their vertically integrated NPD, food production, warehousing, product supply chain systems and logistics delivery services allows the train company to suit. customise their offer to sui That can include customisation with daily changes, and recognition that customers want different things at different times of day. needs to push Likewise, investment in trolley services need on to the next generation quickly, a subject under close scrutiny by several caterers at the moment who may be able to provide the capital required if it is difficult for the train companies compan to do it. This ensures that those train companies that do not enjoy hi-spec café facilities can compete, and with better ways to drinks to seat. deliver hot food, chilled food and cold drink

Conclusion

In today’s consumer driven economy, customers want to personalise their onboard experience whether they pre-book well in advance, choose items on impulse or invest heavily in indulgence. Either way, the technology and ssuppliers are available to deliver memorable onboard culinary experiences. experience Get it right and you you'll drive loyalty, trigger repeat business and attract recommendations that inspire new intrepid explorers. • onboardhospitality.com

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HOW TO... / 67

How to...

...add surprise Upgrades to Deutsche Bahn’s onboard experience encourage passengers to expect the unexpected, explains head of product, Christine Stockmann START BY LISTENING

Research by DB showed that 25% of Europeans use rail on a daily basis, 80% use it at least once a year but not everyone was entirely satisfied with the experience. DB wanted to improve on this so began a programme of product enhancements. 51% of their passengers are leisure travellers, 19% commuter travellers, 30% business travellers.

Rail As presented at INNOTRANS

FIX FUNCTIONALITY

Read more on pages 62-63

Around 1,300 trains operate daily on DB’s long distance services, carrying 350,000+ guests between major cities.

The operator identified the need for better functionality in its lounges and also a craving for more style, more exclusivity and more personal touches so a pilot programme of lounge enhancements was run in Nuremberg. These upped satisfaction rates from 69% to 87% and are now being rolled out in other locations.

ADD SURPRISES

In addition to mood enhancing upgrades around acoustics and lighting, DB trialled a programme of ‘surprises’ in the lounges which added unexpected treats depending on the time of day, season or date. So cold beers were served for two hours during a post-work ‘Happy Hour’ each day, fresh roses were given out on Women’s Day, ice creams were served in summer and seasonal treats include Easter cake and festive chocolates, and fortune cookies.

ROLL IT OUT

Trials in the lounges were so popular, DB and the ‘surprise’ programme also added unexpected touches onboard, with gingerbread hearts, for example, given out on some services and the chance to send seasonal greetings.

REAP REWARDS

FACT FILE DB operates 260 restaurants, 390 bistros and 15 lounges across its network

catering staff supported by 11 logistics centres offering culinary services on around 1,300 trains a day

The rail operator transports 141 million passengers a year and employs 2,500 onboard

Among its top sellers is curry sausages – DB sold 188,101 last year out of the 32,629,854 meals prepared

The goal was to shift expectations and perceptions around the DB brand – and the surprises initiative had a wide impact as it was shared widely on social media.

Stockmann comments: “Our goal with all our upgrades is to make the journey more comfortable and functional whatever the passenger’s reason for travel and particular needs. The surprises programme was intended to also add those unexpected touches that turn journeys into really memorable moments.” •

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68 / DESIGNING FOR WOMEN

Girl power Gender is currently a hot topic and every industry has to question its commitment to equality.

Is the onboard hospitality ready for scrutiny?

Laura Gelder takes a look

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DESIGNING FOR WOMEN / 69

F

a new future for femininity, “where the next rom fourth wave feminism and the generation of girls will witness floods of ambitious, ‘Me too’ movement to the fierce diverse women championed for their femininity, debate over transgender rights, complexity and bravery”. gender has moved up the agenda A trend within this trend is intersectional and it is clear many women still don’t feel their feminism – the idea that sexism, racism, needs are taken as seriously as men’s. homophobia, classism, ageism, and other social Proof of this seems obvious in a world where menstrual products are taxed as a ‘luxury’ and poor inequalities are all connected.

Matrix warns brands not to jump on the feminist women struggle to access them at all. And the term bandwagon too hastily though. Reporting: “Gen Z ‘period poverty’ has been given global attention audiences can see through an in-genuine message by the Duke and Duchess of Sussex who chose a mile off and many campaigns come across as Indian menstrual hygiene charity, the Myna Mahila patronising. Actions speak louder than words. If Foundation, as one of their wedding list causes. you want to use a ‘girl power’ slogan in your next At a less extreme level, many people are simply campaign, can you also say you pay your female asking if companies, including travel providers, are staff members the same as their male equivalents? catering to women’s specific needs.

If not, the internet might Kaelis’ chief marketing come for you.” officer Fernanda Veiga Founder of In Air Travel thinks not and believes 2019 will be the year of the Experience Anne De Hauw the addition of sanitary is positive for the future too. woman - are you ready? products in aircraft toilets “Women will benefit from the and lounges should be a hyper-personalisation trend, ensuring they’ll only first step. She says: “We find razors and shaving cream everywhere so why not tampons and female be approached by relevant, interesting offers,” she says. She sees technology is the enabler, leading to pads especially as menstrual cycles can become an optimised travel experience: “Time is luxury and irregular when travelling.” anything a travelling women can get done before Veiga cites research from the Global Business arrival will be a plus: bespoke (branded) amenities Travel Association and WWStay which shows and comfort items, inflight yoga programmes, nearly 40% of business travellers based in the US personalised food experiences with healthy are women and asks: “Everybody is talking about options and digitised shopping experiences with women’s empowerment but what has the travel customised special offers for example.” industry done to empower women business Quite simply, this issue is gathering momentum. travellers? What could we do that would make Travel companies have to check they are providing women feel more comfortable when flying?” all the items women have access to on the ground, Her own suggestions include amenity kits with the items they consider essentials. • make-up remover tissues so women, who often board wearing makeup, can remove it and then make use of the lotions they are offered in the kits.

Aside from functional needs which aren’t being met, Veiga touches on the issue of sexism and style. She says: “Female pilots are still forced to wear the male pilot uniform, including a tie.” And then there's the wide expectation that female flight attendants will wear heels and make-up at work, unlike their male counterparts.

Design and procurement specialist Matrix helps airlines strengthen their brand messaging and reflect market trends. Its 2019 Trend Magazine, cites 2019 as ‘the year of the woman’.

It highlights the ‘new woman’ trend showing

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focus on / 71

DoN in Austria DoN has won back its contract for Austrian rail. Roger Williams, IRCG chairman, looks at what that means for customers onboard ÖBB trains

D

oN Travel became ÖBB’s new onboard services partner this summer 2018, having won back the contract from Do & Co. Securing the contract was a real boost for DoN as it has stuck with the rail industry as one of its core markets.

Through its work with station lounges and an ambitious train-catering contract in Iran, DoN was able to demonstrate this commitment and impressed ÖBB with their offer. It is also vindication of ceo Josef Donhauser’s insistence on providing high quality, fully connected, culinary services and front of house hospitality in every area.

New concepts

pictures courtesy of © ÖBB, Harald Eisenberger

With a raft of new concepts designed to connect with the Austrian railway’s customer base, DoN has transformed the onboard offer through exciting high end products, pre-ordering of speciality dishes and gifts, and onboard ordering of food for delivery to seat.

DoN’s coo Christian Hoelbl showcased the offer at the IRCG General Assembly

kitchen detailing order, seat and coach number so staff can efficiently prepare and deliver food to the seat. Hoelbl adds: Three USPs "Many customers do The three main USPs not wish to leave their are new ‘Easy Austrian In Austria we say seats – if travelling Dining’ products; new 'Genuss auf Schiene' with children, or with crew ‘Education and Training’ and ‘New - it means enjoyment baggage or valuables.

Once delivered, Technology’ for both on the railways payment is by cash customers and crew. or card, adding “We have based our confidence as the customer does not offer on the three things we feel will have to pay for something upfront.” bring the most differential to the ÖBB The Orderman system also includes service,” said Hoelbl. “In particular, inventory management and control the introduction of a digital ordering of sales where crews need to change platform allows the entire train to turn over, as well as aiding crew training into a restaurant. Using the onboard and planning through improved sales epos system or direct from the data, analysis and resource matching. customer’s own smart device, orders Additionally it links to the ÖBB loyalty for food can be placed via DoN's new programme so customers can collect Orderman system.” points from catering purchases.• A message is sent directly to the

in Berlin where it was greeted very positively as a template for the future.

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How to...

create a circular economy gategroup’s deSter is stepping up its focus on sustainable design with ambitious goals for the future. Julie Baxter discovers more

E

arlier this year deSter refocused its priorities with the launch of deStudio. The aim is to reassert the role of design and development at the very heart of the company's activities.

combine expertise

The deStudio brings together product developers, designers, engineers and eco material specialists. Design director, Ruud Vanderheyden, says: “deSter has always been focused on design, research and development but as we extended our plastic manufacturing side, clients started to forget that this was our true expertise.

Development and design is at the core of everything we do and the new deStudio establishes a clear creative hub right at our core.”

Set your goals

establish your vision

MD Stef Van de Perre says:"All airlines and their product manufacturers have to be ready for the environmental legislation that is coming. Everyone interprets what is needed differently but we have aligned our own vision to that of the Ellen MacArthur Foundation and are trying to translate her vision into solutions for the airline industry.There isn’t one solution, it is about the holistic lifecycle of a product and ensuring that the entire process is sustainable.We all need to reinvent the way we do things, paying careful attention to every detail. The correct solution may be different for every route or from every location.

Fact file deSter employs over 1200 people throughout its global operations The company has its headquarters in Antwerp and runs three production plants

By 2025 100% of deSter products will be part of a sustainable circular process deSter is developing its regional network of production plants to be close to its end users

He adds: “In domestic markets our ambition is to make, deliver and then collect the products after use, to then create something new. For international services there are extra challenges but our analysis shows weight is key here for its impact on fuel burn. By 2020 we believe 100% of our newly offered products will be made of materials that can be recycled or biodegraded. By 2025 all our products will be created to fit into the circular economy."

produce locally

deSter has production plants in Belgium (Antwerp), Prachinburi (Thailand) and most recently Lima (US) to service US deliveries. There are plans for further bases in the next two years with the goal of ensuring the products are produced close to the end user.•

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OPINION / 75

new perspectives

From air to rail It’s an interesting time for intercity rail passengers. There's the enormous high-speed network linking Chinese cities, continued expansion of fast tracks in Europe, and a revived Amtrak in the US, especially in the Washington-Philadelphia-New York-Boston corridor, where rail has now eclipsed the air shuttles popular since the 1950s.

AMTRAK

With a long career in aviation service provision, Rob Britton visited InnoTrans to take a fresh look at rail

Although I’ve spent nearly my entire career around airlines, I’m not alone in also looking beyond the wings to wheels: in 2017, Amtrak hired former Delta Air Lines ceo Richard Anderson and he brought in a number of seasoned airline execs to help, especially wheel on steel rail – so with the terminal and different from aviation. onboard experience.

To me, this opens up a A fresh set of eyes range of possibilities for can be useful. Airline Rail leaders need to professionals have recognise that a broader re-designed onboard seating, more varied understood since about focus on the journey public spaces, and more.

2000 that safe, efficient, experience is essential Many routes demand and reliable operations high capacity and thus are important, but density, but railways are distinctly positioned that customers view these elements as to experiment with and optimise the tradeoff foundational. This seems less evident on between onboard space and revenue – and the rails, with far fewer companies targeting to increase income not just from fares, but onboard service elements such as food and ancillary services as well. drink, wi-fi, and entertainment systems.

Railways seem slower to understand that enhancing the onboard experience is winChanging mindsets win, driving revenues and improving Rolling-stock manufacturers such as Stadler customer satisfaction. seem to be offering breakthrough design, with some customer-friendly innovations.

Railway operators also seem not to appreciate the fundamental But there is room, literally, for much more, reality that passenger trains if mindsets could change. Rail leaders need are modular – unlike aircraft, to recognise that a broader focus on the carriages can be easily added journey experience is essential; that customer or removed, with modest expectations are changing; and that the incremental changes in intrinsic flexibility and economics of rail operating expense. Hiding in enables them not just to meet those changing plain sight is the inherent energy expectations, but to exceed them – and to and cost efficiency of the make money at it. •

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Delicious egg specialities exquisitely prepared

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FOCUS ON / 77

Rail beauty

Kaelis design lead Manoj Pridhanani has called on rail operators to aim higher and bring a touch of beauty to the journey. Julie Baxter discovers how

T

ravel can be tiring but it is also a chance to stop, think, reflect and enjoy life, and design can support that experience says Kaelis design lead Manoj Pridhanani.

"Beauty may be subjective but it is not just in the eye of the beholder, it is in all the senses and if you can give passengers many moments that emotionally touch their senses you can transform the journey from a chore to a pleasure. With advanced technology and fantastic engineering and craftsmanship, we can actually get rid of this ‘tiring’ tag and replace it with ‘beautiful,” he says.

Rail As presented at INNOTRANS Read more on pages 62-63

From inspiration to function

Pridhanani highlights seven steps to creating beautiful journeys from inspiration and brainstorming to concept clarity, objective setting, and a functionality focus. His team focuses on colour to set the tone and support the operator’s brand, and form to ensure product functionality. They add texture to enhance the moments of interaction and test a product in its proposed

environment to confirm practicality He says: “We live in a time when the and emotional response. It’s a process word ‘impossible’ is about to become his team applied in developing a new extinct when it comes to textures service concept for First and Business and materials. Rail operators are travellers on Renfe. beginning to see they can enhance He says: “We use design as the their product through simple design medium to revive touches, whatever the senses and thus the budget. improve the travel “These days there experience. People do is little time to stop, If you think good now appreciate good and think: ‘wow that design is expensive, is so beautiful’ but design and through look at the cost of design we have a in retrospect it is powerful mechanism these wow moments bad design at our disposal which, when we see beauty when used correctly, helps us achieve that are the moments we go on to onboard goals whatever they are.” remember much longer."

As growing numbers of rail operators invest significantly in high-speed Future opportunities trains and new rolling stock, the Looking to the future, Pridhanani passenger expectation for onboard believes growth in new materials, enhancements is rising too. Clearly including ecologically-sound options, there are exciting times ahead. • will dramatically expand opportunities.

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78 / HOW TO...

How to...

reflect your diversity Eurostar's onboard catering uniquely reflects its multi-cultural staff and passenger base, says chief customer officer Marc Noaro FACE FACTS

Eurostar is the high-speed passenger service connecting the UK with mainland Europe. Over the last 24 years, it has carried over 190 million passengers, and has 13 direct destinations across four countries.

With its fleet of 25 trains, it runs up to 55 services a day with a high crew to customer ratio provided by an 800 strong catering team. Some 75% of its passengers come from four countries, with the UK and France topping the table. The strength of the overseas market has been key in recent years, with strong demand in Asia, and North American sales up 14% in the last two years.

Rail As presented at INNOTRANS Read more on pages 62-63

Blanc OBE, the catering is supplied

by Jeanie Marshal in the UK, Festin in France, and Fonteyne in Belgium.

Menus can take six months to evolve from concept to delivery.

BASE INSTINCTS

While catering all services from one base might be easier, Eurostar is committed to four bases – London, Paris, Brussels and Amsterdam.

Many of the staff come from these base countries and all are bilingual in English and French. Marc Noaro, chief customer officer, says: “We believe that moving to a single base would mean losing part of what makes us who we are. We are proud to be a multi-cultural European company and that is reflected in our team and in the provenance of products we source for onboard."

KITCHEN MAGIC

Overseen by Momentum in collaboration with Eurostar Business Premier Culinary Director, Raymond

SUSTAINABLE CHOICES

FACT FILE Passengers use 2.5m plastic water bottles a year so alternatives are an eco priority Eurostar launched in 1994 and has carried over 190m passengers since then

It has three classes: Standard, Standard Premier and Business Premier 35% of Business Premier clients change their reservation on the day, making preorder a challenge

The commitment to a diverse offer isn’t always the cheapest option, but it is the right one for Eurostar, says Noaro, and includes bespoke beers, ice creams and its own gin. By connecting with small local suppliers committed to sustainability, Eurostar can deliver quality, locally-sourced food. It carries the message further with a ‘no plastic straws’ policy and is piloting a move to water in cans.

Noaro adds: "We want to show leadership through the way we operate and behave. Sometimes you have to act intuitively and do the right thing because it is right, not just because of the cost of convenience.” •

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Bottling it up *N

EW ARRIVALS *

Garçon Wines has reinvented the classic glass wine bottle with a new flat PET version that promises to be stylish, practical and cost-effective onboard

E

veryone loves a success story and at Onboard Hospitality we have been excited to see just how successful specialist companies can be once they get onboard.

We’re on the look out for newcomers to the industry, be they young people, young companies or young products: those that may be the faces of the onboard sector tomorrow.

So if you're making your way into the onboard market, get in touch and we’ll spread the word, champion the cause and watch your business as it heads sky high or gets on track.

Durable and dependable

Garçon Wines has taken the classic round Bordeaux wine bottle and reinvented it. Its flat bottle stands slightly taller than the conventional glass bottle but is 40% spatially smaller and 87% lighter, making it efficient for airlines looking for innovative ways to save space and reduce weight.

Despite its slim appearance, Garçon's bottles are surprisingly durable and resistant. They are made from 100% recycled polyethylene terephthalate (PET), which is safe for holding food and drink and has no impact on taste.

Ceo and co-founder of Garçon Wines, Santiago Navarro, says: "The aviation industry recognises it must do all it can to boost its eco credentials. Also, there is arguably no other occasion where wine is consumed in a place where space comes at such a premium and weight reductions make all the difference."

Going green

Garçon bottles are 40% spatially smaller and 87% lighter than conventional round bottles

The bottles are made of recycled material and are 100% recyclable afterwards, down to the screw cap. They are blown, in the UK, from plastic already in circulation and are positioned as a 'sustainable ecofriendly alternative' to plastic bottles.

Bottles are offered in natural olive-green, amber or light pink with other colours available on request.

They can hold 75cl of wine and have an enhanced shelf life. garconwines.com •

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80 / WARS

Franchise

solutions

Catering Explorer's Roger Williams, the chair of IRCG, visits Poland and discovers how caterer, WARS, is delivering a quality branded service for Polish PKP’s intercity long distance trains

P

oland, celebrating 100 years of regaining independence this year, is a large country by EU standards the fifth largest landmass, and sixth largest population - nearly 40m and growing.

With intercity journeys of between two and 11 hours, four designs of day trains, plus overnight sleepers, it has a complex railway network and WARS has a big task to maintain the quality of service on 300 daily train connections.

Franchising

Untypically for rail, WARS franchises its onboard catering – a system only really replicated in the Czech Republic and Slovakia. Rather than employing 800 catering staff directly, it works with 70 franchisees who employ their own crews for each specific train.

WARS’s main supply centre is in Warsaw, with four more in Gdynia (north), Szcecin (west) and

Wroclaw and Krakow (south), from where WARS sells the products to the franchisees and supplies marketing and practical support.

Each franchisee is responsible for sales revenue, quality standards and customer satisfaction.

However, ensuring brand standards are delivered correctly is the key and WARS has 70 years of experience in making that work.

New trains

In a railway sidings on the outskirts of Warsaw, I met Zbigniew Terek, WARS ceo, and board member Piotr Adamczuk. Shiny new PKP Intercity trains such as the Pendolino and Stadler trains sparkle in the sunshine – and each one has its own style of catering unit built in.

Bean-to-cup coffee, digital screens, refrigerated displays, induction hobs and modern layouts, mean WARS is able to serve a wide product range, with the management focus on quality.

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WARS / 81

Although externally the train is branded PKP Intercity, internal catering areas including tables and café fronts are branded WARS. The brand profile has been raised by the recent introduction of station and office-based restaurants serving superior quality meals – a reflection perhaps of the continuing dining culture in Poland.

“We have to maintain the onboard quality and are using our new app to do so," Terek explains. "There is a lot of branded competition at stations from the likes of Starbucks and customers expect similar brand standards on the train.”

Digital monitoring

Adamczuk says: “As our franchisees run services all hours of the day and night, 24-hour communications over a wide geographical area is essential to maintain a brand standard. We already had our mWARS mobile app for at-seat ordering and this gave us the idea to look for a digital solution to aid compliance.

“Our new customised app means that our supervisors can monitor operations nationally and in real time, whilst franchisees can manage sales, staff, products, and obligatory training.

“This includes videos on food preparation and presentation, information bulletins, and an event calendar of the latest marketing initiatives. The app and onboard wi-fi is free and initial feedback from all users is positive.”

Onboard experience

There is no doubting the potenial value of this tool which can be monitored by analytics. Any onboard operator could use it whether branded, franchised, fully employed, large or small and it seems to be working well.

Joining the Express Intercity to Gdansk at just gone 7am, I went straight to the restaurant car for a traditional Polish breakfast. Sausages, bacon and eggs were freshly cooked onboard, and a salad was added on the side. It was excellent. Branded cutlery packs, fresh bread offered in baskets, proper cappuccino and linen tablecloths all added to the onboard experience.

I returned on a newer Pendolino train – called an Express Intercity Premium service. This 200kph train can carry over 400 customers and offered complimentary morning snacks and beverages in First. Warm croissants, filter coffee, orange juice and even toasted ciabatta bread snacks, were served within 15 minutes of departure.

Lessons learnt

Lessons can certainly be learnt from WARS by many rail catering operators – utilising a strong recognisable brand identity onboard, supported by digital monitoring and communications with crews and customers, all ensure high levels of consistency. It is the intrinsic value of great onboard service that makes travel a delight. •

WARS

IN NUMBERS

9.6M

complimentary snacks and refreshments

0.7M

retail meals

1.2M

retail beverages

50,000 train services

70

franchisees employed

800

catering staff

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CREW EQUIPMENTS PILOT CASES AND LUGGAGES professional pilot cases and aircrew luggages supplier/manufacturer

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FOCUS ON / 83

Smart shopping inflight Earlier this year ATPCO acquired Routehappy and with it a rich bank of content for airline shopping. Ben Coren discovers more

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ounded in 2011 and based in New York, Routehappy has more than 65 customers across the travel industry including Expedia, Google, Sabre, and United Airlines.

It aims to create a more transparent shopping experience inflight with rich content supplied to 300 airlines.

As part of ATPCO it is now expanding its offering through three content-rich hubs that can each be managed by different departments within an airline’s organisation.

ATPCO president and ceo Rolf Purzer, says: “Routehappy has created an offering that solves many of the challenges airlines encounter in delivering consistent messaging, branding, and merchandising through multiple distribution channels. Our acquisition of it will drive strategic innovation, reduce complexity, and deliver network economics to the entire distribution ecosystem. ”

Hubs that help

The expanded hubs allow airlines to differentiate their product as: amenities, universal ticket attributes (UTA) and universal product attributes (UPA).

The amenities hub gives them control over the merchandising of seats, food and wifi, and

can be customised to reflect the brand.

The UTA hub lets airlines communicate clearly the benefits and restrictions of different fares, and the UPA hub enables them to bring product-merchandising content to life across shopping channels.

Features can include product photos, videos and descriptions.

information about the products and fares they are selecting at every touchpoint.”

Standardised content

Standardised content systems will make it much easier for consumers to compare options, and ATPCO is keen to drive innovation across the whole Smart decisions industry, looking at Robert Albert, ceo new ways to use data of Routehappy by Routehappy has at every point in the ATPCO, says: “We more than 65 purchasing journey. are establishing the customers across The company is industry standard for the travel industry also launching a airline rich content and Routehappy Agency bringing it to a single with a dedicated team of content place to create a single sales channel. strategists to help airlines get the most Rich content helps customers to make out of the tools available. The agency smart decisions whatever they are will also provide photo shoot support buying – inflight shopping should be no for shopping menus, run consumer different. Airlines have differentiated testing and monitor results. • products and fares. Consumers need

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84 / IN CONVERSATION

BUY-ONBOARD MUST BECOME MORE EXCITING AND INNOVATIVE New sales director Alyna Trotman explains why Gastro Worldwide is upping its focus on retail innovation

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roduct suppliers must stay on trend and respond to consumer demand. It is hard for airlines to react instantly but as suppliers we must be ready and ahead of the curve.

Airlines expect us to react quickly.

Currently there is a push towards vegan and cruelty free products, and recyclability but we are also very focused on engaging products which feel like an experience – such as tapas, mezze, grazing and sharing options, or afternoon tea and cocktail box experiences.

Ticking all the boxes

Products don’t just have to taste good, they need to look good, stow well and present well, and after use they have to be easy to dispose of well – products need to tick all the boxes. The key on recyclability is to ensure everything from the board to the ovenable film and

securing clasps is recyclable.

Increasingly, meeting demand for a trend means offering something which will work well for many, even those not focused on that trend. For example we are working on incredible recipes using soya-based meat alternative products.

These suit vegans and vegetarians of course but we are creating products with this which any traveller would enjoy - even meat eaters - shredded as an alternative to duck for wraps, or put in pies or pastry products.

Creating experiences

Similarly we have to be aware of the pressures to bring down sugar and fat content. People always want cake, they want to indulge, so the solution is

to make the serving a little smaller but ensure it looks lovely and is an indulgent experience in its packaging style too.

This also supports sales because passengers will happily pay a bit more for an experience. Sharing also helps justify any added expense as it becomes a treat for their travel companion.

Pre order success

Airlines want to offer good products but also need to drive revenue and we believe the buy-on-board products they offer will be key. Increasingly passengers expect to buy onboard and soon they will know to pre-order exactly what they want in advance. The key to success is for the buy-on-board menu to become more exciting and innovative. •

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Menu musts An attractive menu card is the most important advertising tool an airline has as they seek to inspire buy-on-board sales. Jessica Pook explores some fundamentals

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s buy-on-board revenues become key to some airlines' success, a well-designed menu can now be the difference between strong sales or none, and can even support repeat custom.

The onboard retail concept has given passengers ever more choice but creating menus that reflect changing consumer habits while still supporting the airline brand, can prove challenging.

TRE3 is among those focused on creating, developing and designing onboard services and its menu cards have flown with Air Europa, Evelop and Air Nostrum among others. Pep Manich Grau, general manager of TRE 3, describes the process: “Initially we have to go through a product selection for each airline. We study the passengers and their consumption habits and try to include products that reflect these, while still offering an element of surprise with new options. Then we focus on how these products should be displayed to best reflect the brand image of the airline, for example should the menu be colourful and loud for a fun brand, or clean and minimalistic for a high end market?

associated images and neutral colours.

Manich Grau adds: “Air Europa wanted to separate itself from other airlines with a menu design that was elegant, and imagery that would stand out. We decided the best way to achieve this was to give life to the Talking trends products through a Having a menu that is professional photo innovative can help an shoot. We wanted to airline to differentiate Having the airline give the menu a fresh itself in a competitive involved is the best look and highlight the market and gain way to manage raw ingredients.” positive He believes publicity. expectations passengers are Air Europa’s increasingly demanding with regards new menu, which launched the menu choices they expect and in November 2018, for airlines are increasingly keen to present example, reflects the these choices in an appealing way. He demands of a more healthadds: "Of course, trends in snacks and conscious passenger with beverages are important to follow and the option of healthy we always work together with the most snacks, healthy drinks and important brands in the market." • fresh foods highlighted by

“Having the airline involved throughout the process is the best way to manage expectations, so our designers and photographers are constantly liaising with them.”

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86 / CHOCOLATE FOR RETAIL

You should

T

Even the world’s favourite indulgence needs a little help to sell itself and, as always, the onboard market sees different rules and trends apply. Laura Gelder looks at chocolate for onboard retail

here’s much debate in our industry about the 'science' of onboard retail sales but when it comes to chocolate, it’s easy to assume it sells itself.

A universally-loved treat, it's a staple of onboard sales – whether as a gift or an onboard treat – but it jostles for attention in a busy market and of course it is subject to consumer trends.

Veganism and vegetarianism is currently the biggest trend of the moment, according to Heerum Fleary, director of Tickeat, a business connecting brands with the travel industry. “It’s almost all about the millennials,” she says. “They seem to be taking over and and airlines are becoming more adventurous in response."

Vegan chocolate also suits the mass market because increasingly it tastes no different to standard chocolate.

Montezuma’s

has updated its 2018 wholesale range with three new mini bar flavours: the Sea Dog (dark chocolate with lime and sea salt), Minted (milk chocolate and crunchy peppermint) and Absolute Black - the company’s best-selling 100% cocoa chocolate which is vegan-friendly as well as sugar-, dairy-, glutenand soya-free.

Helen Pattinson, Montezuma’s co-founder says: “There has been a huge demand for mini bar formats of our dark chocolate and vegan ranges.

They work brilliantly in a meal deal, snack box, or as the perfect complimentary gift onboard.”

Plant-based future?

If veganism is here to stay, and it looks that way, a whole generation of children could well be raised vegan and British company Playin Choc is looking to this market early with charming kids’ boxes.

The educational snack box contains two organic vegan chocolates with a pop-out 3D endangered animal puzzle and animal facts card. Playin Choc’s Dominic Simler says: “We see this as a perfect onboard gift as it educates, puzzles, entertains and inspires creative play while providing wholesome high-quality chocolate which is dairy-, soy-, glutenand refined sugar-free. The entire package is onboardhospitality.com

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For many chocolate brands it’s the packaging, not the chocolate, which sets it apart

plastic-free too, with the toys made from recycled card and the box wrapped in home-compostable film. Each toy is a surprise and a collectible, with 46 designs available and more planned.”

Adult experiential offers are also evolving.

The Chief Chocolate Officer, for example, offers chocolates specifically made for eating with wine.

So pear and elderflower milk chocolate pairs with sauvignon blanc; blueberry, vanilla and black peppercorn dark chocolate with cabernet sauvignon; and toffee and orange blossom white chocolate with chardonnay.

Irish Chocolatier Butlers has traditional ranges for onboard retail, but also includes dessert-themed chocolates, and a range of 35g impulse buy chocolate bars and mini bars in six classic flavours.

The Grown Up Chocolate Company, uses its tongue-in-cheek packaging proclaiming 'contents exclusively for adults' thanks to decadent ingredients which are lavishly described.

It’s in the wrapper

For many chocolate brands it’s the packaging, not the chocolate, which sets it apart. The Jenny Wren range offers a three-tier box of truffles in a unique pivoting box. Mike Stanfield says: “Packaging is hugely important in onboard retail and for chocolate in general. You eat with your eyes and for our chocolates to live up to their beautiful taste and luxury ingredients the packaging needs to reflect the quality – you wouldn’t drink Champagne

from a plastic cup! We want to give consumers something a bit different.”

Starbrook Airlines – a confectionary brand, not a real airline, targets travel sales specifically with its watercolour artwork evoking the golden age of travel. Using Belgium chocolate, the range includes bars, boxes of truffles, mixed chocolates, pralines and classic Belgium seashells, as well as kids’ chocolate moulded into plane shapes and crisps. It has a strong presence in duty free and just added 90g organic milk chocolate, dark salted caramel and extra dark bars.

Gut Springenheide has unique natural 'packaging' for its chocolate – natural chicken eggshells. Eggs are cleaned, sterilised and then filled with a praline chocolate. Latest designs see golden speckles decorating a coloured pearlescent base. Says Barbara Tusky: “Sustainability is our watchword as the original contents of the egg are used for eggbased treats too". They can come with decorative boxes and toys.

Tickeat’s Fleary concludes: “Travellers are looking to try new things but of course brands like Mars and Ferrero will always be big sellers onboard as they are well known and passengers are comfortable choosing them." •

This page: Butler's dessert chocolates, praline filled eggs by Gut Springenheide and Montezuma's new mini bar formats Facing page: Jenny Wren truffles, Play in Choc’s kids box and Starbrook Airlines' travel themed chocolates

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MINISTRO, OFFICIALLY THE WORLD’S BEST AIRLINE FLASK Designed in London, crafted in Shanghai, enjoyed worldwide. Banish the cold cuppa for good.

INFL IGHT

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rail rewards

En route to loyalty?

Roger Williams, chairman of the International Rail Catering Group asks does the rail industry need to do more to reward customer loyalty?

Airline reward schemes are more than just a tag to keep valuable customers onside – they are the catalyst to drive huge revenues in both repeat travel and ancillary income.

Amazingly, eight of the top ten airlines have combined ancillary revenues of $29.7b and out of that, $13.5b (51%) is driven by loyalty schemes. That is equivalent to the total passenger revenues for all the UK railways!

Led by the big three – Star Alliance (Miles & More), One World (Avios) and Sky Team they are hugely popular, offering customers significant added value, so why don't we see them more often in the rail sector?

Rail rewards

Rail operators need to

memberships required, and only really of use to very regular users of only one particular line.

Virgin Trains (with understand loyalty is not links to Virgin Future potential just about one scheme, but With advancements Atlantic) and Eurostar about building a deeper (with links to Nectar in digital technology, and wider relationship points), are notable multi-modal and exceptions but most multi-geographical rail rewards are limited and quite parochial. reward alliance schemes could however Benefits are much lower largely because easily become a reality. If individual train unlike airlines, rail schemes do not allow companies aren’t able to organise them, passengers to share benefits across others could step in and create industry wide solutions. A large caterer or EPOS schemes. They appear disjointed provider with multiple large travel clients too with multiple for example.

Sooner or later someone will break the deadlock and the first to market will have a significant advantage.

Railways need to understand loyalty is not just about one scheme, but about building a deeper and wider relationship. Segregation complicates things and is not the best way to encourage customers to see rail as their first choice for travel. Large partnerships are needed to ensure customers are rewarded more effectively and that loyalty is secured. •

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90 / GALLEY GOSSIP

It’s a gift As the trend towards onboard gifting comes to the fore, drawing on his personal collection and a lifelong career onboard, George Banks looks back at unusual gifts of the past

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veryone loves to receive a gift however small it might be, and as the giveaway trend returns to the onboard scene with the Singapore Airlines' gifting programme in collaboration with FORMIA, I’m reminded of the airline gifts of the past.

Traditionally the items given were branded with an airline logo, and many were inspired by the airline's marketing departments and designed to give their product profile beyond the flight. But while they served a commercial purpose many also became very highly regarded too.

Such gifts were generally produced in relatively small quantities, and only given to the elite passengers travelling in premium cabins, so even if not valuable in themselves, they were treasured for their scarcity value and in some cases proved to be valuable in the longer term.

The idea was to promote the airline to passengers or agency sales teams and keep the brand top of mind beyond the airports. All sorts of creative ideas were offered from airline bags, key rings and pens which were standard for a while, to vinyl records featuring music from the home nation, to ashtrays, delicate crockery items and stylised drinking glasses and unique souvenir ornaments.

Thinking of launching a gifting programme?

Here are a few ideas from the past which show anything goes, just use your imagination! •

VIASA

Venezuelan flag carrier VIASA offered big jet comfort on direct flights from the USA and Europe to its capital Caracas. In celebration of its national culture it produced this 45rpm vinyl disc of Venezuelan music as a sales giveaway.

BRITISH AIRWAYS

British Airways presented a special boxed blue and white fine bone china cup and saucer especially illustrated by artist Manilo Jesse.

EMIRATES

Emirates offered practical gifts at the many sports events it sponsored such as this branded cushion for those watching the 2013 US Open. It promoted the daily non-stop New York to Milan route. In addition, a red Ralph Lauren polo shirt and a Panama hat were given to guests.

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UNITED ARAB AIRLINES

UAA, which later became Egyptair, designed some original ashtray gifts, one of which took the iconic shape of a pyramid (left). It promoted the Comet 4C jetliner and featured Egyptian art.

ALITALIA

Italian carrier Alitalia offered a small elegantlypainted china plate to mark the introduction of the Caravelle and DC-8 Jetliners in 1960.

KENYA AIRLINES Kenya Airways offered a bounty of gifts including quality slippers, eyemasks, stationery, pens, and locally-sourced coffee.

MSA

Malaysia Singapore Airlines presented a 45rpm vinyl disc of its theme music: ‘A great way to fly’ in 1971, as a gift presented in an attractive black and white gloss sleeve. The music was used on the airline’s TV commercials.

VARIG

The once iconic Brazilian airline VARIG offered branded china dishes filled with Brazilian coffee beans.

SINGAPORE AIRLINES

Now working with FORMIA on an onboard gifting programme featuring the Lalique brand, SIA in the past offered a handmade porcelain model of the Singapore Airlines stewardess. Only 500 were produced by prestigious British china brand, Coalport.

EASTERN AIRLINES

Operating in the US from 1926 to 1991, Eastern offered specially designed glasses to promote its 60 Martin 404 airliners flying 1952-62. Marketed as the ‘Silver Falcon’ it was said at the time to be the ‘world’s most advanced twin engine airliner’.

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92 / GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE

The world view We're going global every day by going social.

Meet us in the virtual world via Twitter and Linkedin.

Here's just some of digital chat you may have missed...

Follow us for more: @OBHMagazine and Linkedin.com

Just for laughs

Comedians Russell Kane, Joel Dommett and Rob Beckett took their comedy to new heights when they performed a special gig onboard a British Airways flight for 140 guests.

The Flying Start performance marked the airline's success in raising £20 million in its year-round appeal for Comic Relief. Kane, who hosted the gig, said: “I’ve performed in many unusual venues but never at 38,000 feet! There was an amazing atmosphere with lots of laughs onboard."

The airline also distributed special edition cupcakes and merchandise around the country to thank people for helping with the fundraising. @British_Airways

Cruise countdown

Holland America Line has revealed 30 'fun facts' about its new Nieuw Statendam cruiseliner on the countdown to its launch. In its first year, for example, the ship will sail 92,723 nautical miles, more than four times around the globe. Another? On a sevenday cruise, more than 42,000 eggs will be used and on a week long voyage, 9,331 towel animals will be created.

The 2,666-guest ship set sail on December 1, 2018 and will spend a season in the Caribbean before returning to Europe. @HALcruises

Who are you wearing?

Delta has upcycled its retired uniforms, transforming them into backpacks, travel kits, passport covers, bags and accessories. Over 350,000 pounds of retired textiles were donated to upcycling company Looptworks following the introduction of Delta's new uniforms earlier this year. Reusing the materials saves them from becoming landfill waste and gives customers and employees the chance to own a piece of Delta history. The goods can be purchased at looptworks.com/delta. Now that's limited edition! @DeltaNewsHub

Jillaroo to you too

Qantas has named its latest Dreamliner after the Jillaroo.

Puzzled? Well a Jillaroo (or its male counterpart, jackaroo) is a young person working on a cattle station, tending to the livestock and just generally maintaining the station in what is considered a 'uniquely Australian role'.

Jillaroo joins other Qantas Dreamliners named for classic Aussie icons including Waltzing Matilda, Skippy and the Great Southern Land. @Qantas

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GLOBAL PERSPECTIVE / 93

Safety first

Happy anniversary

More than 400 employees of Etihad Airways gathered to celebrate the airline's 15 year anniversary with a human mosaic. The photo was taken in front of one of the airline’s Airbus A380s at the Etihad Airways Engineering facility at Abu Dhabi International Airport. @EtihadAirways

ANA has released a new inflight safety video featuring traditional Japanese Kabuki theatre. The themed video shows safety procedures in an entertaining way using real Kabuki actors from the celebrated play Sugawara Denju Tenarai Kagami (Sugawara and the Secrets of Calligraphy). The video launched on domestic flights from December 1 and will run on international flights from January 1, 2019, with subtitles available in 17 languages customised to each route. @ANA_Group_News

Doughnut duty

Members of the All Blacks New Zealand rugby team showed commuters their sweeter side as they handed out doughnuts in London.

The treats served to give passers-by a sample of sponsor Air New Zealand's onboard menu and were presented by rugby stars Codie Taylor, Jordie Barrett and Waisake Naholo.

Unfortunatly the doughnuts did little to sweeten their vistory against England in the Vista 2018 All Blacks Northern Tour. @airnzuk

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94 / events

Don't miss Taste of Travel 2019 WTCE has confirmed the revered Taste of Travel programme – run in association with Onboard Hospitality magazine – will return to Hamburg in April, focused on the future of onboard services and enhancing the passenger experience.

The Taste of Travel Theatre will feature a specially curated – free-to-attend – programme full of inspiration, advice and product samples. Onboard chefs and passenger experience leaders are also invited to join the forum and share their invaluable insights with airlines, rail and cruise buyers.

Organised by former Onboard Hospitality Editor, Jo Austin, a series of product launches and live cookery demos will be complemented by presentations and panel discussions on a range of issues from packaging, sustainability, and food waste to pre-ordering and wellbeing.

There will also be an opportunity for newcomers to the industry to meet the Onboard Hospitality Mentors in a dedicated session.

The practical sessions will also provide What: World Travel Catering & Onboard Services Expo Where: Hamburg When: April 2-4, 2019

advice on how to drive revenue onboard and build profile for your brand in travel.

Archana Sharma, WTCE exhibition director, said: "We’re delighted to again partner with the Onboard Hospitality team and look forward to announcing more about this year’s programme over the coming months."

If you are interested in being a speaker contact Jo.Austin@bmipublishing.co.uk. worldtravelcateringexpo.com

Four events, one venue WTCE (above) is one of four events now Where: Hamburg run in one venue.

Messe In addition, the When: 2-4 April Aircraft Interiors 2019 Expo (AIX) and the Passenger Technology Solutions event will also be held here, alongside the Passenger Experience Conference.

Together the expos form the leading event for the buyers from the world’s international charter and regional airlines and rail operators, as well as cruise and coach companies.

What: Passenger Experience Week

They aim to deliver content, drive innovation and develop connections to transform business. They showcase the latest in cabin interiors, inflight entertainment and connectivity, onboard technology, passenger comfort, catering and travel retail.

The events attract more than 18,000 visitors including 2,000 buyers and decision makers from major full service, regional and charter airlines and rail operators and offers the opportunity to meet face to face with suppliers and manufacturers covering the full spectrum of the industry. passengerexperienceweek.com

CALENDAR december 6-7 Our People Matter Radisson Blu Edwardian Hotel, London Heathrow ispyacademy.com ------december 10-12 SIAL-Middle East ADNEC, UAE sialme.com ------january 29-30 APEX TECH Los Angeles U.S. itech.apex.aero ------february 11-12 AIME Dubai World Trade Centre, UAE aime.aero ------february 27-28 Aviation Festival Asia SUNTEC Singapore Convention & Exhibition Centre, Singapore terrapinn.com

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WELCOME ON BOARD. Defining the future of the global passenger experience industry. Four leading events, one week, one destination. Delivering content, driving innovation and developing connections to transform your business. Showcasing the latest cabin interiors, inflight entertainment and connectivity, passenger comfort, catering, retail offerings and software technology to create the ultimate passenger experience.

Register at passengerexperienceweek.com

In co-operation with:

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Original + Personal You can have both – that’s the #SpiritOfSPIRIANT

Every amenity kit we produce is designed to take your brand to another level, such as our beautifully-crafted ‘Artisanal Grace’ kit.

Whether turning the latest luxury trends into affordable solutions or understanding how to ensure a lasting connection with passengers, we balance performance with inspiration so that you needn’t compromise. That’s the Spirit of SPIRIANT. www.spiriant.com

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