Qantas will continue to bring the best of Australia to the world, with yet another multi-million dollar investment in bettering service. New meals and larger portions are set to take flight across all classes of travel, featuring quality ingredients from premium Australian producers. Customers travelling onboard regional, domestic and international flights will notice changes as the red roo rolls out its significant menu enhancement from 29 March 2023.
The airline said this would be its largest investment in inflight and lounge dining for over a decade, as Qantas returns to profit and looks to re-establish its position as a premium carrier. The refresh follows a planned expansion of domestic and international lounges, new route launches and of course those beautiful Project Sunrise Business and First Class suites. Menu changes also follow an overhaul of the Qantas domestic Economy food service last year, which aimed to improve variety and also enhance the experience for those with dietary requirements.
Qantas Group Chief Customer Officer, Markus Svensson, said new dishes would offer a marked improvement in Qantas’ inflight dining experience.
“Premium food and wine is one of the top three reasons our customers choose to fly with Qantas, so this significant boost means we will be able to further our efforts to deliver a world-class experience in the sky,” said Mr Svensson.
“We are proud to work with established and emerging Australian food and wine producers to offer the best possible dining experience to our customers.”
Neil Perry was also on hand at Qantas HQ, and has been closely involved in the airline’s onboard food and beverage for 25 years.
“We are spoilt for choice in Australia when it comes to being able to source top quality food from fantastic Australian producers, and together with generous servings and great service, these are the key ingredients to creating an enjoyable meal,” said Mr Perry.
With each regular menu change, Neil Perry and his team create nearly 250 new dishes for the domestic and international network. The new menus have begun rolling out on domestic flights and will launch on international services towards the end of the month. Coinciding with autumn, the offering is set to feature seasonal ingredients with plant-based options across all cabins.
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New International First and Business Meals
At the pointy end of the kangaroo, passengers will find a new menu that continues the same commitment to quality premium-cabin dining on international flights. Qantas and Neil Perry have opted to serve up a new twist on existing fan favourites, with a focus on investing in high-quality produce.
New International First Class dishes include;
- Calvisius caviar on buckwheat blinis with Pepe Saya crème fraiche.
- Queensland spanner crab and sweet pork salad with green mango, cashews and nam jim dressing.
- Crumbed Margra lamb cutlets with lemon myrtle celeriac puree.
- Seared Glacier 51 toothfish with saffron sauce, steamed potatoes and braised fennel.
- Riverine beef fillet with green beans and rosemary toasted potatoes.
As well as the introduction of a starter salad, as well as an ice cream service on all flights. New International Business Class dishes include;
- Seared Grasslands beef fillet with Café de Paris butter.
- Bannockburn free-range chicken Kyiv.
- Seared snapper with black bean sauce, seasonal greens and salted chilli.
- Crumbed snapper roll with pickled cabbage and tartare sauce (second meal on Asia flights).
- Stir-fried noodles with wombok, cucumber, sesame and chilli oil (second meal on Asia flights).
Changes To Premium Economy And Economy Meals
Qantas will introduce a starter salad and ice cream service for all international Premium Economy flights, as well as refreshed main courses, such as;
- Salmon with tomato fennel sauce.
- Red quinoa and brown rice.
- Braised lamb shank with red wine mushroom sauce and potato puree.
If you are travelling internationally in Qantas Economy, you could find;
- Cajun prawns with spiced rice.
- Korean chilli and garlic chicken with kimchi.
- Black pepper beef with oyster mushrooms.
- Chicken fried rice (second meal on Asia flights).
- Sage and lemon ravioli with kale and Napolitana sauce (second meal on Asia flights).
Domestic Flights See Improved Meals
Qantas will continue to serve their latest domestic Economy menu that launched recently in October 2022, offering greater choices across the network including vegetarian options.
In Business Class, passengers will find an increased range of lighter options including Ploughman’s and Cheese plates featuring a selection of cheese, protein and accompaniments. The airline says this is ideal for Business passengers on evening flights, who still wish to enjoy a full dinner after landing. Also in the works for domestic Business passengers is;
- The addition of starter salads on long flights (eg. Grilled Prawns with Asian slaw and Edamame or Tasmanian Smoked Salmon with Kale and Sweet Potato salad).
- Return of welcome beverages (juice and water) for long domestic flights.
- Premium snacks by Koko Black, Brookfarm and Carman’s.
Dining Improvements At Qantas Lounges
Before jetting off with a fancy new menu, passengers can enjoy the following enhancements across the extensive Qantas lounge network;
- Return of premium cakes – including the Decadent Chocolate Ganache cake.
- An enhanced plate of the day – including Steamed Blue Eye with Pickled Daikon, Sesame and Shiso Vinaigrette.
- International Business lounges to offer light snacks – including Fresh Ricotta and Crisp Pancetta with Roasted Cherry Tomatoes and Sourdough plus Beef, Bacon and Dark Ale Pies.
- Qantas Clubs and Business lounges to serve ice cream.
Summing Up: Editor’s Take
Qantas has always done well at dishing up tasty international meals, especially in premium cabins. As Neil Perry mentioned, the airline goes to great lengths to cook as much of the meal onboard as possible (for international flights), which is key in delivering a superior experience.
At Qantas HQ today, I was able to try a selection of what will be offered onboard as soon as next week. It was an impressive selection, and all very tasty (pro tip: don’t miss out on the Margra lamb cutlets if you spot them onboard!). If the menu preview is anything to go by, I can’t wait for my next Qantas international journey.
