Thai Airways - Frozen Food Range

Airline cuisine hasn’t always had the best reputation over the years, but that hasn’t stopped a number of carriers actively promoting the food they serve, and taking it outside the actual airplane environment.

For example, at the end of last year United released a cookbook with recipes based on the food served in the Polaris premium cabins.

Meanwhile Air Asia boss Tony Fernandes has publicly floated the idea of opening up fast food restaurants, which would serve what you get on Air Asia flights.

Thai Airways has gone one better in announcing that it will be selling frozen food ready meals in Thailand. According to the Bangkok Post, the announcement was made at the Thaifex World of Food Exhibition, with the products being sold under the Royal Orchid Gourmet brand.

At the same time, Thai Airways is launching “Eurng Luang Curry Sauce” aimed at international markets in Europe and Asia.

Thai Airways says that the Royal Orchid Gourmet frozen food includes beef and chicken Masaman Rice, Green Curry Rice, Red Curry Rice, Panaeng Rice, and Krapao Rice with fried egg.

It’s an interesting idea and potentially a much better brand extension than the United Cookbook (cookbooks involve effort and can remain on the shelf), or the Air Asia restaurant (which could just be a PR announcement).

Thai cuisine as a whole is growing in popularity, a poll in the UK last year found that food from SE Asia is becoming more popular than the traditional alternatives of Italian or Indian cuisine.

Having a Thai food range carrying the stamp of approval from the national airline surely would give it a sense of authenticity, and it would be the kind of product supermarket shoppers interested in SE Asian or Thai food would instantly gravitate to.