Boxing clever: The

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Boxing clever

Post COVID-19, airlines are working to rebuild service delivery with innovative packaged meals and investment in technology which could transform the food and beverage offer, says Julie Baxter

COVID-19 hit inflight caterers and suppliers like a fast car driving into a brick wall. From record levels of culinary innovation and a strong focus on differentiation through F&B, they faced - in an instance - zero incomes and only 3-5% of airline flights even operating.

There was no obvious roadmap out of the catastrophe either, just a lot of mixed messaging from global governments, depressing predictions and very negative expert analytics. It was quickly The clear that the road to recovery would be a long World haul, and catering would not be the first thing in Health aviation to bounce back. Organisation

IATA guidance early on in the crisis to remove agreed there was no all F&B service inflight was worrying, as was the evidence of the virus being hygiene decision to make face masks mandatory - transmitted via food or food how could anyone ever eat onboard again if they packaging but the method of service were wearing a face mask for delivery became the ongoing the whole journey? But few issue, and spurred many airlines – or passengers – were creative suppliers into action. likely to accept the deprivation Food is not responsible The sector emerged from of no F&B for long, and once eating and drinking became the ONLY legitimate reason for the spread of the virus but we have to a period of shock. It had furloughed staff, mothballed kitchens, off-loaded face masks could be removed rebuild confidence in it piles of unrequired meals inflight, some carriers actually and snacks to charities, the noted an increase in F&B retail demand! disadvantaged and healthcare workers, and began Stringent safety the ‘new normal’. By early June the Airline Catering Association (ACA), had agreed new protocols for safety and Public anxieties hygiene inflight. The guidelines applied stringent Research published by The Airline Passenger safety precautions at across the catering supply chain and were pulled together with the support of gategroup, LSG Group, dnata, Newrest and Do & Co to help members navigate the COVID-19 pandemic, covering people, premises, policies, processes, procedures and procurement. Fabio Gamba, ACA md, said: “Food is not connected to virus spread and strict food safety measures refined through decades of air travel remain in place to make sure that all food leaving our kitchens is safe. We are confident in our product but understand we have to rebuild confidence more widely.”

IFSA too launched guidance to airline and caterer members, primarily focused on U.S operations but evolving for global application too. launching strategies and concepts, with airlines, for

Below: New boxed solutions from WK Thomas

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Experience Association (APEX) and the International Flight Services Association (IFSA), found that food safety had become one of the key issues for passengers since the pandemic. The research was conducted by social listening specialist, Fethr, where head of insight, David Griffiths, reported: “Among the millions of conversations about travel, we saw a huge spike in conversations around F&B when the outbreak began. There was a lot of negative sentiment around the open tray-set when travelling and positive sentiment around wellness and medicinal foods with healthy credentials. These are products it seems passengers would be willing to pay for, products they have confidence in. I think F&B onboard will increasingly be paid for, and also preordered. Right now safety trumps sustainability but nice to see that those leaders that believe in the in many cases the changes required for F&B may in new positioning of their airline, are really investing fact be able to support both priorities.” in the digital area. Those pursuing digital are the

And that most specifically means leveraging ones that are going to survive. the onboard use of technology. Fethr’s sister “Our part of the industry has never really had company Black Swan Data any forecasting systems, we has been working on this with work on estimates based gategroup with its ePax retail on past consumption, that's solution, and for LSG Group, Right now safety trumps not good enough or precise Retail inMotion reports a huge sustainability but in enough any more, not if surge in demand post-COVID many cases the changes you want to go after other and has tied up with Bluebox Aviation Systems to offer an enhanced touch-free retail solution. Dnata Catering too required for F&B may in fact be able to support both priorities objectives like saving costs and being more sustainable in terms of waste. There is a journey of transformation to reports half a dozen airlines be made for those who want immediately raising conversations around to play a role in the future, you're going onboard retail programmes to have to act very fast and very precisely for the new normal. to convert your business from the status

Erdmann Rauer, quo to a more advanced digital company. ceo at LSG Group It requires a lot of speed and investment. said: “Airlines have to Outsiders will enter the sector with a control costs, and fulfil digital background but no food, service or new regulations, and aviation understanding. They may look they have to fulfil that attractive but in this sector you sustainability priority need real knowledge and too, that hasn’t experience of the gone away. industry, and it The pandemic is caterers that has brought us qualify best in to a turning point that regard. where airlines have Thankfully in to rethink and use the our portfolio we crisis to reposition, and have Retail inMotion suppliers have to do that too. which has a track record Airlines are cutting costs but it's with inflight F&B technology

From the top: Etihad crew ready for service in the new normal; Monty's Bakehouse boxed meal solution

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and best practice case studies to draw on. experiences to create for passengers. We may Over the past five plus years we’ve gained a lot of struggle in premium cabins (Business), where experience of this, for pre-order, pre-select and numbers and opportunities may be down, but ultra Order2seat systems, and now have a very mature premium (First) may hold up, and the back cabin and reliable service. Airlines will be especially interesting. are certainly convinced by In the last 10 years we the tech solutions, and now have seen a good deal of momentum, driven by the COVID situation, is building. The crisis is accelerating a trend that was already in place The COVID crisis is accelerating a technology trend that investment in that cabin, airlines trying to differentiate through food service, and while that may be harder at in the market.” was already in place a time of smaller markets,

Black Swan Data ceo, brave airlines will stick with Steve King, working with gateretail, said: “ePax’s that important goal. innovations, including data-driven mobile product “I do believe there is a wonderful opportunity stores, digital payment options, and intelligent to robustly look at the onboard product and do recommendations, help airlines deliver safer something different, flip things completely in some onboard retail models, while enhancing choice and ancillary revenues. It's a new era of inflight retail, one more attuned to the experience at home.”

Rebuilding & reinventing

Technology also enables an improvement in the service an airline can offer because it supports loading efficiency. Traditionally airlines have offered 40-50 F&B items and 100-150 of duty free, but with pre-order they can offer many more choices, both for delivery inflight or through a home delivery service.

Robin Padgett, senior vp dnata Catering, sees reasons for some optimism. He said: “There will clearly be less people to serve, but it will be an active market with interesting opportunities and

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cases, perhaps from complimentary to retail, long-haul, Business and First passengers. Created and find new ways of presenting product, new by Do & Co, at the premium end the boxes include customer experiences. Retail can be a complex, a salad, hot entrée or sandwich, served with a scientific model but even before the pandemic, selection of alcoholic and non-alcoholic beverages. personalisation was a buzz word, and getting the On short-haul routes, passengers receive a boxed right product to the right customer is the nirvana salad or sandwich with a selection of beverages. for our industry. With retail you are collecting Virgin Atlantic added a Health Pack and Food Box data as you go, so it is an designed to ensure passenger incredibly powerful way to confidence. And Delta began personalise things and get bagging its snacks with a the customer something that Retail is an incredibly bundle of goodies packed they really want. Technology powerful way to together for a one-drop is the backbone, but it is also about how you configure personalise things delivery. These personal snack bags on domestic flights, that technology with a warm, decreased touch-points human component. Tech on its own isn’t enough onboard and doubled as an individual but it is an important part of the solution.” rubbish bag. “We want our customers

With regards building consumer confidence he and crew members to know we will added: “As an industry we have been serving 30bn always have their backs,” said Mike meals a year until this pandemic and I believe Crowley, Delta’s vp onboard service airline catering safety is second to none but we operations. “As this pandemic evolves, understand we have a task now to reassure people we continue to innovate our service on this.” and respond to crew and customer feedback, while maintaining the Touching less hospitality Delta is known for.” Initially this reassurance focused around removing United began serving only crew touchpoints and delivery interactions as much sealed beverages and an 'all-inas possible, and presenting wrapped and boxed one' snack bag with a wrapped solutions as the new normal. sanitiser wipe, 8.5-ounce bottled

British Airways started serving boxed meals in water and two snacks for mid all classes from the middle of June, designed to length routes. Any meals and minimise interactions between customers and snacks were served packaged and crew and including pre-prepared meal boxes for wrapped in all classes.

Above from left: Tailored trays and boxes from Novel Foods; Foodcase's new Butler Concept Facing page from left: Boxed special meals by Libero; vegan snacks from Snackbox-To-Go

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Suppliers step up

To support this trend suppliers stepped up. Monty’s Bakehouse launched a new ‘Snack in a Pack’ range of products and packaging concepts focused on minimising interaction between the crew and passengers. Passengers offered this option could potentially collect their own F&B at the departure gate, on their seat or from the crew in a single movement.

The solution has a handle for practicality, a window panel and a secured tear strip which guarantees safety, reassurance and hygiene for passengers. Another concept includes the halfsized tray box served by crew, sealed in a tamperproof box with the option to slide a Monty’s Bakehouse hot component through the side of the tray before handing to passengers.

Light touch

En Route International by the pandemic so we’ve launched 'Light-touch', a developed products that range of snacking and meal solutions to support transition back to normal schedules. The range runs from an entry-level Consumer confidence is going to be a major contributor to how provide reassurance about the food, where it has come from and how it has been handled. Our own research option of a snack, water and quickly our sector showed passengers may be hand sanitisers; to boxes with recovers wary of ‘open’ style food and substantial meal varieties. will be looking for product The flexible choice of products are produced and integrity, through packaging. packed in BRC and FDA grade facilities to ensure Marc Warde at Libero/Niche Free-from Kitchen supply chain integrity and safety and include a new specialises in inflight special meals but reported range of IFW bakery items and packed fresh-cut this element of passenger service was largely premium cheeses. abandoned during the pandemic because many

Hamish Cook, executive director at En Route, catering kitchens supplying free-from meals were said: “We know that consumer simply closed down. He said: “Many airlines just did confidence is going to be a major not offer special meals for start-up. We have put contributor to how quickly our sector together solutions more recently for some which in recovers from the challenges caused the most part are formed of one box, delivered to the passenger. They are simple options including an ambient type snack one end - hummus, bread, crackers, and a traybake/biscuit sweet item – and the hot meal in the other. "Boxed offerings have become the obvious option for initial service, to minimise crew contact. It is perfectly possible to have a limited range of special meals that suit a wide range of special meal categories and in times of heightened awareness of health issues it is just not acceptable to leave diabetics, for example, to go hungry. Those on special diets still need to eat.” Novel Foods also turned its focus onto snack boxes. The solutions range from exotic spreads to free-from foods, serviettes and hand sanitisers.

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Airlines are in full control of the box design and Fresh to frozen content, from a simple two-component dip and Snackbox To-Go has also launched a new product cracker to a fully-inclusive, multi-component range featuring fresh to frozen sandwiches, meal-pack. The tailored package and boxes ambient breakfasts (including granola and yoghurt, are individually packed and flow-wrapped for cornflakes and milk), plus a range of ambient additional protection and reassurance. boxes that can be tailor-made to suit the need.

Specialist in ambient food solutions, Foodcase It has used the COVID down time to relaunch its (like most inflight caterers) saw a 95% drop in its online activities and build its European logistics business at the start of the pandemic and adapted network, to ensure reliable deliveries worldwide. fast of offer post-COVID solutions. It created a Temperature sensitive containers are now issued boxed breakfast service for hotels and developed a with temperature usb sticks providing clear insight No Touch Door Opener. It launched a new concept into the frozen or chilled chain environments. to reinvent back-catering with the new Foodcase The Frankenberg team has looked into boxed Butler concept (see page 23). Evertaste's range solutions, but questions the long-term value of themed boxed offerings: of these especially those Mediterranenan, Movie, featuring chilled food, Ploughmans, Afternoon Tea designed to be eaten cold, and Irish are also positioned to Boxed offerings have which can be particularly meet the need. become the obvious vulnerable. Joint md Laura WK Thomas added a new single-serve box meal holding a film-sealed hot option for initial service, to minimise crew contact Schlaadt said: "The hot airline meal is probably the least risky of all the potential entrée, cutlery, drink and products onboard, safely dessert, and offers a range of sealed disposable prepared, frozen at it’s optimum freshness and cutlery and condiment packs, plus inflight health cleanliness, and also reheated – killing any potential kits comprising sanitisers and wipes, and inflight bacteria and viruses – just before delivery. The clean-up kits. Head of travel David Simpson said: passenger removes a sealed lid making them the "Hygiene and sustainability are not mutually first in contact with the food they consume. We exclusive. We can still maintain commitments to believe that, in time, the environmental and actual sustainable goals while ensuring the passenger financial cost of an all-disposable delivery system environment is as safe as possible. Feedback from will be replaced by a return to reusables and crew and customers as we trial alternatives to rotables, as passenger volumes return." single-use plastic onboard has been good." No doubt that is the hope of many others too. •

Above from left: Boxed and ready to serve from Evertaste; BA's boxed offer by Do & Co Facing page from top: Light-touch boxes from En Route; Delta's bag of passenger goodies