WestJet Lifetime Achievement

Lifetime Achievement

Onboard hospitalityawards 2020

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Perfect partners

Congratulations to Helga and Rudi Friedrichs, joint winners of our 2020 Onboard Hospitality Lifetime Achievement Award

This award was given in recognition of Helga and Rudi's dedication to inflight catering excellence for 35 years at Frankenberg. This incredible catering partnership all started in 1985 with a simple dish of roast beef esterhazy, potato dumplings and glazed baby carrots. This was the product that won them their very first airline meal tender.

In April of that year, just after their marriage, businessman, Rudi, and food nutritionist, Helga, took over a bankrupt company producing meals-on-wheels in Würselen, near Aachen in Germany. Recognising that the existing model for this company was unlikely to succeed, the young couple soon saw new markets had to be found. Rudi called holiday carrier, LTU, with an offer to tender. The new business was located in the heart of Europe, so targeting the growing travel and airline sector seemed a perfect fit.

Quality focus

With no real idea about airline catering back then, but with a passion for high quality, healthy good food, and just 12 employees, the Friedrichs convinced the airline to take up the offer. They won business for a one

month trial period, catering return solutions with total customer care flights, and from there, the young always in mind. company, Frankenberg, went on Now, 35 years on, the airline sector to produce all hot meals for one of remains the company’s primary focus Germany’s biggest and sustains the carriers. beating heart of the

From its conception, company. The team the cornerstone ethic of Frankenberg was never short-term profit, but a focus on adding Frankenberg has provided consistent tailored meal produces in excess of 200,000 meals every day for many of the world’s international value in the long-term solutions with total airlines, with a team and to securing a customer care of more than 500 strong base for future always in mind extended ‘family’ generations to build members. on. It was this core belief that drove Still a family-owned and run company, the couple to establish long-term, daughter Laura and husband Sebastian strategic partnerships with customers (pictured) joined the management and suppliers alike. Combined with team officially in late 2019 and are now policies of sustainable development joint managing directors, dedicated and ongoing investment in latest to to maintaining the commitment technologies – Frankenberg has to excellence that is Helga and Rudi’s provided consistent tailored meal undoubted legacy. •