Coming to the table

takes a look at tableware trends

Good tableware can really make a journey special. Yet, all too often, the savvy selection of well-designed, fit-for-purpose items goes largely unnoticed – perhaps that's a silent compliment?

The all-pervading emphasis on sustainability means all suppliers are exploring innovative and eco-friendly materials and designs that cut weight.

“In the Economy Class cabin, there is a lot of work being done to make the products more sustainable. Some airlines have already initiated internal directives to remove all CPET and aluminium casseroles; replacing these with sustainable, compostable materials or re-usable casseroles,” says Cindy Lam, Director of Clip.

Material choices

The story behind the choice of materials used is becoming ever more important not least because passenger perceptions count for a lot. Opinions and feedback shared on social media can enhance or tarnish a brand’s image.

Suppliers such as GXFlight produce a range of biodegradable corn starch tableware which is lightweight and compostable; and space-saving modular and stackable designs have been seeing take-up for some time.

Linstol is supplying LATAM with biodegradable and compostable sugarcane bagasse lids for use on Business Class meals and side dishes, supporting the airline in its goal of eliminating single-use plastics. That partnership is also evident in bagasse cups with EarthCoating – a mineral-enriched resin that offers an eco-friendly alternative to polyethylene. Paper cups with EarthCoating are compatible with paper recycling systems.

In December, following lengthy testing of sustainability concepts, Etihad Airways introduced Economy Class tableware designed to improve the passenger experience while also being sustainable. Made from recycled, high-quality plastic, the reusable tableware eliminates singleuse plastic from the service. The tray, platter, casserole, side bowls and lids are part of a closedloop recycling system that, at the end of their lifecycle, supplies material to make replacements.

Global-c undertook three years of research and development to produce the NeverLeak sustainable box for Qantas and their customised designs acknowledge Australia’s First Nations peoples.

Made from paperboard, Global-c has a patented EasyClick lock lid. Leakproof, NeverLeak is freezer-tooven safe and compostable. Plastic-free, the boxes present options when it comes to endof-life disposal.

Reusable

For many, rotable tableware is now the best answer to the sustainability challenge. Gategroup's deSter, Kaelis and skysupply count among suppliers of stylish rotable tableware that can be used time and again. And at buzz Simon Yaffe, Director of Client Service says: “There’s a great deal more cost at the product level and at the operational level of having to rewash, but it’s much more sustainable than disposing of all the single-use plastics.”

His team has worked on a high-end partnership with Armani/Casa for Etihad Airways newest Constellation Collection of tableware and Yaffe says this reflects a trend towards “more luxury” onboard. He argues that this is a reaction to the pandemic, during which people invested in beautiful homeware, raising appreciation of tableware designs and influencing expectations during inflight services.

“We’re putting a lot of effort into those products that the customer touches,” he says, suggesting that more premium products will be seen onboard in the future.

Luxury trends

Clip has seen this upward trend building for several years and points to its Premium Economy designs for EVA Air, co-branded with Guzzini a few years ago.

The supplier most recently teamed up with English brand William Edwards, to create a bespoke bone china collection, and Robert Welch for stainless steel cutlery items, to feature in Starlux Airlines' new First Class cabin. “In addition to hospitality brands, luxury fashion brands are more than ever connected to the world of tableware. Hermès has historically had fine porcelain in its assortment…Dolce Gabbana Casa and Missoni offer beautiful ranges of stunning colourful porcelain," adds Lam.

Kaelis believes luxury and sustainabillity can go hand in hand, designing a new collection for Iberia using ultralight, versatile plates so the number of items onboard was cut while still raising the bar for the stylish service offered.

With something rather different, innovative German supplier silwy produces cups, bowls and glassware that feature magnets in their bases. Pair those bases with metallic nano-gel-pads and items impressively stay in place. Ideal at high speed, through turbulence or on rough seas. •

TydenBrooks has been working with the airlines industry to provide easy-to-use high security seals & tamper-evident solutions for over 50 years. Here the TydenBrooks leadership and its industry partners explain just what it takes to make airline partnerships work

Celebrating our 150th Year innovating and manufacturing tamper evident security seals, in Europe we have focused on our airline customers to build-up a large portfolio of innovative solutions to tackle theft and eliminate shrinkages. Our team based in the UK carry a wealth of experience and expertise on areas such as in-flight catering, duty-free, airline cargo and much more.

As a one stop supplier of tamper evident security seals we offer a unique range of products to cover all aspects of securing the in-flight operation from the catering cart, the cargo hold, life-vests/jackets, cabin crew personal baggage, passenger blankets, the cleaning programs and more.

TydenBrooks are the industry leading problem-solvers. Airlines reach out to us not only for our premium products but also for innovative solutions. With our partnerships, understanding the goals and objectives of the airline through open communication enables us to proactively bring solutions and new ideas to the table.

Personalised Service

Our commitment to providing a personalised customer experience is deeply ingrained into the corporate culture. We align ourselves with each airline partner to have a unique understanding of their passenger needs and how we can help the airline provide the safest and best possible passenger experiences.

We learnt to understand that airlines want high-quality and sustainable products on-board their aircraft. TydenBrooks' competitive advantage is the exceptional level of professional care they offer. We always feel our team is committed to their customers and really understands their needs, achieving the highest possible level of quality, cost efficiency and, most importantly, consistency right from the production line at our UK factory.

Achieving success through innovation in a congested market sector for 150 years is not easy. The pandemic and cost of living crisis has presented TydenBrooks with many challenges in the security seal market. With each change made, we dedicate our efforts to enhance our relations with suppliers and better serve our customers.

In the security seal industry, TydenBrooks hope to maintain organic growth and continue with an added value approach in other markets worldwide, connecting the right people across the supply chain to deliver results. TydenBrooks has 150 years' experience behind us but are certainly looking forward to the future.

Spencer Davis – General Manager

TydenBrooks EMEA •