WANT to upgrade to First Class without the price tag? Well, now there’s a way to do it – for your tastebuds at least.
British Airways quietly introduced “Height Cuisine” to its long-haul flights from Heathrow earlier this year.
It was a test run for more fancy, pre-paid food in the economy cabin — £15 to £18 buys you a three-course meal or full English breakfast worthy of the galley up in First Class.
It came about because, too often, passengers’ first choice of food was running out and a pre-booked option gave BA the chance to guarantee it.
But is the upgraded fare any good? We went to Do&Co to find out.
Do&Co is a specialist caterer that supplies BA and a few other airlines’ premium menus.
Their premises do not exactly scream luxury but what goes on inside their giant warehouse on a stretch of the M4 is extraordinary.
Half a tonne of chicken and several tonnes of vegetables are used for more than 50,000 premium meals every day.
And a pillar of salt, too, I suspected. At 35,000ft, your tastebuds are dulled and the food needs all of the help it can get.
Salt is often used as a shortcut to flavour — but head chef Sinead Hanna says BA is trying other ways to amp up the taste while toning down the salt.
So, then, to the proof of the pudding. Starting with the hardest to get right, the vegetarian choice, which is a surprise high. Dodging the predictable plate of pasta, veggies get a goat’s cheese and beetroot salad, then a polenta crespelle with marscapone and wild mushrooms and a lemon meringue pie. All of which is delicious.
I’m not a veggie but I’d happily order this — although the slow-roasted Wiltshire pork belly on the Taste of Britain plate (£16) and the braised Herefordshire beef cheek on the Gourmet Dining option soon sway me back. Highlights also include the green tea tiramisu on the Taste of the East (£16) and the Thai- style rice rolls with sesame dipping sauce on the Healthy Choice plate (£15 and a mere 800 calories).
At £18, Sinead says Gourmet Dining is the most popular so far, but I’m more convinced by the slightly cheaper Taste of Britain. The meat is every bit as good, with a rich gravy reduction and a Loch Fyne smoked salmon starter. Gourmet Dining has a prawn cocktail starter.
Frequent fliers may be disappointed to hear there is no curry option.
Nor are there any baked beans in the Great British Breakfast (your fellow passengers may be thankful).
All the upgraded meals are served on the same crockery and cutlery as Club World.
But the best bit is getting something Club and First Class passengers DON’T — jealous glances from your neighbours as you tuck into your restaurant-quality food while they make do with the regular menu.
It certainly makes the trip seem more of a treat.
Height Cuisine is available now on long-haul routes from Heathrow and takes off from Gatwick and City airports in April. Pre-order at.