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Lufthansa's menu to poach BA fliers
Amar Singh19 Nov 2008
GERMAN airline Lufthansa is serving British dishes such as fish and chips and beef wellington to passengers in a bid to lure away corporate clients from BA.
The biggest foreign carrier operating out of Heathrow has appointed a British chef for the first time in its history to create a special menu for its first and business-class customers.
Chris Staines, the 32 year-old Michelin-starred head chef of Foliage at the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park hotel, has devised a menu of dishes for the airline as it attempts to shed its stuffy image.
Mr Staines - who trained under Marco Pierre White - has included rabbit terrine and chicken salad with stilton cream on his in-flight menu.
Lufthansa's vice-president for Europe, Dr Karsten Benz, told the Standard: "We definitely want to give the British business traveller another reason to choose Lufthansa in addition to the fact that we are the most punctual carrier at Heathrow, a quality we know the British value as much as the Germans.
"I'm sure Chris is up to the challenge. Traditionally the perception of British food in Germany is that it is overcooked and bland but times are changing and we chose Chris as we believe he is at the forefront of a new generation of young innovative British chefs."
Mr Staines said: "The taste buds respond differently to food that high up, so we've had to rethink certain dishes."
Lufthansa has increased its capacity in the UK by 15 per cent over the past 12 months.
Reader views (6)
Lufthansa for me as well any day as I like to get my bags on time.
BA are locked into an archaic airport with no room to grow. As well, their fleet of 57 747 long haul aircraft are fuel hogs compared to 777-300ERs. Poor fleet planning I would note.
- Mike, New York, 21/11/2008 04:01
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I think Steve must have shares in BA - blowing their trumpet big time. LH is infinitely superior to BA in every respect, and they certainly do not serve boring German food all the time. Talk about blinkered....
- Gill, Schaumburg, USA, 19/11/2008 17:13
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I like Lufthansa, but on european flights BA is far superior, they don't even serve anything on most flights As for Long Haul BA has lie flat beds in business class, Lufthansa has angled beds hardly superior in any way! and only now 10 years after BA putting individual TV's in economy. Sorry to say this, but I have numerous German friends and they all prefer BA. Lufthansa has plain boring German food all the time, BA has a mixed menu with all cuisines catered for. Like I said, I like Lufthansa, they are clean and effiecient, but superior to BA in the food department, never.
- Steve, London, England, 19/11/2008 14:09
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Good idea now that BA is losing its prestige and service edge. BA in my experience overall is not so good anymore I am afraid they will continue to lose the business traveller to the better foreign airlines...
- Georgie, London, 19/11/2008 12:00
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Anyone who has flown with both would know that Lufthansa is infinately superior already: the fact they are still making extra effort on top shows why!
- Roz, Chamonix, France, 19/11/2008 11:24
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Might make a nice change from sausage and cabbage for the Germans!
- Frank, Home Counties, England, 19/11/2008 11:12
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