Qantas meals

[Actualise]

I've never been that enamored with airline meals, but do you also think that the meals on Qantas (economy domestic) are getting worse and worse?

Case in point - on most recent evening flights I've been on (BNE-ADL, MEL-ADL, SYD-ADL) I've been presented with the "Beef Rissoles with Mashed Potatoes" which interestingly contains "Gluten, Wheat, Rye, Barley, Fish, Milk, Soy and Sesame". In short it is like rubber and gives me dyspepsia. Prior to this I had a run of the (I forgot the exact name) Chicken with Sesame and Soy sauce stuff (hopefully that was chicken!).

I guess this isn't a creation of "Our Own Neil Perry" whose alleged cullinary genius is apparently directed only to First and Business Class.

Does anyone have any insights into QF catering:
1. who designs the meals?
2. are they still creating them well in advance of the fright and then microwaving them?
3. do they have one meal for long periods or is there some variation?
4. do anyone care if they are edible?
5. do anyone care if they actually get eaten (some audit of returned meals)?

Cheers,
Andrew.

 

[straitman]

Actualise,

This has been discussed a few times all be it a bit peice meal.

From memory the consensus was that people actually like the "Beef Rissoles with Mashed Potatoes" :!:

 

[Groundfeeder]

Mrs Groundfeeder (who is gluten intolerant) suffered two inedible beef sandwiches on our Brisbane - Hobart return recently. On the Melbourne - Brisbane leg she got a hot chicken & veg meal which she said was very tasty - I got the standard penne pasta which was OK.

I appreciate the efforts QF goes to for diet delicate pax who generally get served first and she was also impressed at the service, albeit inedible sometimes.

 

[notzac]

There is at least one poster on AFF that has previously referred to QF on-board catering in whY as "prison food" - and I tend to agree. I certainly won't eat it unless I'm starving; I try to make a point of getting a feed at the QP before the flight.

Chance of QF caring about catering in whY is slim-to-none; the only reason I could see that changing is if DJ decided to provide complimentary food and bev on their flights.

 

[UP4014]

I actually don't think it's that bad overall. But don't eat the fish.

 

[serfty]

... This has been discussed a few times all be it a bit peice meal. ...

For an example, see this thread:

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...sing-qf-catering-20204.html?highlight=rissole

 

[ejb]

Overall I think QF catering is good. Mostly edible, mainly tasty. Along with a couple of drinks and the flight goes by.

ejb

 

[harvyk]

I'd say you've just been unlucky... Whilst I think QF really need to re-introduce hot meals for all but the shortest of flights (eg flying time over about 30 minutes should include a hot meal) I do find that they are usually very acceptible. Obviously the Y+ \ J \ F meals are nicer, but there is usually nothing wrong with the Y meals.

 

[oz_mark]

The rissoles seem to have the fans and also a group that find them horrible. I personally like them, but do note that there is a bit of variability in the quality of them

 

[albatross710]

Too many years in the military mean that I will just eat whatever is put in front of me.

Usually my flights are at the end of the day and it is my evening meal in-flight.

 

[Warks]

I don't find the dinners too bad but what passes for lunch these days is a bit rough. Better than the breadstick debacle of 2002 but the steaming hot package dropped in your lap with no choice is not my favourite meal. The quiche is probably the best with the tiny ham and cheese toasty the worst (on account of being tiny and usually soggy). What happened to any sort of proper meal for lunch?

As for getting a meal in the QP beforehand you can get a good lunch but I struggle to find anything much for dinner, not being a fan of cold stuff or those heartburn inducing mini pies and pizzas. There's the usual tinned soup of course but some other hot meals like chili con carne or somesuch would be nice. Maybe even something with a vegetable in it?

 

[docjames]

<snip> previously referred to QF on-board catering in whY as "prison food" <snip>

Well, at least the food matches the headphones.

http://www.frequentflyer.com.au/com...s-contracting-packaging-work-cheap-20748.html

 

[anat0l]

I've never been that enamored with airline meals, but do you also think that the meals on Qantas (economy domestic) are getting worse and worse?

Worse? Probably. But only in subtle ways and hopefully not any faster than they are doing it right now.

Case in point - on most recent evening flights I've been on (BNE-ADL, MEL-ADL, SYD-ADL) I've been presented with the "Beef Rissoles with Mashed Potatoes" which interestingly contains "Gluten, Wheat, Rye, Barley, Fish, Milk, Soy and Sesame".

I think the allergen information sounds a lot more like a cover-all statement.

In short it is like rubber and gives me dyspepsia. Prior to this I had a run of the (I forgot the exact name) Chicken with Sesame and Soy sauce stuff (hopefully that was chicken!).

You must have a sensitive stomach. Airline food in Y shouldn't really irritate, which is usually why people gripe so much about them. A rubber rissole means you probably got a bad batch; I've had the rissole twice now and both times they cut OK. Admittedly the last time I had it, it wasn't quite as good as the first time, being a bit more soupy and gloppy on the top. Lucky the taste was still there.

The chicken dish must be the Kung Pao Chicken. Luckily it is real chicken, or at least has been my experience for the past seven times that I've had the dish.

I guess this isn't a creation of "Our Own Neil Perry" whose alleged cullinary genius is apparently directed only to First and Business Class.

International First and Business Class to be more precise. Domestic Business isn't overly exciting in the catering department, but it is moderately better than Y, especially refreshment meals.

are they still creating them well in advance of the fright and then microwaving them?

Of course. Airlines don't cook meals fresh on board (with some few, notable exceptions). It's like a TV dinner - just stick it in the oven/microwave/heating device.

do they have one meal for long periods or is there some variation?

ISTR meal rotations are monthly.

do anyone care if they are edible? do anyone care if they actually get eaten (some audit of returned meals)?

They must be auditing them somehow, otherwise there wouldn't be a whole lot of cost cutting (unless the arguments they seem to base those on are fudged).

You would probably get a good press article or reaction somewhere direct to management if the meal was truly inedible. A bit like that guy who flew VS and wrote an inordinately large letter to Richard Branson about his disgust at the food served.

 

[UP4014]

This is thesite we all need.

www.airlinemeals.net

 

[anat0l]

This is thesite we all need.

www.airlinemeals.net

Great site, but its a shame that the person maintaining the site seems to have gone on some sort of semi-permanent hiatus. It has not been updated for a very, very long time.

 

[munitalP]

I would say that the meal quality seems to have decreased over the last couple of years, especially in DOM J

In saying that though, I have been delighted in the quality on a PER/KTA flight - lunch in Y and also recently on a PER/SYD flight in J, again lunch

I usually avoid eating on flights <3 hours, I prefer to sleep or at least doze and I usually have a snack in the QP before the flight anyway, in the mornings Bircher Muesli (QP double thumbs up - yummy!) and toast, in the arvo, ham or other meat sanga with salad or if it's evening and I have little chance of making it home/hotel for a meal, I will have the hot choice - beef goulash or whatever's on the menu for the day - BTW, I always have a pack of quickeze at hand as well!

The few meals I have had on board...

City Flyer...
Rissoles -1
Chicken something +1
Any pasta +1

Crash 8
Crackers & Salsa -1,000,000,000
Crackers & Cheese +1
Crackers & hummus -1
Cheesy pretzel things +0.001

Virgin
Chicken Seizure Wraps +100 (pity they don't have them any more)
Everything else -100


Mr!

 

[anat0l]

The few meals I have had on board...

City Flyer...
Rissoles -1
Chicken something +1
Any pasta +1

I don't know about the "any pasta" thing. The tomato pasta with beef ragu (sic) they had last year some time was rather pedestrian. Using your (logarithmic?) scale, I'd give that a -1 and the Rissoles a +1. On the other hand, people have had some sort of three cheese pasta before on domestic (or something with white sauce anyway). I haven't had it, but the reports seem positive.

Have you had the lamb curry before? That isn't too bad at all. +1 for that.

Crash 8
Crackers & Salsa -1,000,000,000
Crackers & Cheese +1
Crackers & hummus -1
Cheesy pretzel things +0.001

All prepared by sbc (Sydney Biscuit Company) and served in those (supposed-to-be) cool design boxes, right?

You've got a beef with the salsa (no puns intended) it seems. Is that because it is tasteless, not hot enough or dumb idea to serve it cold?

 

[Warks]

How many of those Byron Bay white chocolate biscuits ('cookies' to use the Americanism) have you had? The 'refreshment'.
I've noticed how popular the Bundaberg ginger beer is becoming. If you're at the back you might be out of luck if you want some. The only ginger beer with actual ginger in it I'm told. Good for motion sickness too they say.

 

[tba]

When did the Drumstick/Cornetto/what ever it was get replaced with a damn Frosty Fruit on the Perth-Melbourne (and I assume other east coast destinations) route?

Had a flight for the first time in about a year to Perth last week, and wasn't too impressed with the new dessert option

 

[thewinchester]

How many of those Byron Bay white chocolate biscuits ('cookies' to use the Americanism) have you had? The 'refreshment'.
I've noticed how popular the Bundaberg ginger beer is becoming. If you're at the back you might be out of luck if you want some. The only ginger beer with actual ginger in it I'm told. Good for motion sickness too they say.

I've been a massive Bundaberg ginger beer fanatic forever, and it does grate on me when they don't load enough of this on board.

Thankfully this year my status means that I'm seated well towards the front of the cabin so I've only missed out once - and that's because the FA was too lazy to speak with one of her colleagues and have one brought across.

Just wish that in addition to dietary prefs, you could also put a drinks pref into your PAX profile so they could get a good measure of what to load.