Alison Price On Air adds large group charter to the menu.

Wednesday 4th July 2012

Executive jet in-flight dining experience provider Alison Price On Air, part of the Alison Price Group, has added large group catering to its portfolio of services dedicated to the executive aviation market.

The new concept has been put on the menu following the success of a recent assignment to provide 600 meals for 200 guests split between a Boeing 757 and a Boeing 767 aircraft at two London airports as part of a high profile birthday celebration.

The menu for the flights consisted of a full evening service followed by a two course breakfast served over a one hour period. The whole celebration was organised by Banana Split which selected Alison Price On Air from a wide range of caterers because of the extensive experience in large group catering that Alison Price & Co, in partnership with Alison Price On Air, offers.

The new service, which launched on the 1st June 2012, is already receiving interest from specialist large group charter companies, a number of Olympic sponsors, as well as event organisers looking to source the best-in-class service and cuisine Alison Price On Air has become known for.

"Alison Price & Co has built its reputation catering to the highest echelons of society, including royalty and government, and regularly serves over 100 plus diners a night. The kitchen has been designed for purpose and the team is specifically trained and prepared for large group catering. It makes complete sense to blend the last two years of in-flight experience and knowledge of handling food for the business jet sector that Alison Price On Air has, with the skills of the Alison Price & Co team. We are perfectly structured to offer this service," says Daniel Hulme, Managing Director of Alison Price On Air.

Utilising its unique packaging system which enables Flight Attendants to reproduce gourmet meals, Alison Price On Air has successfully revolutionised catering practise for the business jet industry and has already built a strong international reputation for servicing mid to large size jets.

Mirroring the existing business model Hulme aims to target discerning clients who are willing to pay for the ultimate in fine dining and will adapt and tailor existing in-flight menus to provide standards of food that have not been served to large group bookings before. "Whilst our average business jet order caters to six passengers we have the in-house expertise to cater for aircraft flying up to 200 passengers.

In addition we have the understanding of the unique requirements of the aviation sector, know how pressure changes taste, and can design menus with all these considerations in mind. We intend to use this combined knowledge to target the very cream of the large group charter market who demand the highest quality. For Alison Price On Air it is a logical next step," continues Hulme.

Hulme recognises there are different considerations when catering to large numbers on wide bodied aircraft. Attention to detail is crucial and current plans involve new menu, crockery and packaging designs that will enable the chefs to plate up efficiently and accurately for large groups.

Menus will consider the specifics of the wide body aviation environment in terms of pressurisation, height of flight, and galley space. In most cases Hulme expects a chef on board to be mandatory to ensure food is prepared, served and presented in a manner that reflects the quality and brand of Alison Price On Air. On request the chef can be joined by a sommelier who will add further cache to the service. As with the business jet offering flight attendants can be trained courtesy of Alison Price On Air to support their understanding of the menus which he hopes will help them demonstrate to the flight arrangers the added value of a great dining experience for the passengers.

For the future Hulme is also considering offering the service to commercial aircraft first class passengers. "We know we have the skill set and the commercial arena could well be a natural progression of the large group service," he concludes.