About twelve months ago I wrote an article about how Qantas, Australia’s national airline, doesn’t use Australian native foods on their inflight menus. The article created a great deal of comment and discussion at the time and is still one of the most popular pages on my website. Twelve months on and Qantas’s inflight menus still look like a crock pot of cuisines with no real focus… and anything from really Australian. So I was pleased to learn recently that our regional neighbour’s national airline, Air New Zealand has taken the lead and embraced the use of New Zealand native foods in their business class menus.

Similar to Australia, New Zealand is known for award winning food and fine wines, so it was only fitting that Air New Zealand create exciting menus and wine lists as part of their recent changes to their long-haul service in Business Class. The new Business Class menus are created by a panel of consultant chefs, and the wine list developed by a team of wine experts which have selected the finest New Zealand wines available. Add to this Air New Zealand have established an exclusive selection of cocktails featuring the award-winning New Zealand vodka; 42 Below and the cocktails include iconic New Zealand flavours like Kiwifruit and Feijoa.

The new Business Class menus were designed by Air New Zealand’s consultant chefs and every dish on the menu has been carefully chosen to feature New Zealand’s finest natural produce and reflect the rich cultural and culinary landscape. Apart from these consultant chefs, Air New Zealand has worked closely with Charles Pipi of Tukukino Royal who supplies New Zealand indigenous ingredients to the airline. With over 22 years of experience, Charles Pipi has experimented widely with the use of indigenous ingredients and food styles that capture the special qualities of Maori culture. As such there is an influence on the menus with ingredients such as horopito, piko piko fern tips, kawakawa, kelp pepper, Tawari honey and pohutukawa honey being used throughout.

Currently there is a very strong culinary trend in New Zealand in the use of indigenous herbs and rubs such as horopito, pikopiko and kawakawa etc. Many chefs are now featuring these items on their menus in the major centres of Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch. Other popular New Zealand ingredients used include kumara, avocado oil, farmed venison, salmon, and naturally, New Zealand Lamb.

Air New Zealand’s consultant chefs ;

Govind Armstrong, Table 8, Los Angeles and Miami
Govind Armstrong has recently joined the Air New Zealand consultant chef programme. Govind Armstrong, Executive Chef and partner of the critically acclaimed and celebrity endorsed Los Angeles restaurant Table 8, is now providing the creative inspiration behind the menu for premium customers on Air New Zealand flights from the U.S.A.

Geoff Scott, Vinnies, Auckland
Geoff Scott is the new consultant chef for Business Class flights from New Zealand. Geoff has recently moved from White at the Hilton, Auckland, to become owner and chef at Vinnie’s, the famous fine dining restaurant in Herne Bay. He brings light flavours and a taste of New Zealand to his onboard menus.

Peter Gordon of The Providores, London and Dish, Auckland
Born in Wanganui, New Zealand, Peter rose to culinary fame in London. Hailed as the most exciting Pacific Rim chef in Britain, Peter creates distinctly different cuisine that combines unexpected ingredients in unique styles on flights from the UK.

Rex Morgan of Citron in Wellington and The Spire in Queenstown
Wellingtonian Rex Morgan was New Zealand’s 2001 Chef of the Nation and has a number of credits to his name. Originally from the Waikato town of Huntley, Rex carved out his enviable reputation as former head chef at Wellington’s acclaimed Bouquet Garni restaurant. He has also worked at the prestigious Huka Lodge as well as Icon Restaurant at Te Papa. Rex was awarded the Des Britten Wellington Chef of the year in 2002.

Finally here is a short sample of some the dishes featuring indigenous ingredients and food styles that capture the special qualities of Maori culture onboard Air New Zealand’s Business Class Menus;

• Sugar cured and seared tuna with chilli kelp seasoning, papaya and witloof salad, coriander crème fraîche
• Manuka poached king prawns with fennel, baby curly endive, mango and dill dressing
• Roasted chicken leg stuffed with ginger, lentils and garlic confit, on buttered linguine and peas with Tawari honey sauce. 
• Grilled beef fillet steak with truffled potatoes, French beans and horopito butter
• Light choice of kawakawa, sorrel and feta tart, homemade piquillo and caper preserve, and micro cress
• New Zealand lamb with horopito salt, carrot puree and snow peas
• Hotpot of New Zealand seafood, broccolini, piko piko, baby onions and walnut sauce

To learn more about Air New Zealands Business Class visit their website at www.airnewzealand.com