Pax/crew catering, your thoughts are welcome

[silverware]

In our effort to meet and hopefully exceed the demands of the market, I wanted to see what your opinions/experiences are with pax/crew catering.
Having worked as a private f/a myself I am very familiar with the principle but it's always good to get another insight.

I've drawn up a few questions, feel free to fire away, either in plain view or via personal message.


who orders the catering at your operation when flying with/without a f/a?
what do you value about pax/crew catering?
what makes you choose a specific caterer when there are several to choose from?
are you entitled to specific crew meals or are you "fed" the leftovers? (which can be pretty nice at times!)
would you enjoy a specific crew meal in a box for short flights?
is (crew) catering cost a major issue for you/your operation?
what are the absolute hits and misses a caterer can commit?

Galley Cuisine is a fairly new player on the EHAM/EHRD market and therefore we like to benefit from the input of the crews we cater, hence this honest thread.


Thanks!

[FerrypilotDK]

who orders the catering at your operation when flying with/without a f/a?

with---FA. without---cockpit after talking to pax

what do you value about pax/crew catering?

Quality, instructions for best final results. "This is precooked and it needs 15 minutes at 350F"

Foils that fit the aircraft ovens. Sauces separate

Everything clearly marked.

Call back after the order is received. No substitutions without conferring!!

what makes you choose a specific caterer when there are several to choose from?

The one that does the above!

are you entitled to specific crew meals or are you "fed" the leftovers? (which can be pretty nice at times!)

Honestly, I prefer the left-overs!

would you enjoy a specific crew meal in a box for short flights?

No

is (crew) catering cost a major issue for you/your operation?

At times. "We pay a per diem, crew meals should be deducted from this amount." Actually a logical and reasonable statement.

what are the absolute hits and misses a caterer can commit?

Large trays of foils, meaning that everything has to be repackaged for preparation. No labels, so you have to search for things. Sauces included, including dressing on salad....always separate! Supermarket bread! Wilted salads, fully-cooked food, which then becomes overlooked when heated for serving! Arriving late. Substitutions. No call-backs after receiving an order.

How difficult is it? "Hi, this is Mia from catering. I have your order here and I have a question. You asked for fish and we have Monk fish, plaice or salmon. Which would you prefer, or would you like 2 of each? Does your aircraft have an oven and a microwave? Etc"

Galley Cuisine is a fairly new player on the EHAM/EHRD market and therefore we like to benefit from the input of the crews we cater, hence this honest thread.