Special Report


discrepancy and hopefully get the airline to re-evaluate the food experience to the


passenger – something I think we all strive to do. From the start of the tender in Jan 07 to


“70% of catering spend by airlines goes on schlepping food and equipment leaving little for the actual food.”


implemented to ensure that the freshest products are delivered from NF’s food plants to Heathrow. “It’s about consistency of quality and raising standards” he said. They seem to be achieving this (despite airline instigated cuts) with highly positive feedback from passengers. 70% or more of total catering spend by airlines


goes on schlepping food and equipment, leaving precious little for the actual food. Richard and his team are working with DHL to reduce this


beginning in March 10, the process was fraught with challenges, not least a crew strike, bank collapses and Iceland deciding that what we needed wasn’t cash, but ash. Then news that BA was radically reducing the catering concept on all European flights. So more power to Northern Foods who are using their enormous quality food heritage to encourage airlines of the contribution the food experience makes to the passenger perception of the airlines overall product. Interestingly, not all the food onboard is NF.


Some J Class meals are provided by Do&Co who prepare, tray-set and load carts which are then collected by DHL and brought to the unit. After our tour, Northern Foods executive chef


Garry Kneale provided us with a range of current products, all of which were as fresh and tasty as if they had been prepared on site for us. DHL/NF have their eyes on the whole of airline


Richard Wood, business sector director for Northern Foods, gives a guided tour of the DHL facility near London Heathrow


catering which as we know becomes ever more complex, the longer the haul and the further toward the pointy end you go. Chris Jackson and Richard Wood know very well what challenges these pose but are unwavering in their resolve to move forward. DHL has it firmly in their sights. I asked Chris


about their ambitions and was met with a wry smile and a kind of “watch this space” response. And watch we should because, as reported in June 2009: “DHL is capitalising on opportunities in supply chain solutions for the airline catering sector estimated to be worth 12 billion Euros per annum globally”*. So who knows, in less than another ten years


after getting the cat neutered at Tesco, ordering a pizza from Nissan, you can book your flight and SPML with DHL as they collect your parcel. By that time they might be flying you there! *Hill & Knowlton / WPP June 8th 2008


www.onboardhospitality.com 43


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14  |  Page 15  |  Page 16  |  Page 17  |  Page 18  |  Page 19  |  Page 20  |  Page 21  |  Page 22  |  Page 23  |  Page 24  |  Page 25  |  Page 26  |  Page 27  |  Page 28  |  Page 29  |  Page 30  |  Page 31  |  Page 32  |  Page 33  |  Page 34  |  Page 35  |  Page 36  |  Page 37  |  Page 38  |  Page 39  |  Page 40  |  Page 41  |  Page 42  |  Page 43  |  Page 44  |  Page 45  |  Page 46  |  Page 47  |  Page 48  |  Page 49  |  Page 50  |  Page 51  |  Page 52  |  Page 53  |  Page 54  |  Page 55  |  Page 56  |  Page 57  |  Page 58  |  Page 59  |  Page 60  |  Page 61  |  Page 62  |  Page 63  |  Page 64  |  Page 65  |  Page 66  |  Page 67  |  Page 68  |  Page 69  |  Page 70  |  Page 71  |  Page 72  |  Page 73  |  Page 74  |  Page 75  |  Page 76  |  Page 77  |  Page 78  |  Page 79  |  Page 80  |  Page 81  |  Page 82  |  Page 83  |  Page 84  |  Page 85  |  Page 86  |  Page 87  |  Page 88  |  Page 89  |  Page 90  |  Page 91  |  Page 92  |  Page 93  |  Page 94  |  Page 95  |  Page 96  |  Page 97  |  Page 98  |  Page 99  |  Page 100  |  Page 101  |  Page 102  |  Page 103  |  Page 104  |  Page 105  |  Page 106  |  Page 107  |  Page 108  |  Page 109  |  Page 110  |  Page 111  |  Page 112  |  Page 113  |  Page 114  |  Page 115  |  Page 116