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Qantas could soon offer plant-based meals and meat alternatives on its in-flight and lounge menus.
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According to Qantas’ head chef Neil Perry, the airline is already investigating meat-free menu options, including meat-free burgers, bolognese, and schnitzels, which could be available in Qantas lounges and onboard flights by the end of this year.
“We’re doing a lot of menu planning for the future in the next month, and I think in the next six months we’re hoping to launch some things” Perry told Executive Traveller.
“We’ll have a complete plant-based dish on each of the menus and we’ve also started looking at plant-based meats like Beyond, Impossible, and V2, which is an Australian product.”
However, Perry reassured meat-eating passengers that there’s no risk of their meals being altered in favour of plant-based alternatives.
“I don’t think we’ll ever cut meat out of our diet and I don’t think we should. In my view it’s just about balance and changing people’s perception of how much meat they have to eat.”
The airline head chef said lounges could be the first to see these new products, ahead of a future rollout onto domestic and international flights.
Qantas is far from the first airline to introduce plant-based meat alternatives into its menu, after Air New Zealand, American Airlines, and United all opted in to the alternative products.
Last month, Qantas revealed its new inflight menu onboard its Perth-Rome direct flights ahead of its planned launch.
Business class passengers aboard the flights to Rome will see an “Italian-inspired” menu curated by Perry paired with Italian wine varietals made of Australian grapes.
According to Qantas, passengers will be offered “regional recipes”, including prawn spaghettini, zucchini and basil soup; grilled fish with peperonata, pine nuts and basil; and a traditional tiramisu for dessert.
The new menu was rolled out across selected Qantas First and Business Class lounges from 2 June, with dishes such as fettuccine bolognese, buffalo mozzarella with heirloom tomatoes and basil, and mascarpone tartlets.
Bob Ellroy
says:Fantastic to see Qantas offering food options that
avoid cruelty to animals while also offering positive
steps to reducing the carbon footprint of meat.
Greg
says:My meat is already plant based. A herbivore eats plants and it is converted into meat.
Plant based protein on the other hand… made in a factory, who knows how?
Teiemka
says:I realise you need to suck up to Qantas with these puff pieces, but please keep in mind that their primary purpose is air transport, which they are demonstrating they are not very good at though they have the highest paid management.
It is the fault of everyone else except them , not surprising considering they have outsourced everything.
Focus of the media should be keeping the blowtorch on management to improving their inept operations.
First world problems of plants that taste like meat…….there’s already existing plant based meal options they’re called Vegetarian.