When Frankenberg started out in the 1980s, airlines clung to the view that cook and chill was superior to frozen. But as networks grew and the drive for consistency became more important, so did the role of frozen inflight meals.
Frankenberg was among the pioneers; we showed frozen meals were a way to bring real quality to inflight dining and today 95% of economy meals worldwide are frozen.
Frozen catering has really pushed catering service up. It takes attention to detail to do well. We went to great lengths to modify production processes. For example, to serve al dente pasta you need an exact cooking time followed by quick cooling, but when you scale this up the pasta can be overcooked and mushy in the middle.
We experimented and invested in multiple drum cookers for a maximum 20kg of pasta at a time, and created an assembly line that would do exactly what chefs do in a small kitchen on a large scale. We’ve done this quality research for many other ingredients.
Each to their own
Every airline has different constraints and budgets but whatever these are we stick to our principles, adapt to meet the brief or, as in a few cases, decline the business if the budget is going to compromise the offer. Not many businesses will do that.
There is always some conflict between demand and budgets. Everyone wants free range chicken, for example. We did a lot of work to offer certified organic meals, which are an excellent way for airlines to stand out. Passengers love the idea but 80% of carriers decline this option because of price.
Meeting the budget is always a challenge but it is one we love. It’s fun to find a new tailored meal solution that works. Honestly, if you only raise the budget a tiny bit you can get significantly better passenger feedback.
Recent research asked passengers to rate their flight after six hours, six days, six weeks and six months. The responses showed that initially they were focused on delays but over time it was friendly service and the food that they consistently remembered.
Human interaction and food are the two most important features of life – from the moment we are born – and these are key to satisfaction.
