What is Jetlag Noodles?
Jetlag Noodles is a new premium functional food brand that I co-founded with my two brothers, Ben (a designer) and Jack (a chef). We wanted to reinvent the humble instant noodle for modern travellers, creating something that is convenient and comforting but also has a functional purpose.
We currently have two products: Revive, which has a spicy chilli and ginger broth with added vitamin D3 and guarana, which is a natural source of caffeine; and Reset, which features an umami miso and sesame broth with magnesium and vitamin B6. They are designed for those moments when your body clock is out of sync – whether that’s after a long-haul flight, arriving in a hotel room late at night or waking up at four AM feeling hungry.
The idea came from my work as a travel trend forecaster and journalist. I’ve spent years travelling long-haul and reporting on the evolution of wellness, hospitality and aviation, but I kept noticing how little innovation there was around food specifically designed for travellers. I have lost count of the times I have eaten bad meals on the plane and felt worse for it, or gorged a tub of Pringles at my hotel late at night because there was nothing else in the room.
My brothers and I felt there was an opportunity to create something that sat at the intersection of food, travel and wellbeing.
Which airlines, airports or travel operators do you currently work with, and how has the industry responded to the concept?
We’re still at an early stage, but the response from the travel industry has been incredibly encouraging. We’ve been having conversations with airlines, hotel groups, airport lounge operators and other travel businesses about everything from onboard service and lounges to hotel minibars and retail.
We have also signed an exclusive launch partnership with a very cool hospitality brand – this will be announced in the autumn.
What’s been particularly interesting is how quickly people understand the concept. Jetlag is a universal travel problem, so it doesn’t require a huge amount of explanation. Buyers are also increasingly looking for products that have a story and a reason to exist beyond simply being another snack or meal. We see Jetlag Noodles as a piece of travel wellness infrastructure as much as a food product.
Why do you think products like Jetlag Noodles are particularly well suited to the onboard hospitality sector?
Flying creates a very specific set of needs. You’re crossing time zones, eating at strange hours and often arriving somewhere when your body thinks it should be asleep. Traditional airline catering isn’t necessarily designed around that reality. Instant noodles are already hugely popular among Asian travellers who pack them in their luggage, as well as pilots and cabin crew. We saw the opportunity to elevate the proposition further – taking it from a guilty pleasure to something that will genuinely make people feel better.
Instant noodles are actually incredibly well suited to aviation because they’re lightweight, compact, affordable, shelf-stable and easy to prepare with hot water. They’re also comforting and familiar, which is important when you’re tired and disorientated. What we’re doing is taking that format and making it more relevant to the way people travel today, with functional ingredients and a design language that feels contemporary and premium.
Do you see onboard food evolving beyond traditional meal service towards products that support passenger wellbeing during and after a flight?
Absolutely. I think we’re going to see a much more sophisticated understanding of the relationship between food, sleep, hydration, energy and circadian rhythms. Airlines have already invested heavily in better seats, lighting, air quality and wellness amenities, but food is another important part of that equation.
There’s also an opportunity to move away from the assumption that everybody needs to eat the same meal at the same moment. On a long-haul flight, passengers might want something light at two AM, something energising before landing or something comforting when they wake up. I think the future of onboard hospitality will be much more personalised and responsive to how passengers actually feel.
We also know that an air passenger’s sense of smell and taste is impaired at altitude, which is why we have deliberately designed our noodles to be rich in savoury “umami” flavour, as well as spice.
Jetlag Noodles will work perfectly as part of a long-haul meal service or free mid-flight snack, or for sale as a light meal on short-haul flights.
Looking ahead, what are your ambitions for Jetlag Noodles within the aviation and travel industry?
Our ambition is for Jetlag Noodles to become synonymous with travel – something you encounter throughout the journey, from airports and lounges to aircraft, hotels and eventually other forms of transport such as trains.
Longer term, we’re interested in building a broader category around circadian nutrition and exploring how food and drink can better support people when they’re moving between time zones or simply living outside conventional schedules. Travel is the perfect starting point because that’s where the problem is most obvious.
Ultimately, I’d love Jetlag Noodles to become one of those products that travellers actively look forward to encountering on a journey – not just because it’s useful, but because it’s delicious, comforting and makes the experience of being in transit a little bit better.
