Etihad to introduce international chefs

Tuesday, 31 May 2011 00:13 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Etihad Airways, the national airline of the UAE, has introduced qualified international Chefs in its Diamond First class cabins, in a bid to transform inflight dining this year.

“This development will enable us to offer a five-star restaurant style of service in the sky, with our first class guests receiving unparalleled attention and choice – for example, the opportunity of having their personal chef tailor make dishes based on their particular tastes and preferences,” said chief executive officer of Etihad, James Hogan.

Hogan said the addition of this new position to its onboard professionals would elevate the dining experience for Etihad guests across the board.

“In addition to this onboard role, chefs will contribute to menu development for both lounges and flights in order to orchestrate a more consistent culinary experience for our guests, whether on ground or in air.”

“This innovation will also enable us to dedicate our highly esteemed Food and Beverage Managers to Pearl Business class, enabling us to offer an enhanced service in that cabin also.” Etihad is recruiting 100 chefs this year, and has already started looking for fully qualified professionals with formal culinary training and experience in esteemed hotels, restaurants and culinary institutions from around the world.

The new chef service will start to be introduced on selected routes from October and will be fully available on all flights offering first class by the end of the year.