Olympic in-flight flavour

It’s a lovely breezy Friday morning in London. We are at Regent Park for the annual fest of Londoners — Taste of London essentially a time when you eat and shop till you drop. Some 300-odd pop-up bars and restaurants have come together, merrily showcasing their expertise in an alfresco gourmet feast.

Shafts of sunlight filter through the branches of beautiful boughs hanging above us. And the next moment, much to the agony of locals, it starts pouring! But don’t they know the moods of their weather? So, no problem, perfect arrangements are in place for the weekend extravaganza of fun, music, and loads of goodies.

Aghast at the sight of disciplined Britons not going berserk over the freebies at every stall, I stop one lady. Before I can ask, she says, “Yes darling, enjoy, eat as much as you can. I come here to eat and drink with friends, just can’t miss any bar. Where else can you get them all at one place?”

That lifts my spirits and I sail through the crowd, escorted by the smart, nattily dressed crew of British Airways to their huge, impressive lounge. I am going to meet Michelin star chef Simon Hulstone, who is all set to showcase ‘Height Cuisine’ and ‘Olympic Inspired Menu’, which will be served on board British Airways flights in the coming months.

Hulstone is the winner of BA Great Britons Programme, which offers a global platform for up and coming British talent in food, art and film in the run-up to the Olympic Games. He is also head chef at The Elephant at Torquay, and is known for using local, seasonal produce to create memorable flavours. Since the age of 16, he’s been competing, and winning, around the world. Simon has represented his country on more than 20 occasions, most recently at the world’s most prestigious culinary contest, the Bocuse d’Or.

While we are busy digging into exotic aperitifs with champagne, Hulstone tells, “Believe me, it’s a challenge to create a menu that millions of people will experience during the Games. I can’t think of a better platform to showcase British cuisine. At the same time, I have to keep in mind the high-altitude factor.”

Reviving the old trends

Well, Hulstone could have taken a shortcut and rustled up a fresh menu. Instead, his dishes take inspiration from the airline’s menus dating back to 1948 — the last time the Games were held in London. Popular ingredients from the time have been incorporated into his menu, with some dishes reinvented for a modern-day audience. The offerings are rich in umami, and use local produce.

To complete the experience, there is a specially commissioned on-board soundtrack that customers can listen to, featuring uplifting music and commentary from iconic British moments from previous Games.

Hulstone explains, “Our research on food in post-war Britain, as well as the 1948 airline menus, revealed that as food was rationed at the time. Ingredients that were indigenous and plentiful, such as ox cheek and fish, played an important part in people’s diet during the austerity years. Even athletes at the 1948 Games enjoyed a diet rich in fish, with the British Trawler Association donating 40,000 lbs of seafood! It is no surprise that fish consumption was at a record high (250-300 gm per week).”

Hulstone’s menu reflects those trends, and includes ‘Rillette of mackerel dressed on a pickled cucumber carpaccio with sour dough croutes’, and ‘Fish pie using sustainable sourced hake, dressed with parmesan pomme puree and a warm tartare sauce’.

Certain cuts of beef were also popular at the time, with dishes such as ‘Steak and mushroom casserole’, and ‘Braised beef chasseur with young carrots and chateau potatoes’ featuring in the airlines’ 1948 menus.

Hulstone has reworked this chasseur dish for a new audience with umami-rich ingredients, to make ‘Potted braised beef with a potato and horseradish topping, served with hispy cabbage, baby carrots and roasted shallots with a rich jus’.

Looking at desserts, tinned fruit was a common theme both on-board flights, and as part of the regular diet. Hulstone has attempted to pay homage to this with his sweet menu, which includes ‘Lemon curd cheesecake with raspberry and basil compote’.

Height of culinary preparation

Creating the perfect gourmet airline meal requires a scientific awareness of how the human body operates at high altitudes, as well as keen culinary knowledge.

“Eating on a plane is not the same as eating on the ground,” says Hulstone. “High altitude affects our taste buds and sense of smell. Use of salt has to be limited, so we have to choose ingredients which have natural salt in them. One has to prepare dishes which are not complicated, light, and in tune with the demands of modern customers. Umami is said to help in boosting the taste buds, hence we use more of it in our preparation. The dishes should look good with our limitations of presentation at the height. The emphasis has to be on comfort food to generate a happy feeling of being at home, yet in 5-star luxury.”

In honour of the Olympic Games, Hulstone is particular about using ingredients from London.

This includes locally sourced salmon, and sugar from East London. Beverages too are a step forward from the drinks list of the 1948 menu. Hence, gin from London is also available on board.

Frank van der Post, British Airways Managing Director of brands and customer experience, says, “We are very proud to be quite literally bringing a taste of the London 2012 Games to our guests! We are also working on a special menu for the British Olympic Association ‘Our Greatest Team Rises’ ball catering for athletes and dignitaries at the Royal Albert Hall.”

So, as London gears up for the upcoming Olympic and Paralympic Games, Simon Hulstone and his team are aiming high. I nudge him: “What’s more difficult, Michelin star or this?”

“To create the perfect recipe for guests of varied continents at 30,000 ft up in the air is truly mind-blowing,” is his response.