Buyers and suppliers of onboard catering and services gathered at the Radisson Blu in Hamburg this evening (April 3) as the winners of the 2017 Onboard Hospitality Awards were announced.
In a hotly-contested process organised by Onboard Hospitality magazine, the 2017 award winners each received a silver salver celebrating their success in ten onboard categories. In addition, the Ones to Watch category which recognised six products not yet onboard but actively targeting the onboard market.
The finalists were chosen by Onboard Hospitality’s readers – the buyers and suppliers of onboard hospitality – through an online vote, with the ultimate winners then chosen by a panel of independent industry experts. The judges were askedt to assess the finalists based on the following criteria: First impressions, Quality, Durability, Lifespan, Weight, Usefulness, Design, Functionality, Taste, Content, Adding to the Customer Experience.
Onboard Hospitality Editor, Julie Baxter, said: “The response to our awards has been inspiring. Over 1000 readers cast over 13,000 votes through our online poll to identify our finalists and then our knowledgeable and highly-respected judges made the final selection. Many congratulations to all our winners and finalists who were chosen from an impressive line up of entrants.”
Full press release: http://www.onboardhospitality.com/wp-content/uploads/2017/04/Awards-Press-Release-2017.pdf
Brussels Airlines’ buy-on-board menu received the award for ‘Best Onboard Catering Innovation of the Year 2017’ – Buy on board menu from Brussels Airlines in collaboration with Foodmaker
Onboard supplier: Foodmaker- Featured onboard: Brussels Airlines
- Description: Brussels Airlines has partnered with the Belgium organics specialist, Foodmaker to create a buy-on-board product selection that is innovative, delicious and healthy. While Premium passengers travelling in Flex and Fast enjoy complimentary F&B, Economy has access to the buy-on-board card designed to be appealing in both look and feel, as well as featuring some storytelling about the Foodmaker brand. Each new menu is valid for a period of three months, with a different selection of salads, pastas and sandwiches available each month. The menu features a wide choice and all Foodmaker products are certified organic and use no mayonnaise. The collaboration builds on other longstanding relationships with suppliers such as Neuhaus, Lotus, Laurent Perrier.
- Function: The buy-on-board menu serves as both a menu card and a duty free magazine, where passengers are can indulge in both food and shopping. Offering such a healthy selection helps counter the stress and hassle of travel, and responds to growing demand for healthy choices.
- Passenger Experience: To reflect the carrier’s aim of being a ‘human-scale’ airline, the collaboration brings better value, taste and feel to the service onboard. The partnership also gives an operational advantage as menus are either custom created or drawn from an extensive portfolio of all-organic recipes. Much of the produce is grown at Foodmaker farms or sourced locally to ensure quality never diminishes.
- Unique features: The fresh products in this buy-on-board offer are unique in an industry where the majority of the food items sold are long life and taste and quality are often low. Foodmaker products are produced in Brussels and shipped daily to guarantee freshness. Most airlines would resist the logistical costs and potential waste but Brussels has strategically positioned itself to focus on customer satisfaction, ideally winning their wallets by winning the heart.
