Fish and chips introduced on board after successful trial

Following a hugely successful trial, British Airways will be serving a traditional fish and chip supper on board selected flights from August 1. The Great British favourite includes a sustainable cod fillet coated with a light crispy batter, served with specially cut chunky chips.
After a thumbs up from the 2014 ‘Chippy of the Year’ – Stuart Fusco from Quayside Fish and Chip Shop in Whitby – customers on flights from Heathrow to Istanbul, Sofia, Bucharest, Athens, Larnanca, St Petersburg and Kiev will be able to tuck into the first ever on board fish and chips supper.

British Airways, in partnership with food innovation specialists, Green Gourmet, has spent more than two years honing the dish to solve the previous problem of how to serve chips that are crispy in the air and taste great. Both the fish fillet and chunky chips are covered in a secret recipe coating and seasoned prior to cooking, which is crucial given that taste buds are lessened by more than 30 per cent at altitude.

The fish fillet and chips are then pre-fried to give the chips and batter a desired crunch. On board they are then heated in a specially designed box at 160 degrees for 16 minutes to guarantee the meal is cooked to perfection in the airline’s aircraft ovens.

Stuart Fusco, who is Champion Fryer at the family run chip shop – named ‘Best in Britain’ in the National Fish and Chip Awards 2014 – said: “Cooking up a good batter on board presents some unique challenges but fish and chips is one of our most iconic British dishes so passengers expect it to be as good in the air as it is on the ground. British Airways has created a delicious meal to rival even the best fish and chip shops, which is very impressive at 35,000 feet.”

Sinead Ferguson, Menu Development Manager, said: “What better meal to see on board a summer flight than the traditional British fish supper? We know our customers love comfort food and expect it to be done well when they fly with us. During trials our fish supper was met with resounding approval by our customers, and we are thrilled it’s also been given the thumbs up from the 2014 Chippy of the Year.”