Virgin Australia and Luke Mangan launch new Business Class menus

Virgin Australia and Resident Chef Luke Mangan unveiled exciting new dishes from upcoming Business Class menus onboard domestic and international flights.

• The new menus reflect Luke’s signature produce-driven style with a local, contemporary twist
• New dishes include beef wonton soup with Sichuan pepper and bok choy and for breakfast, falafel with roasted mushrooms, bacon and labne
• New Hardys and Grant Burge wines have been created in collaboration with Luke’s Group Sommelier, Mauro Bortolato, crafted specifically for enjoying at altitude
• Business class guests will be able to snack on produce from local suppliers such as Pana chocolate, Gundowring ice cream and Molives hand-stuffed olives

Virgin Australia Resident Chef Luke Mangan said, “Food is such an integral part of the flying experience, and we want to ensure that Virgin Australia guests travelling in Business Class receive the ultimate package when they fly with us.

“I’m passionate about using premium ingredients which reflect Australia’s rich culinary landscape, while incorporating elements from the destinations to which Virgin Australia flies.

“Many of our guests prefer lighter options, such as salads with bold, zesty flavours, whilst others are looking for something more substantial. We keep this in mind when designing menus, aiming to ensure we have a range of options available,” said Mr Mangan.

Paul Carpenter, Hardys winemaker, said it was a rare opportunity to be able to produce the wines and then take them onboard to see the influence that 30,000 feet in the sky had on the aromas and palates of the wines. “Environmental shifts when at altitude, such as atmospheric pressure and drier air conditions, affect the taste of food and beverages so it was important to produce a wine that delivered in both taste and aroma.

“It was a challenging environment and we found that the wines with abundance of fruit and balanced acidity and tannins won the day. A fascinating observation of the way wine changes in the sky,” said Mr Carpenter.

Each flight will have a dish that reflects the flavours unique to the destination, with flights to Hong Kong offering beef wonton soup with Sichuan pepper and bok choy, inspired by Luke’s travels to a local eatery in the city. Guests travelling in Business Class within Australia may enjoy a new take on the classic big breakfast, with dishes such as falafel with roasted mushrooms, bacon and labne, or the ham rosti topped with Tuscan cabbage and tomato relish.

Business Class guests flying to and from Los Angeles can take advantage of the bar area, complete with its own menu featuring new items including the baba ghanoush with marinated feta, pine nuts and toasted flatbread, or garlic toast with prosciutto, fennel and herb salad.

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