Airlines did offer food during the early days of flying; however, they were cold meals, produced by contract caterers who had to transfer food from their facilities often an hour or more away.
In 1936,“maître d’airline”Donald F Magarrell – the world’s first airline cuisine executive – suggested United create a dedicated flight kitchen at Oakland Airport, California, so meals could be prepared just before boarding and delivered without a bumpy ride.
The US$3,000 establishment was launched on December 16 that year, and the first airborne hot meals were served three days later: fried chicken and scrambled eggs.
At first there were just six employees, preparing 50 to 60 sets a day. The chefs, from Switzerland, Austria and France, created menus a month in advance and submitted them to headquarters for approval – the…
You're reading a preview of
Business Traveller Asia-Pacific Edition (Digital) - 1 Issue, Sep-1-16