Air New Zealand unveils latest business class meals

Air New Zealand consistently punches above its weight with inflight dining at the pointy end, and the Star Alliance member’s latest business class refresh dubbed ‘A Taste of Aotearoa’ keeps that culinary standard flying high.

Not only are there several new dishes for Business Premier passengers to tuck into, but they’ll be accompanied by a list of superb wines – and as you’d expect, they all proudly wave the Kiwi flag.

What exactly does Aotearoa taste like? The airline says it’s about regional produce, “taking local ingredients and unique New Zealand flavours to the world.”

The fresh menu is available now on long-range flights.

On the cards for Business Premier passengers are a slow-cooked wild Fiordland venison on a bed of parmesan polenta and crowned by balsamic-roasted red onions and pancetta, as well as seared NZ snapper with escabeche vegetables, smoked mussel and white beans.

Slow cooked wild Fiordland venison with pancetta, parmesan polenta and balsamic roasted red onions

Adding a bit of trademark Kiwi panache, there’s also a nod to the classic chips and dip featured at every backyard barbeque – confit potato with onion crème fraîche whip and chives.

Some of the other key dishes waiting to tempt your palate are:

• Manuka smoked rye sourdough with Hawke’s Bay olive oil
• Smoked kahawai rillette with celery, caper, parsley salsa and citrus
• Crayfish bisque with chive crème fraiche and sourdough croutons
• Whipped ricotta with thyme, manuka-smoked olives, gremolata and snow pea shoots
• New Zealand cheese served with relish and “upcycled” grain crackers
• Ambrosia frozen yoghurt and boysenberry cheesecake ice cream

Leanne Geraghty, Chief Customer and Sales Officer at Air New Zealand, calls the menu “an opportunity to spotlight the unique flavours of Aotearoa and champion regions like Fiordland, Hawke’s Bay and the Coromandel.”

Finish off the meal with a sweet treat of ambrosia frozen yoghurt and ice cream.

“Our menu is different depending on where you fly and we change our long-haul menu twice a year, so there are lots of opportunities for customers to enjoy new and exciting dishes no matter how frequently they travel with us,” Geraghty adds. 

It’s worth noting this refreshed fare is only available on long-range flights, with flagship routes including the 16-hour Auckland to New York marathon (read our review here), on that list.