Qatar Airways’ new business class menu showcases Australian produce

Forget about setting your phone to flight mode – Qatar Airways wants travellers to set their tastebuds to ‘delight’ mode.

The Gulf carrier’s latest business class menu proudly showcases Australian produce such as beef tenderloin from New South Wales, Victorian lamb, Queensland barramundi and Tasmanian smoked salmon.

Featuring on all flights to and from Australia, there’s also the addition of two Australian wines and one from New Zealand, with the trio complementing the Virgin Australia partner’s traditionally European-centric wine offering.

The dishes take their place on Qatar’s extensive ‘Dine on Demand’ menu, which puts passengers in charge of not only what they’d like to eat but when, tailoring the flight to their own personal timetable.

In other words: Tasmanian smoked salmon and scrambled eggs at 4pm? Sure, why not!

Some of the other new business class meals include:

• New South Wales beef tenderloin, dauphinoise potato and caramelised onion
• braised Victorian lamb shank paired with a coconut rendang sauce
• Queensland barramundi with spicy kung pao sauce
• Hunter Valley chicken breast stuffed with tomato and ricotta
• burrata cheese, Bowen heirloom cherry tomatoes and creamy basil pesto

Shashank Bhardwaj, Qatar Airways VP Catering Services, says the Gulf carrier worked closely with local farmers and wine-makers to source the best ingredients and is “excited to share Australian produce with the world through our in-flight dining experience.”

But it’s not all about beef, chicken and fish: Qatar Airways also has an extensive vegan business class menu available on all flights from the airline's hub at Doha's Hamad International Airport, and selected flights into Doha.

That’s welcome news to high-flying vegans and vegetarians who have become accustomed to getting the short end of the (gluten-free?) breadstick from many airlines.

The ‘fully vegan’ à la carte menu includes smoked moutabel, spiral courgettes and arrabbiata sauce, tofu and spinach tortellini, asian barbecue tofu, noodles, scallions and shiitake, fried tofu with vegetable tajine, cauliflower couscous and kalamata bruschetta, and chickpea flour omelette.

Of course, this isn’t just for vegans – the move is designed to cater to increasing demand for plant-based food.

Qatar Airways currently offers over 40 connections a week between Australia and its Doha hub, with flights to Melbourne, Sydney, Perth, Brisbane, and Adelaide. 

Additional reporting by Chris Ashton