On September 17th, the autumn menu for SWISS lounges was presented at the Alpine Lounge at Zurich Airport. Around 50 employees from SWISS, Air Austria, Lufthansa, and gategroup had the opportunity to taste seasonal delights and beverages from the lounges.
Participants gained insight into the culinary journey curated by Daniel Dittrich, Executive Chef of gategroup for Lounges Switzerland, and Michael Schiess from SWISS Lounge Experience Management. They introduced the seasonal menu and shared the inspiration behind it, aiming to demonstrate the diversity of the seasonal lounge menu and allowing guests to experience the pristine quality and regional aspects of the ingredients.
“Cooking and food are my passions. My daily work gives me the chance to make people happy because good food not only connects body and soul, it also connects cultures and brings people together,” said Daniel Dittrich.
Copyrights images: Swiss International Air Lines
The new autumn menu for Business, Senator, and First-Class lounges offers a variety of breakfast options, including freshly baked bread and pastries, locally sourced cold meat cuts, Swiss cheese, cereals, fresh fruits, and warm breakfast dishes like omelets, scrambled eggs and frittatas.
In the Senator and Business lounges, during lunch and dinner, the Healthy Corner buffet offers a variety of cold dishes, ranging from traditional salad options to innovative ones such as chickpea, tomato, and feta salad. Guests can also enjoy seasonal soups like the famous pumpkin soup. The lunch menu featured tasty autumn specialties such as flammkuchen with pumpkin and other vegetable options, which are prepared in the live-front cooking station in the lounges. Additionally, passengers will be able to savor options such as venison with red cabbage and potato dumplings. The Business Lounge presentation ended with banana-inspired desserts, aiming to reduce food waste and provide a delightful conclusion to the meal.
The presentation culminated in an extraordinary five-course meal tailored for First Class lounges. Guests can savor an à la carte menu with wine pairings, featuring an appetizer, two main courses, a palate cleanser, and a dessert. The menu highlighted exquisite dishes such as beef carpaccio with truffle cream, scallops, and pear sorbet with pear chips and jelly.
To complement the delicious menu, a range of suitable beverages will be offered including classic Swiss wines like Schiterberger Himmelsleiterli (Pinot Noir) and special selections from the Colle Massari estate, owned by entrepreneur and Alinghi legend Ernesto Bertarelli.
Copyrights images: Swiss International Air Lines
Sustainability is a key focus for both SWISS and gategourmet. As highlighted by Michael Schiess, this involves using regional and seasonal products, supporting local suppliers, minimizing food and plastic waste and reducing transport distances.
The third edition of the SWISS Lounges F&B Roadshow offered an exclusive peek into the kitchen and showcased the meticulous effort and consideration invested in curating these menus. Through these menu selections, customers are invited on every gastronomic adventure.
The next roadshow edition is scheduled for December, featuring the winter menu. Stay tuned!
About gategroup
gategroup is the global leader in airline catering, retail-on-board and hospitality products and services. gategroup provides passengers with superior culinary and retail experiences, leveraging innovation and advanced technology solutions. Headquartered in Zurich, Switzerland, gategroup delivers operational excellence through the most extensive catering network in the aviation industry, serving passengers from over 200 operating units in over 60 countries/territories across all continents. For further information, please visit www.gategroup.com
Copyrights images: Swiss International Air Lines