Is there any Food not on the menu in Upper?

I ask as I will be taking my one and likely only ever flight in upper from LGW to MCO on 1st December (return PE 16th)

Looking at the summer menu (I guess its likely to change but with the proposed delay I'm starting to worry) there is nothing I like on it really. I cant eat fish and hate fetid cheese, so the starters are out. One of the main is fish, nope. One is a salad, even more of a nope and the other is a gamey bird that I hated the one time I tried it when I was being show offy when I ordered it in a restaurant! I've read that on BA they have a club kitchen that can be raided for snacks. Do VS have anything similar or do I stock up in M&S or ask for a PE meal?

Ta.

The UC menu is what it is. The crew do not have the time, ingredients or facilities to create a range of a la carte options for pax that don't like a particlar dish on the menu.

You can ask for a PE meal on board but expected to be told 'no' as there are often very few extra meals available and VS (as do many airlines) do not like mixing meals between cabins.

The 'gamey bird' was replaced by chicken shortly after it was introduced.

If you have particilar dietary issues then best cater for yourself but remember (a) the liquids rules and (b) the crew have no facilities to heat any of your food up.

[preiffer]

If you have special dietary needs, just make this clear in your booking and they'll load a special meal onboard for you (if the PE meal alternative is not acceptable)

If you have special dietary needs, just make this clear in your booking and they'll load a special meal onboard for you (if the PE meal alternative is not acceptable)

Might be difficult - OP doesn't like fish or cheese. Maybe could go for a vegan meal?

OP, when are you travelling? The new menu whould be out now (although you might have similar problems with the new one). Might be worth stocking up at the terminal. The seafood (Prunier?) place does take away - pretty sure that there are a few "non fish" items on the menu... Also eat really well at the Clubhouse before boarding.

Maybe could go for a vegan meal?

I saw someone have one of these in PE, it just looked like a plate of fruit.

OP, when are you travelling? The new menu whould be out now (although you might have similar problems with the new one). Might be worth stocking up at the terminal. The seafood (Prunier?) place does take away - pretty sure that there are a few "non fish" items on the menu... Also eat really well at the Clubhouse before boarding.

If you do go down the route of take your own please remember to becareful on arrival in the US to properly dispose of any rubbish / uneaten items as the authorities are quite strict in food items being brought into their country and especailly things like fish and meat (and that includes the ham in a ham sandwich and not raw pork chops!)

Bear in mind too that overly smelly food might also affect your fellow pax too!

The OP should dispose of any unwanted food before the end of the flight.

[honey lamb]

OP, when are you travelling?

He says he's leaving on December 1st and returning on the 16th in PE. Under the normal scheme of things the menu should be changing about the time of the outbound but there is no guarantee it will be on that date

The new menu whould be out now

If you look at the UC summer menu on the sticky at the top of the forum you will see the title has been amended to read "Extended into Autumn"

I am not that fussy an eater, but having just sampled both the outbound and yesterday, the inbound, it's not been my favourite by a country mile :$

(and yes Slinky, they run out of lobster starters yesterday after 5 customers and they tried their hardest to shift some of that beetroot )

David

Maybe could go for a vegan meal?

I saw someone have one of these in PE, it just looked like a plate of fruit.

Think that it depends on airline and route etc... You can get some pretty nice asian vegan dishes (curries etc), but it can very much be a lottery. And if you don't like curries/spicey food, then that could be a gamble too. If a caterer "plays safe" with vegan food, then it can be very bland.

As Tonty says, the best aprroach - if you have very particular dietary needs - is to take your own. Even on BA, Club Kitchen can vary quite a bit: have had good soup, very mediocre pasta, seen some good sandwiches/wraps and some ok salads. They always tend to have cakes, chocolates, crisps, fruit salad etc. But nothing that is a proper substitute for a "main meal". Also Club Kitchen isn't - to my recollection - set-up/opened until after the main meal service is finished and cleared away.

Hopefully someone will post the updated UC menu soon and maybe the OP wills ee something on there that they like.

The new menu whould be out now

If you look at the UC summer menu on the sticky at the top of the forum you will see the title has been amended to read "Extended into Autumn"

That is a real shame for very regular travellers - nice to have some variety...

Boo

Think that it depends on airline and route etc... You can get some pretty nice asian vegan dishes (curries etc), but it can very much be a lottery. And if you don't like curries/spicey food, then that could be a gamble too. If a caterer "plays safe" with vegan food, then it can be very bland.

It was MCO to MAN.

(and yes Slinky, they run out of lobster starters yesterday after 5 customers and they tried their hardest to shift some of that beetroot )

OMG I got named checked and I didn't even reply to the thread ... BTW I only eat the beetroot because I loathe the other options.

Drat, that's the first thread featuring MCO I've replied too ... must be stronger, I must be stronger, I must be stronger.

Back to the OP, I hope the menu has changed to something more palatable for you, if not and you really are that fussy, take something else, no airline will be guaranteed to satisfy. However, as Father Tonty says, stick the left overs in the bin. Or, as Lord Long of Vinpolis used to do, asked the crew to provide the essentials (cutlery and crockery) for you to at least conjure up fine dining. Now, where did BBR go in T3?

[honey lamb]

The new menu whould be out now

If you look at the UC summer menu on the sticky at the top of the forum you will see the title has been amended to read "Extended into Autumn"

That is a real shame for very regular travellers - nice to have some variety...

Boo

I quite agree. One year for whatever reason, they didn't change the menu for 6 months. Even I was bored as I'd had it on a few trips but not as many as regular travellers

... Father Tonty ...

v( v( v( v( v(

THanks for the replies. Delighted to hear that the fowl has changed to chicken. THat would suit me just fine. I've never thought of myself as really fussy. I've always enjoyed economy food on virgin and think that breakfast ham and egg muffin is magic. I had three last flight! Normally I get asked Chicken or beef? My answer, whatever you want to get rid of! Its the fish heavy nature of the menu I was most concerned with. I've never been on a flight where fish was an option.

Pity I cant get the beef they serve on the return. That sounds lovely. However, as you say, I'll just eat like a horse in the clubhouse. I have got 5 hours in there following my connection from Edinburgh after all!

I remember a thread a few years ago where we talked about having insulated Tiffin boxes that you could fill up in the CH and take on board, it would be perfect for this scenario! y)

Is there anywhere they list what the "special" meals are such as vegan etc...?

Is there anywhere they list what the "special" meals are such as vegan etc...?

I don't know but I can see why they won't want to encourage you - these cost them quite a bit more. I wouldn't also anticipate it being a gastronomic experience

Is there anywhere they list what the "special" meals are such as vegan etc...?

On the VS website here

Cheers

Martin

If you ask the crew when you get on if you could have a PE meal instead, I'm sure they will oblige - there are extra meals loaded in PE to try and ensure pax get their first or at least 2nd choice.

Maybe there could be an option on the VS website for 'fussy eater special meal'?

Maybe there could be an option on the VS website for 'fussy eater special meal'?

A piece of gluten-free dry bread.

I think it is difficult - everyone is fussy about different things

Really - to just about please everyone - you need a "chicken" (probablyy roasted with a gravy type sauce) a "beef" (probably a steak), a fish and a veggie main meal choicem (then special meal orders - vegan, halal etc - available on top of that). Then it is difficult with starters - often they are a choice of a fish/seafood one and a veggie one (although that often will have some form of cheese on it).

I think that airlines try to offer variety (which causes problems) and that there have been lots of financial cutbacks in catering (often less choices for a start - VS used to always offer a soup and there was a "lighter bites" menu even on East Coast flights....). All of this is a day and age when people are used to having a lot more choice in what they eat.

At least the Clubhouse has some good offerings for those departing from London.

Boo

Maybe there could be an option on the VS website for 'fussy eater special meal'?

A piece of gluten-free dry bread.

My niece eats that stuff and I wouldn't wish it on the worse enemy of my worse enemy!! :$