New menu

Looks like there's a new menu on the way next week. The pre-order options for my upcoming flight to JFK in Premium next Saturday:

• Honey and Mustard Chicken with potato gratin, green beans and peas
• Cumberland Sausage with parsley mashed potatoes, root vegetables and madeira sauce
• Thai Vegetable Curry with chilli broccolini and vegetable dumpling (v)

Screenshot 2024-09-28 at 18.57.23.png (255.38 KiB) Viewed 96785 times

[mitchja]

Thanks for the update. They all sound good.

Hope the "bangers & mash" make it onto the Upper Class menu. But they won't as we have to have broccolini on the plate there to make it sound posh.

If only you could pre-order a meal from a lower cabin menu.

Is requesting a meal in Upper from PE allowed on the aircraft?

My wife said last time her broccolini was unedible.

Virgin & their caterers - who I think are LSG Skychefs - need to stand back & reflect. Less is more.

Putting the crazy beef issue aside, just serve customers decent good food. We don't need broccolini on every Upper Class plate to make it sound posh. Put "Bangers & Mash" on the menu any most passengers would go for it. Ditto with the afternoon tea service - look at what sandwiches sell out in Marks & Spencer - for a good reason. So no sun-dried tomato with avocado thanks. How about ham & cheese? Does not sound posh enough for Upper Class - but would go down better.

Is requesting a meal in Upper from PE allowed on the aircraft?

My wife said last time her broccolini was unedible.

I've seen it happen sometimes when someone insists there's nothing on the Upper menu they can eat; but they run the service pretty lean from what I can see - there are very few 'spare' meals to accommodate such requests. Pre-order would be the way to go, if they would allow Upper passengers to pre-order from either menu.

I have also had inedible broccolini on some flights - once in particular on return from Austin it was 'chargrilled' beyond recognition.

[buns]

Virgin & their caterers - who I think are LSG Skychefs - need to stand back & reflect. Less is more.

Putting the crazy beef issue aside, just serve customers decent good food. We don't need broccolini on every Upper Class plate to make it sound posh. Put "Bangers & Mash" on the menu any most passengers would go for it. Ditto with the afternoon tea service - look at what sandwiches sell out in Marks & Spencer - for a good reason. So no sun-dried tomato with avocado thanks. How about ham & cheese? Does not sound posh enough for Upper Class - but would go down better.

I have to agree 100%. VS really do need to buck up their ideas on the catering front - drowning food in “sauces” just gives the impression of masking sub standard basic ingredients

DMC
Thanks for sharing this PE menu - I will opt for the bangers

Buns

This cant be a virgin menu, no cherry tomatoes

Is requesting a meal in Upper from PE allowed on the aircraft?

My wife said last time her broccolini was unedible.

You can - subject to availability. I do it all the time. (I like the PE mac & cheese).

Just mention it to the crew early on so they can allocate you one of the premium meals.

I have to agree 100%. VS really do need to buck up their ideas on the catering front - drowning food in “sauces” just gives the impression of masking sub standard basic ingredients

DMC
Thanks for sharing this PE menu - I will opt for the bangers

That's what both myself and my partner are going for - sounds better than the other options! I'm still holding out for a last minute reward seat, so if that happens (unlikely) I'll post the Upper menu.

On the sauces, I know what you mean, but I think part of it is because of the dryer atmosphere in the cabin, the meals would be pretty dry and have less flavour without them. It's better when the sauces are on the side or in a little pouring jug so you can decide how much you want to add.

Virgin & their caterers - who I think are LSG Skychefs - need to stand back & reflect. Less is more.

Putting the crazy beef issue aside, just serve customers decent good food. We don't need broccolini on every Upper Class plate to make it sound posh. Put "Bangers & Mash" on the menu any most passengers would go for it. Ditto with the afternoon tea service - look at what sandwiches sell out in Marks & Spencer - for a good reason. So no sun-dried tomato with avocado thanks. How about ham & cheese? Does not sound posh enough for Upper Class - but would go down better.

What a great comment that is. Lets stop trying to impress with all the fancy offerings please.

Virgin & their caterers - who I think are LSG Skychefs - need to stand back & reflect. Less is more.

Putting the crazy beef issue aside, just serve customers decent good food. We don't need broccolini on every Upper Class plate to make it sound posh. Put "Bangers & Mash" on the menu any most passengers would go for it. Ditto with the afternoon tea service - look at what sandwiches sell out in Marks & Spencer - for a good reason. So no sun-dried tomato with avocado thanks. How about ham & cheese? Does not sound posh enough for Upper Class - but would go down better.

What a great comment that is. Lets stop trying to impress with all the fancy offerings please.

I couldn’t agree more , just returned from Dubai on emirates buisness , beef , chicken or a curry.
Slice of lemon drizzle cake available around the bar , very impressive

Just bring back the Steak and the Sliders. Stop being so pathetic.
They will soon see how popular those choices are.
How is serving a couple of hundred steaks and burgers a day really going to affect the planet.....
If people wish not to eat meat then they can choose something else.
Get real Virgin and bring the sparkle back.
End of

Plenty of plainer but decent meals available they could be serving without still serving beef.

I love a steak, but if VS don’t want to serve it, that’s fine. I really don’t understand the obsession of beef amongst some posters. Surely you can go half a day without it.

VS has just put out a press release for the Autumn / Winter menu across all cabins:

https://corporate.virginatlantic.com/gb ... -menu.html

The Upper Class options are packed with premium ingredients, with mains including chicken and mushroom pie with a hint of truffle, pan roasted cod or pumpkin girasoli. Virgin Atlantic’s pre-select service will also give Upper Class customers access to exclusive mains such as roasted duck breast with potato gratin. Brunch is also available on select flights departing the UK and includes choices between smashed avocado with poached egg on sourdough, a red velvet pancake stack with coconut cream, berry compote and white chocolate granola, or a chicken and treacle beer bacon club sandwich.

That "Gentleman with a beard" who has had zero active interest in the airline (unless it's an inaugural route with TV cameras present) for years needs to back down.

His decrees on the catering front are bizarre. What do most Americans enjoy - beef & spuds. What don't Virgin serve?

[buns]

VS has just put out a press release for the Autumn / Winter menu across all cabins:

https://corporate.virginatlantic.com/gb ... -menu.html

The Upper Class options are packed with premium ingredients, with mains including chicken and mushroom pie with a hint of truffle, pan roasted cod or pumpkin girasoli. Virgin Atlantic’s pre-select service will also give Upper Class customers access to exclusive mains such as roasted duck breast with potato gratin. Brunch is also available on select flights departing the UK and includes choices between smashed avocado with poached egg on sourdough, a red velvet pancake stack with coconut cream, berry compote and white chocolate granola, or a chicken and treacle beer bacon club sandwich.

Thank You for sharing this London Flyer

Once again VS have elected style over substance, when simple (plain) food really is the order of the day. For example mushrooms AND truffle in the same dish


I suppose Mrs B and I will be once again taking a packed lunch when we fly next month

Buns

I have done this a few times when they had shepherds pie or chicken casserole in PE. I do agree that they try too hard in UC to be fancy. I just want normal food.

Is requesting a meal in Upper from PE allowed on the aircraft?

My wife said last time her broccolini was unedible.

Plenty of plainer but decent meals available they could be serving without still serving beef.

I love a steak, but if VS don’t want to serve it, that’s fine. I really don’t understand the obsession of beef amongst some posters. Surely you can go half a day without it.

Didn't mean Steak specifically, just beef or lamb in general.

miss the old days of "chicken or beef"

I just had the pre order email and my only options are the mushroom pie the cod or the pumpkin pasta. So once again customers in MAN are being had over no online exclusives like you get from LHR.

[mitchja]

Here's the new Upper Class menu for USA flights from LHR:

Screenshot 2024-10-03 at 14.32.26.jpg (353.94 KiB) Viewed 91510 times

Chicken and Mushroom Pie - with a hint of truffle,mashed potatoes,roasted carrots,greens and gravy.
Pan Roasted Cod - panang sauce,coconut rice,edamame with a carrot and radish salad.
Pumpkin Girasoli (v) - with herb cream and pistachio mint pesto.
Lamb Dahwalla - with tomato and coriander okra and paratha.
Vegetable Korma (v) - with almond basmati,saag masala and naan.
Express Meal - Curried Cauliflower Soup (v) - with spiced crispy onions and coriander oil served with an emmental and spinach toastie

Pre-Order Exclusives
Roasted Duck Breast - with potato gratin,wilted winter greens,crispy onions and red wine jus.
Braised Pork - with a tuscan style tomato sauce, pappadelle pasta, baby courgette and pangritata.
Mushroom Pearl Barley Risotto (v) - with grilled king oyster mushroom, crispy capers, rocket and lemon oil.
Superfood Salad (v) - braised pineapple, quinoa, seaweed salad with sesame edamame, coriander and yuzu dressing.

I think the mushroom risotto picture is wrong as that doesn't look like risotto to me!

Most of the LHR menu still sounds pretty crap. As always with VS - LHR customers are showered with choice between dining in the Clubhouse & onboard dining.

MAN passengers get a far worse offering for pretty identical fares to ex-LHR. (I have seen some ex-MAN-MCO Upper Class fares at £10 higher than LHR ones, in identical fare buckets).

[buns]

Mitcha

Thank you for sharing the Autumn / Winter UC Menu.

I am with Kraken on this. When VS come up with fanciful descriptions of menu options many will suspect the “flavourings” are there to hide poor basic ingredients.

Looks like Mrs Buns and I will resort to Clubhouse offerings and then a couple of Pret Sandwiches on board

Buns

We have voted with our feet - Aer Lingus business class menu MAN-MCO almost always includes beef. This winter we have paid £2k for return flights.

It really says it all when FC Gold & even WINGS passengers are saying the new Upper Class Menu is crap & they are planning on taking a picnic from Pret a Manger onboard.

Pay close on £3k for even a Z Upper Class return and make your own catering arrangements for basic plain food. That says exactly where Virgin have got to. Even Upper Class passengers are begging for a Premium Economy or Economy meal.

Come on Virgin, please!