“Connoisseurs on Board” is the motto for the top-flight cuisine Lufthansa is offering its First and Business Class guests on all its long-haul routes from Germany. In September and October, Elisabeth Grabmer, whose Waldschänke restaurant in Grieskirchen has been awarded a two-toque rating by the leading restaurant guide Gault-Millau, will be following in the footsteps of such celebrity chefs as Paul Bocuse or Eckhart Witzigmann, who have also created inflight menus for Lufthansa.
“Waldschänke” chicken salad with blue cheese and pine nuts, cured brisket of beef with beans and red radishes, smoked trout terrine, char served with braised cucumber and watercress puree, loin of suckling pig or apple brioche soufflé with raisins enhanced with Austrian-style fruit zabaglione are just some of the creations that will be prepared to the highest standards for gourmet high-flyers.
Before such top-notch menus are ready to “take to the air”, a run-up time of about six months is required. Several meetings and test runs with Elisabeth Grabmer and four Lufthansa chefs de cuisine, who travelled to her restaurant in Grieskirchen, will ensure that the culinary specialities from Upper Austria are served to perfection on Lufthansa aircraft from 1 September.
However, Elisabeth Grabmer is not solely responsible for bringing Upper Austrian flair into Lufthansa’s aircraft cabins. The cooperation between Lufthansa and the province of Upper Austria is designed to arouse passengers’ awareness and appreciation of the beauty of the region. The inflight entertainment programme will include an image film with items about Ars Electronica, special travel offers, and a portrait of the celebrity chef, while the audio channel will feature music performed by the Bruckner Orchestra, the state orchestra of Upper Austria, and one of the country’s leading ensembles. A magazine about Upper Austria will be available on board, as well as in Lufthansa lounges and on the newspaper racks at the departure gates. As the Governor of Upper Austria, Josef Pühringer, says: “The main aim of the cooperation is to put Upper Austria on the international map – as a successful and innovative business location, an attractive holiday destination and a producer of healthy food. And so we hope that our on-board presentation of our province will be an experience for all the senses!”
Lufthansa’s “Star Chef” programme was developed in 2000 with the airline’s international clientele in mind. Since the beginning of 2005, world-famous chefs have been creating menus also with a special regional focus for long-haul Lufthansa flights. As Dr Reinhold Huber, Vice President Product Management and Innovation at Lufthansa, says: “We are delighted that we have been able to gain Elisabeth Grabmer, whose restaurant has two-toque rating, for our programme. Our cooperation with the province of Upper Austria is certain to be exceptionally informative and entertaining for our passengers.”
