Air New Zealand's premium cabins get a new menu this weekend. The airline says the first dishes from chef Josh Emett, who joined in May as its Premium Culinary Ambassador, begin rolling out on October 25.
The menu will be served in Premium Economy, Business Premier and Business Premier Luxe. It runs on long-haul flights leaving Auckland and on select flights to New Zealand from Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York and Vancouver. Air New Zealand set out the details in its announcement on October 23.
What's on the menu
The theme is New Zealand produce. Emett calls the menu "a tiki tour around New Zealand," and the dishes lean on ingredients from across the country.
On long-haul flights leaving Auckland, the lunch service starts with a prawn and miso salad. The main is Alpine salmon with saffron and chili creamed corn, green beans and pickled seaweed. Dessert is a chocolate and hazelnut mousse with horopito, a peppery native plant, and preserved blackberries.
Dinner out of Auckland opens with wild Fiordland venison, roasted beetroot and a pear and golden kūmara chutney. The main is chicken braised in Martinborough Pinot Noir, served with creamed spinach and leeks. For dessert there is a vanilla mousse with kiwifruit compote, crushed Anzac biscuit and meringue.
Flights heading to New Zealand from the four North American cities get a different set. Dinner starts with smoked duck and pickled shiitake, followed by New Zealand lamb rump with smoked eggplant, peas, harissa and labneh. Breakfast before landing is banana pancakes with poached pear and maple yogurt.
The airline has not said whether every dish will be served in all three cabins, or how the menus differ between Premium Economy and Business Premier. Expect some variation by cabin and by flight.
Where the venison comes from
The venison is supplied by WithWild, a New Zealand producer that works with wild deer from the South Island. According to the airline, WithWild partners with the Fiordland Wapiti Foundation, which helps control deer numbers in Fiordland National Park to protect native plants.
It is a small detail, but it is the kind of story airlines now like to tell about their food. Air New Zealand says it serves millions of meals a year, so a menu like this also works as a showcase for local growers and suppliers.
Why the airline is doing this
Air New Zealand is open about the goal. Jeremy O'Brien, its chief customer and digital officer, says North America is a key market. In his words, getting people to pick New Zealand as a destination is one thing, but giving them a reason to fly Air New Zealand, and to buy a premium seat, is another.
On flights that run well over half a day, the meal is one of the few parts of a premium ticket that every passenger notices. A named chef and a clear food identity give the airline something to point to when travelers compare fares across the Pacific.
Before you board in Auckland
If you are flying Business Premier or have Star Alliance Gold status, you can eat on the ground before the menu reaches you in the air. The Air New Zealand International Lounge at Auckland Airport is one of the better-rated lounges in our directory, with a full bar and 10 showers. Access details for the airline's lounges are on our Air New Zealand Lounge program page.
Flyers earning Airpoints can find tier details on that page. For the airline's fleet, hubs and seat maps, see our Air New Zealand page. Travelers starting in North America can check lounge options before departure on our guides to Los Angeles, San Francisco, New York JFK and Vancouver.
