At the start of 2017, British Airways launched an exclusive partnership with Marks & Spencer, offering a selected range of the much-loved brand’s food on short-haul Euro Traveller and UK domestic flights. The Club caught up with Simon Lushey, M&S’s specialist food technical manager, to find out what makes a sandwich taste great at 30,000 feet

What makes great food?
It starts with the basic ingredients. Only the very best will make great quality food, and that’s critical to Marks & Spencer. You then need a talented team of expert product developers and chefs, who work closely with suppliers to bring these products to life. We have been working with some of our suppliers longer than the 32 years I have been working at M&S. It’s this strong relationship that enables us to continue to push the boundaries of great food innovation.

What is the most important part of developing new food products?
Product development is all about knowing your customer and understanding what they want. It’s not as simple as offering a variety of sandwich fillings at a low price – customers want value for money. But that doesn’t mean they want the cheapest product or a Michelin- starred experience. Value is not just about price, it’s about quality too. Product innovation is at the heart of what we do, so we are constantly looking at flavours and textures that excite and delight, but also offer terrific value.  

How do you develop new products?
We’re always on the look out for new inspiration. Our product development team keep an eye on the latest food trends from all over the world, as well as restaurant openings, plus food and travel blogs. But it can often be something simple that really catches on. M&S pioneered the takeaway sandwich in 1929, and in the 1970s our pre-prepared chicken kiev was so popular a whole factory was dedicated to its production.

How did you choose what to include on board?
First, we worked closely with the crew to develop a menu that would be practical to supply to customers in flight. Next came tasting sessions, which, of course, had to be conducted in the air. We tried all the food at 30,000 feet to see what worked. At that height, there’s a change in the body’s salt receptors, which can affect taste. We put forward only things that tasted as good in the air as they do on the ground.

What can customers expect?
The menu consists of 25 food items, many of which are much-loved classics such as our cheese ploughman’s and Aberdeen Angus bloomers. We’ll revisit the selection every few months and hopefully try out some new products in the coming year.

Can we expect some unique products to BA?
It’s certainly something we’d love to explore. Perhaps we’ll have a line of Percy Pilots – although everyone knows pigs can’t fly.

Interview by Graeme Park


Find out more about BA’s partnership with M&S at ba.com

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This article has been tagged Food + Drink, BA